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 criminal act that the tragic hero is responsible for. Oedipus commits his crime when he kills his father and marries his mother, although he did both without intending to, he ultimately committed the crime himself. 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. 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. 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. Despite the death of both of these "tragic heroes", the idealization of the Greek tragedy is that they both attempted greatn...

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Oedipus Rex: Fate. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:09, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/202535.html