Prof. OP Budholia and Dr Naveen K Mehta's Compilation of the Study Stuff in the larger benefit and interest of student community .
Greatly acknowledge all the sources......
1. Sophocles: Oedipus
Rex
World Literature in Translation
Lecture:2
Prof. O. P. Budholia
&
Dr. Naveen K Mehta
Department of English
Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies,
Barla, Raisen (MP)
2. Introduction
Oedipus Rex is a typical classical tragedy because it
has the element of tragedy and tragic hero as well.
According to Aristotle; The tragic hero must be a
person of noble birth and prosperity whose misfortune
results not from depravity or vice but some hamartia
i.e., a tragic flaw or an error of judgment from the
hero. It made to him to fall from prosperity to adversity.
Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero consists of the
following points:
I. Noble structure II. Fate proves to be downfall III.
Good person IV. Misfortune is not deserved. IV. There
should be a tragic flaw.
The dialogue as well as the language of the chorus
also emphasizes the tragic message about the tragic
life of the ill-fated Oedipus.
3. Oedipus Rex: As A Tragic Hero
King Oedipus can be taken as a typical hero
of “classical tragedies.”
The name Oedipus means “swell foot” in
Greek, comes from his swollen foot.
He is ill-fated tragic character whose parents
had to throw him away on the third day of his
birth.
He is the tragic man who was unfortunately
pitted by the shepherd who was supposed to
throw him and instead of “dying that
unfortunate little death”, he was given to the
shepherd of another king Polybos.
4. Oedipus Rex: As A Tragic Hero
Oedipus’ tragic flaw is excessive pride(hubris) and
self-righteousness.
Oedipus is a great and noble king. The opening
scene shows Oedipus in his magnificence, as a
king who is so concerned about the welfare of his
people. He addresses them as “my children”.
He is a great man with respectable moral value
and respectable personality.
The priest glorifies the king as a man “Surest in
mortal ways and wisest in the ways of god.”
It is so good of Oedipus to try to avoid the
unbearable fate that he hears of.
he is also always afraid of doing wrong, he is
determined in his search for the truth and the
welfare of the people
5. Oedipus Rex: As A Tragic Hero
He has a bad temper and wrong
judgment; the error of a tragic character is
primarily the “error of judgment”.
It appears that Oedipus could have
avoided his ill- destiny if he had taken
certain precautions. Oedipus as a tragic
character is heroic because of his
because of his weakness before the
forces of his destiny.
The tragedy of Oedipus is a tragedy of
human situations.
6. Oedipus Rex: As A Tragic Hero
The first part of the definition of a tragic hero states
that the character, usually the protagonist, must be of
a noble birth and also must be virtuous and noble of
character.
Oedipus is all of these things; he is a king, and a
king's son.
All of his people come to him when they are in a time
of trouble, showing that they trust him to treat them
with virtuousness and nobility.
Oedipus shows this well, even though he is a king.
He is quick to show anger and very slow to forgive
his friends and family, as shown through the way he
treated Creon.
He can also be cruel, as when he spoke and acted to
7. Oedipus Rex: As A Tragic Hero
Oedipus himself reveals his hamartia when he tells the
story of the day that he killed Laius.
Oedipus was walking along a road, and when Laius'
chariot came by, Oedipus was forced off to the side.
His pride was so hurt that he killed Laius and his
party.
In this way Oedipus killed his own father, as it was
prophesied.
He finally realizes that Laius is his true father, and that
he killed him in a moment of hurt pride.
He also realizes that his wife is his mother, and blinds
himself because he can no longer bear to look at his
children.
Finally, Oedipus recognizes that he had earlier stated
that whoever had killed Laius would be punished, and
this would now happen to him.
8. Conclusion
Oedipus is a tragic hero in the play because he is a man
of noble structure, he is good ,but falls because of an act
of injustice, his downfall is his own fault, his misfortune is
not fully deserved, and because he gains some self
knowledge through the resolution.
Some causes of his fall were his own flaws but some
were brought by fate.
Some of the causes of his fall are following:
I. Moral wisdom II. Character and fate III. Oedipus
goodness IV. Pity and fear.
His life represents paradox of human situation in which
tragedy is not only inevitable but also inescapable.
He is introduced to us as a man of heroic proportions in
the prologue and he departs at the close of the play as a
man of a heroic stature.
This tragic story of Oedipus Rex teaches the lesson that
pride and other sins come before a fall.
