Another important ingredient for the tragic hero’s suffering is from the realization that his fate is based upon his own actions, rather than by events that happen to him. Oedipus is reluctant to face the truth when confronted with the possibility that he may be Laius’ true murderer. For example, during his conversation with Jocasta where he ignores the obvious connection between Jocasta’s story of binding her son’s ankles, and his own swollen and scarred feet. Jocasta also mentions to Oedipus the prophecy that her son would kill his own father, only to find that Oedipus has been told a similar prophecy. It seems that the two will go to great lengths to deny the truth—thus making the audience increasingly aware of the tragic irony that is present in the play.
This irony is developed further when Tiresias says to Oedipus during their dispute, “You are pleased to mock my blindness. Have you eyes, And do not see your own damnation?” He then goes on further by saying “When you can prove me wrong, then call me blind.” This contrast between physical sight and metaphorical sight is part of another strong component of the disaster recipe called the “anagnorisis,” or “recognition,” which was essentially “a change from ignorance to awareness of a bond of love or hate.” Before Oedipus realizes his fate, he is considered by Tiresias to be metaphorically blind. However, after Oedipus realizes his fate, he gouges his eyes out, thus gaining metaphorical sight in favor of physical sight.
Possibly one of the most important ingredients for the downfall of the tragic hero lies in the “catharsis,” or the “purification,” of the emotions of pity and fear. These emotions arise from the tragic hero being neither completely good nor completely evil. Most of the people in the audience most likely would not be able to relate to Oedipus’ noble status. However, we can understand Oedipus’ downfall on a small scale because we understand the consequences of Oedipus’ actions in our own lives. This is why we become extremely afraid when we see how these events play out on a large scale, as with Oedipus’ tragic downfall. Most of us don’t view gouging our eyes out or having your wife kill herself as a consequence for acting out in anger, or being too arrogant. We pity Oedipus because his downfall seems to be so much greater than what he deserves. In essence, the element of “fear” is produced out of the recognition that the hero is imperfect, like us, while the element of “pity” is a balance between good and evil. If Oedipus was a perfect and noble king, the audience would be outraged by his downfall. However, if Oedipus were completely evil, the audience would have been left with the feeling that he had gotten what he deserved. Further, the catharsis is defined by its emotional effect on the audience as it arouses the emotions of pity and fear, and then “purges” them with the hero’s downfall.
Aristotle’s tragic hero is a complex and powerful concept which is studied by many scholars today. Aristotle best described the tragic hero as “such a person who neither is superior [to us] in virtue and justice, nor undergoes a change to misfortune because of vice and wickedness, but because of some error, and who is one of those people with a great reputation and good fortune." Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is a man who is neither good nor evil, and whose downfall is based upon his own actions. Oedipus invokes pity and fear upon the crowd for being a character whom we can both relate to, while understanding the contrast between our average lives and Oedipus’ noble status, and how it adds to the intensity of Oedipus’ downfall. We see Oedipus lose his physical sight in favor of metaphorical sight which reveals his fate. Perhaps these tragic elements can be best summarized by the closing words in “King Oedipus”:
“Then learn that mortal man must always look to his ending, And none can be called happy until that day when he carries his happiness down to the grave in peace.”
