The story of Oedipus Rex is a classic example of a tragic hero. Oedipus is a hero who actively plays a large role in his own demise. This paper will take a look at how Oedipus Rex starred in his own demise, and what character flaws caused him to do so. It will also look at how the theme of the story (the battle of free will versus faith) may have been the biggest reason for Oedipus’s self-destruction. And finally, it will examine the possibility that Oedipus was not all responsible for the outcome that he received, and the possibility that he was only partly to be blamed.
             To understand why and how Oedipus Rex played a role in his own downfall, we must try to understand the character or person that was Oedipus Rex. We can see that Oedipus Rex is a very stubborn person and he lets his pride and his temper get in the way of his better judgment. A good example of this is when he finds out from the oracle that his destiny will lead him to kill his own father (King Laios), become a king, and marry his own mother, Queen Iocaste’. What probably made this bad situation worse was the fact that Oedipus did not even know who his real father and mother were and he did not find out that Polybos, (the man who raised him) was not really his father until after he had killed his real father.
             After Oedipus hears that fate would have him end up killing his own father, he decides to run away and get out of town. He figured that since he was supposed to kill his father and marry his mother, he would leave his home, so that he would be far away from Polybos and his mother. What Oedipus did not realize is that the oracle was not talking about Polybos; it was talking about his real father. This is where we can first argue that Oedipus is the victim, but not of his own accord. He did not even know that he was given away as a baby and thus he figured that the oracle referred to Ploybos when it mentioned his father. So, with out givin...