Oedipus Analysis
...downfall is caused by hamartia, a flaw in a character or a character’s error in judgment. Oedipus, Sophocles’ tragic character in Oedipus, clearly encounters such problems, but also his constant flaws in judgment are all due to his hamartia, hubris. The setting of the play sets up the first example of Oedipus’ excessive pride. Oedipus’ actions, such as taking pride in himself as the play first begins as a plague has taken control of Thebes, is an example of how much he thinks of himself as a god-like character. This exact hubris brought him to his destruction. Also, events such as the argument with the blind prophet and his stubbornness towards the people closest to him contributed to his hamartia being carried too far.
Oedipus’ first few instances of hubris occur in the beginning of the prologue. Sophocles strategically placed it here so that the reader would get the immediate feeling of Oedipus’ cockiness. “I have come myself to hear you—I, Oedipus, who bear the famous name.” (Pro. 9-10) Here, Oedipus is showing off about how only someone like he, who has solved the problem of the Sphinx before, could figure out yet another problem for the people of Thebes. And as the people cry to him for help, he again takes pride in himself by stating that although their children may have died, he is suffering the most. This shows his desperate need to be the center of everyone around him. His narcissism is the basis for things to come such as disrespect and stubbornness.
Sophocles once again quickly exemplifies another reckless feeling inside Oedipus, this time it is disrespect. Once nobody confesses to the murder of Laios, the king who was murdered which caused the plague, Oedipus begins to curse the citizens of Thebes. Next, it is Teiresias, the blind prophet, who falls victim to the disrespect of Oedipus. Oedipus’ constant pestering to find out what...
View Full Essay
