Oedipus, a Tragic Hero free essay sample

The hero’s downfall, therefore, is partially his/her own fault. A. Easily angered B. Unwilling to accept truth. V. The hero’s misfortune is not wholly deserved. A. Gauges his own eyes out. B. Banished from Thebes. VI. His actions result in increased self-knowledge. A. By calling for the shepherd, Oedipus learns that the prophecy came true. B. Oedipus, unknowingly, killed his father and married his mother. VII. Does the audience feel pity for the character? A. Even though Oedipus and his parents tried to change the prophecy, it all came true in the end anyway. VIII. Conclusion Oedipus, a Tragic Hero? Aristotle uses six different points to define a tragic hero. The tragic hero must be of noble stature and have greatness. Though the tragic hero is pre-eminently great, he/she is not perfect. The hero’s downfall is partially his/her own fault, the result of free choice, not of accidental means. We will write a custom essay sample on Oedipus, a Tragic Hero? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The hero’s misfortune is not wholly deserved and the punishment exceeds the crime. The fall is not pure loss. And though it arouses solemn emotion, tragedy does not leave the audience in a state of depression. VCC Lit Online) Using Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero, we will show that Oedipus in Oedipus the King is in fact a tragic hero and how his decisions led to his downfall. As Aristotle said, the tragic hero is a man of noble stature. This proved to be the case with Oedipus in the play  Oedipus the King. The tragic hero needs to have a noble stature so that when he falls, it arouses emotions of pity and fear in the audience. At the beginning of the drama Oedipus the King, we learn that Oedipus is the King of Thebes. Kennedy, Gioia) According to Aristotle, because Oedipus was born to nobility his high estate give him a place of dignity to fall from and perhaps makes his fall seem all the more a calamity in that it involves an entire nation or people. In addi tion to being a man of noble stature, Oedipus also is a tragic hero under the definition of Aristotle because his fall is a result of an act of injustice through ignorance. Because Oedipus is a tragic hero, he makes an error due to human fallibility and ends his suffering as a consequence. Free will and fallibility have caused Oedipus to wander down the path where he will fulfill the prophecy of killing his own father and marrying his own mother. (Essay Forum) Although Oedipus is a king and should be setting examples for society, he has major flaws such as pride and rage. The hero’s downfall, therefore, is partially his/her own fault. This is another point that Aristotle used to define a tragic hero. Oedipus’ downfall results from acts for which he himself is responsible. Oedipus is easily angered and lashed out at Tiresias when he told him that he is his wn murderer. (CliffsNotes) Before he could get any explanations, Oedipus sent Tiresias away in a fit of rage because his pride makes him unwilling to accept the truth. These flaws show that Oedipus acts on instinct and makes brash decisions. Oedipus also bears the characteristic of being stubborn and eventually forces the truth of his past out of the shepherd. It is also because of these characteristics that lead him to his downfall. â€Å"And I must hear it. But hear it I will. † (Kennedy, Gioia) Along with being a tragic hero because Oedipuss actions were his own fault, he is also what Aristotle defines as a tragic hero because his misfortune is not wholly deserved. The reason that Oedipuss misfortune is not fully deserved goes back to the fact that Oedipus was ignorant his entire life that the punishment and suffering that Oedipus goes through exceed the crimes he committed. Oedipus decides that he does not want to look upon the misery that he has caused and gauges his own eyes out with pins from a dress. He then banishes himself from the city of Thebes. Oedipus takes the responsibility as king and does not want his children shunned upon. As a consequence, Oedipus will live the rest of his life in blindness, as a punishment far worse that what he deserved. When Oedipus had vision he was in the dark for not knowing the past. However, when Oedipus blinded himself, he was brought from the darkness into the light because he finally knows of his destiny. Besides being a tragic hero whose punishment was not wholly deserved, Oedipus is also a tragic hero because his fall is not pure loss; his fall involves an increase of selfknowledge. Throughout the play, Oedipus is lacking the knowledge of who his real parents are. Also, Oedipus is stuck with the prophecy that he will eventually kill his father and marry his mother. The combination of these two things leads to changes in Oedipuss actions which lead him to actions that lead to his downfall. Basically, what it comes down to is that Oedipus was blind, figuratively, his entire life. It must be tough to live an entire lifetime without having full self-awareness and self-knowledge. Although the resolution of the play was the complete downfall of Oedipus, he did gain the knowledge that he was blind to reality his entire life. At the end of the play, Oedipus learns who his parents are, what he did to and with them, and who he really was. According to Aristotle, this acquisition of self-knowledge qualifies Oedipus as a tragic hero. Finally, in order to be a tragic hero, the audience has to feel pity for the character. Oedipus’ downfall elicits a great sense of pity from the audience. First, by blinding himself, as opposed to committing suicide, Oedipus achieves a kind of surrogate death that intensifies his suffering. He comments on the darkness- not just the literal inability to see, but also religious and intellectual darkness- that he faces after becoming bling. Classics,UPenn) Because of this, Oedipus is dead, for he receives none of the benefits of the living; at the same time, he is not dead by definition, and so his suffering cannot end. Oedipus receives the worst of both worlds between life and death, and he elicits greater pity from the audience. Second, Oedipus himself and the Chorus both n ote that Oedipus will continue after the tragedy’s conclusion. Oedipus’ suffering does not end with the play’ even so, the conclusion also presents a sense of closure to the play. Clearly, Oedipus’ unique downfall demands greater pity from the audience. (Weber. du) All tragedies have a tragic hero, including Oedipus in the play Oedipus the King. But what is a tragic hero. Aristotle used many different ways to define a tragic hero. His definition contains a set of guidelines that are parallel with the character of Oedipus. Aristotle’s tragic hero must be a man of noble stature (usually a king or prince), is good and his fall results from and act of injustice through ignorance, his downfall is his own fault, his misfortune is not wholly deserved, and finally the tragic fall is not a pure loss, r results in a gain of some self-knowledge for the character. Throughout the play Oedipus follow these guidelines and clearly emerges as a tragic hero. By definition, Oedipus is the tragic hero in Oedipus the King because he is noble, he is good, but commits an act of injustice through ignorance, his downfall is his own fault, his misfortune is not wholly deserved, and because his tragic fall is not one of pure loss.