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In his first encounters with the city of Thebes, Oedipus found them under the curse of the Sphinx. He actually gained his position of King of Thebes by rendering unto the city a great service, namely the salvation of the city from the Sphinx’s plague. Aristotle praised this type of cleverness and practical wisdom Oedipus exhibited in his solution to the riddle as being a component of overall goodness. If it were not for Oedipus’ cleverness, the citizens would have suffered untold disasters at the merciless hands of the Sphinx. After proving his worth as a good man and his concern for the citizens of what was seemingly a foreign city, Oedipus was well liked by the people of Thebes.
The people of Thebes liked their ruler, and he in turn ruled over them in a good and just way, trying to help them in their times of need. Aristotle believed that good in man existed in doing his job well. A good carpenter was one who worked with his wood
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Oedipus the King is a tragic story, of a man who tried to outrun his fate and ironically runs straight to it. He knew full well that in his uncovering the awful truth of the old prophecy he would be cursed and disgraced.
Similarly, in Oedipus’ quest for the truth, he established his goodness under another category of Aristotelian virtue. Oedipus first demonstrated his ability to be a good leader in helping the city escape the Sphinx. The premise for the book is that he was trying to rid the city of a second plague. Oedipus’ labor was for the benefit of others, one of Aristotle’s characteristics of a good ruler. According to the Aristotelian definition, this is a significant step towards being a good man. Even more ironic is the fact that Oedipus was at bases a good man, yet his fate was terrible. When warned by Teiresias of the painful news the prophet bears, Oedipus insisted on hearing what he has to say. Aristotle praises those who act in the interests of others, saying "the best man is not who practices virtue toward himself, but who practices it toward others, for that is a hard thing to achieve. “His reply expresses his compassion and responsible fore thought” (Scodel 58). " Aristotle holds friends in no low regard, so it is evident that his respect for the truth is very high indeed.
Another way of looking at Oedipus’ devotion to finding the truth of the matter of his prophecy and the plague on Thebes may be divined from an analysis of his motives, which he was seeking to benefit from his actions. As the story of Laïus’ death became clear, the audience learned of how Oedipus became angry and struck the coachman, before he attacked and killed his father in the coach. In Oedipus’ relentless push toward knowing the truth, he satisfies yet another Aristotelian definition of a good man.
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