Oedipus Rex: Fate
The story of Oedipus Rex and later, Creon within the classic series of plays by Sophocles portrays the classic interpretation of Greek "tragic heroes". The characteristics that describe tragic heroes are ideally shown in both of these characters. Both Oedipus and Creon are men of noble stature. Oedipus became the king of Thebes upon killing the last king, who ironically turned out to be his father. Creon, in turn assumed the throne upon the death of Oedipus and his sons. Both of these men are good individuals, though not perfect. Oedipus for instance attempted to rule with wisdom and believed strongly in justice. Creon is also strongly committed to the concept of justice, sentencing his own daughter in law to death for burying her brother in the field of battle. Both of these men therefore commit their own downfall through "an act of injustice", or the Greek term hamartia. Although this act may be made through ignorance or from conviction that there is some greater good, it is still a
It appears as if he has no choice throughout the play, as all of his actions are inadvertent rather than strategically calculated. In effect, the conclusion of a Greek tragedy does not leave the audience depressed, but rather understanding of the implicit nature of hubris and defeat. He suffers because of what fate brings into his life, and from many different perspectives one would say that he himself was not the blame for his downfall. Just as the oracle of Delphi informs Oedipus, his fate was sealed through prophesy and therefore he could do nothing to escape his ultimate fate. The Greek tragedy is ultimately a lesson in learning the truth. Since he made all of the decisions throughout his life in the context of the moment with only the information available to him, there was nothing he could have done to change the outcome. When he kills his father through the battle of the chariot, he could not have known that this was his real father, nor could he have known that by saving the cities of Thebes from destruction by the Sphinx he would marry his own mother. Without the ability to change the context of his fate, he inadvertently commits evil. criminal act that the tragic hero is responsible for. The defining quality of the tragic hero is that despite the hero's own downfall, his punishment is not wholly deserved and that the punishment exceeds the crime. The tragedy of Oedipus Rex is that he is a classic example of the Greek tragedy genre. He is destined to kill his father and marry his mother, and despite the fact that he was abandoned as a child, he still commits these grave crimes. In the case of Oedipus and Creon, they both suffered from the crime of excessive hubris; however in return their punishment was many fold their crime that resulted in the destruction of his family and suffering of the entire city of Thebes. Creon strongly believed in the necessity of following decrees and therefore did not contain his own hubris; as a result it led to the death of his son, wife and daughter in law.
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