Oedipus the King: Characteristics of a Tragic Hero
             In the classical Greek tragedy Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, Oedipus is the tragic hero, a noble man of high status who has a tragic flaw, or hamartia, which causes him to Abe a parent killer@ (Sophocles 69), a fatal error in judgment. In the course of the play, Oedipus, a Asovereign of [the] land@ (Sophocles 23), chooses to ignore the warnings of the gods because of his pride, or hubris. Despite the fact that he recognizes his mistake and accepts responsibility for it, he must suffer the severe consequences, for it is too late to rectify his mistake.
             Oedipus has the most powerful position in Thebes, the king. He is put on a pedestal by all of his followers. People consider him the Asovereign of [the] land@ because he saves Thebes from the Sphinx by solving the riddle that no other man is able to solve (Sophocles 23). The citizens of Thebes make Oedipus king, but even if they don=t, he had earned the title from birth. Oedipus is raised from a child by Polybus and Parobeia. They are the king and queen of Corinth. They raise him in the manner a king should be raised. By the time Oedipus becomes a man, Polybus and Parobeia give him the makings of a great king.
             Oedipus is not just and evil killer. He is, in fact, a good person. As king, he cares about his people. Not just some of them, but all of them. Oedipus loves Polybus and Parobeia. He leaves Corinth out of the fear that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus is raised thinking that because of who he is, he must be a leader and hero; so it is only natural that he saves Thebes from the Sphinx. Oedipus does not want to kill his father and marry his mother. He cares about them.
             Oedipus is not only a good person, he is a good king. As king, he does what he can to help Thebes. In the play, Oedipus searches to find Laius=s killer, because Apollo has promised
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