The Character Flaws of Oedipus rex and Their Relationship to

In the drama “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles, Oedipus’ flaws cause him to become a different man. Sophocles characterizes Oedipus as a superior being with great hubris, arrogance, ignorance, and haste. These characteristics are factors that catalyzed his downfall, causing him to become humiliated, wiser, and docile.

In the beginning of the story, Oedipus owned great hubris for he felt he was almost equal to the gods. Because of his equality sentiments, he held “no fear of justice, [and] no reverence for the temples of the gods” (p 1313 line 974) due to his pride in ruling Thebes and solving the Sphinx’s riddle. This pride slowed his good judgment (Berkowitz and Brunner 115. Oedipus was unable to connect that the faults Tiresias pointed out were his own. In order to protect his pride and honor, Oedipus showed aggression toward Tiresias for his questioning and was too “quick to accuse Tiresias and Creon of plotting against his royal person and station.” (4 p145). By doing so, “Oedipus remarks with near-contempt the fallibility of the god’s human ministers” (4 p 145). This proves Oedipus’ prideful and self-glorious attitude, which undermines the divine superiority of the gods. This characteristic would change in the end as

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Therefore, he gave in to the mercy of others and their guidance in the right direction for he could not guide himself. However, his investigation was futile because he failed to reflect upon the prophecy’s stipulations.

The humility that Oedipus exhibited in the exodus greatly contrasts from his hubris and arrogance in the prologue. He knew he had brought this fate upon himself, and willingly gauged out his eyes crying, “you’ll [I’ll] see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused!” (p1324 line 1406). His quest led him to the truth that he was an imbecile—a mere human instead of an “all knowing being. Oedipus should not have fled with hasty steps upon hearing the words of the oracle. His investigation of the comment he heard at the banquet was justified.

. He realized that he must be very submissive to the gods because he could never compare to their knowledge or greatness. According to Alister Cameron, this ignorance caused Oedipus to become blind and unconcerned about the consequences of his actions (2 291). The reader knows that because he felt his pride was attacked, his aggression toward Tiresias is a desperate attempt to maintain his superior stature. Moreover, Oedipus could have prevented his meeting with his father completely by staying in Corinth. After realizing that he had fulfilled his horrible destiny, Oedipus was found to be “a figure of sympathy”( 2 p 289). It is shocking after hearing these words that Oedipus attacks Tiresias (2 p293), calling him “scum of the earth…[and an] enraged heart of stone…”(p1299 381).

Approximate Word count = 912
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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