Oedipus the King - The Character Transformations of...

Oedipus the King - The Character Transformations of Oedipus Through the character of Oedipus, Sophocles shows the consequences of defying the divine order. Oedipus served Thebes as a great ruler, loved by his subjects; but, like most in the human race, he slipped through the cracks of perfection. Oedipus had many faults, but it was primarily the tragic flaw of hubris, arrogance from excessive pride, which doomed his existence, regardless of the character attributes that made him such a beloved king. He was doomed for downfall since his very beginning, because to flee your fate is to rush to find it (Oedipus Rex). Oedipus, throughout this work, seems more than a merely passive player lost in the hands of fate. He makes†¦show more content†¦He is too proud to consider the words of the prophet Tiresias, choosing instead to rely on his own sleuthing powers. Tiresias warns him not to pry into these matters; Just send me home. You bear your burdens, Ill bear mine. Its better that way, please believe me (364-366). However, pride in his own intelligence leads Oedipus to continue his search. For the love of god, dont turn away, not if you know something (371-372). Oedipus values truth attained through scientific inquiry over words and warnings from the gods, as this is a result of his pompous pride. Along with this pride, Oedipus is a seeker of truth. He shows himself to be a thinker, a man good at unraveling mysteries. This is the same characteristic that brought him to Thebes; he was the only man capable of solving the Sphinxs riddle. His intelligence is what makes him great, yet also contributes to making him tragic. His problem solvers mind leads him on as he works through the mystery of his birth. In the Oedipus myth, marriage to Jocasta was the prize for ridding Thebes of the Sphinx. Thus, Oedipuss intelligence, a trait that brings Oedipus closer to the gods (Bloom, 54), is what causes him to commit the most heinous of all possible sins - murdering his father, and marrying his mother. In killing the Sphinx, Oedipus is the citys savior, but in killing Laius, he is its scourge, the cause of the blight that has struck the city at theShow MoreRelatedA Close Reading Of Oedipus Rex1226 Words   |  5 PagesENG October 21, 2015 A Close Reading of Oedipus Rex Ancient Greeks cared deeply about the pursuit of knowledge. Although the truth was often a terrifying concept, they still saw it as a critical virtue. The theater was one way in which the ideas of knowledge and truth were examined. Many Greek dramatists use the self-realizations of their characters to underscore the themes of their tragedies. 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