Hamartia: Oedipus
According to Aristotle, the tragic hero is impeded by a distinguishable characteristic or character trait which leads to his ultimate demise. This trait is known as hamartia, or the "tragic flaw." This characteristic is said to not only lead to the hero's demise but may also enable the reader to sympathize with the character. So it follows that in Oedipus the King, a Greek tragedy, the tragic hero Oedipus should have some sort of flaw. However, after close examination of the text, no distinguishable "flaw" is revealed. Although Oedipus appears to have many "flaws" on the surface, namely his poor temperament, carelessness, curiosity and pride, close examination of the text reveals that he has many seemingly flawed characteristics that are not only justifiable but in some cases to be expected. One might expect that a quick and even murderous temper would be considered a serious impediment to Oedipus. However, he is quite justified in his rage against Creon and Tiresias, and he has good reasons to suspect them of plotting against him. From the view point of Oedipus, he has just discovered that the antecedent king Laius was savagely murdered along with the members of his entourage. Furthermore the murder has yet to be solved many
The killer is possibly a threat to his own leadership, and his own life. a man, just as [Jocasta] described [Laius], coming face-to-face, and the one in the lead and the old man himself [was] about to thrust [him] off the road-brute force - and the one shouldering [him] aside, the driver, [he] struck [him] in anger - and the old man, watching [Oedipus] coming up along his wheels - he brings down his prod, two prongs straight at [his] head"(884-893). He justly includes himself in the inquiry, and his quest for the truth is one of human nature. Oedipus' quest to find Liaus' murderer is very understandable. The primary moral that the reader should come away with is to let nature take its course. Oedipus could be described as overly curious. years later, and the gods have placed a plague on his city until the murderer(s) is apprehended and punished. Therefore any offense, especially by some old man and his servants, is cause for a serious reprimand. From the view of the audience, this is the most logical course of action. In the case of Oedipus, this means murder. Oedipus' name means "swollen foot. The saying "curiosity killed the cat" definitely holds true here. By running from his fate, Oedipus ends up sealing both his and his parent's destiny. " Could it be that Oedipus has a swollen head? Is his pride the damning characteristic? The fatal flaw? There is no evidence in the text to support this view.
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