In Sophocles play, Oedipus Rex is the archetypal tragic hero.

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The Eyes See Oedipus as the Tragic Hero In Sophocles’ play, Oedipus Rex is the archetypal tragic hero. Oedipus Rex is the story of the King of Thebes who through a series of prophesized events faces consequences of cataclysmic fate, brought upon by tragic flaws. His heroic qualities, his noble birth and loyalty to his kingdom, and his denial of the truth bring ruin upon him.

Aristotle holds Oedipus as the quintessential tragic hero. He has to be of nobility, not a standard or typical man, but one with greatness within. He goes on to define that tragic hero must commit errors in judgment, and thus suffers consequences leading to his destruction. He does not necessarily have to die. His downfall is brought about by his own poor choices, but his misfortune is not wholly deserved. A lesson needs to be learned from these fatalistic choices. He becomes an example the audience can relate to, have pity or fear, seeing what happens when prominent men fall from their egotistic political positions.

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Due to the character’s narcissist attitude, it causes him a different fate. This fate gives him a hunger for the truth overshadows that his grandiosity. He ends up finding out more truth than he expected. Because of his excessive pride and self-righteousness, we see how he manipulates the audience to feel sorry for him yet, the audience already knows the wrong Oedipus has done. They know he is the murder of King Laius, even when he is adamant about finding the culprit who did this.

Fate plays a significant role in his serendipity. There can be uncontrollable forces that impact ...

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