Sometimes humans try to avoid their inevitable destiny for their lives; there
are moments that we may think of ourselves as invincible and smarter than what
is already decided. There may also be a point when making a decision leads to a
great error in judgment. In Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, both of
these problems are noticed in the character, Oedipus. They are known as tragic
flaws. A tragedy must have the character to have a flaw in his hamartia.
Oedipus’ single flaw that is pointed out is hubris, excessive pride. A single
flaw can allow a man to be defeated. Oedipus the King is a tragedy. A tragedy is
a play that portrays a conflict between human beings and some superior,
overwhelming force. It ends sorrowfully and disastrously, and the outcome seems
inevitable. In a tragedy, the hero is upper class that is capable of suffering.
He is neither good nor bad. Due to the flaws in his actions and behaviors, he
will have everything and lose it all. He is the hero and king of Thebes, but
because of his fate, he ends up being blind in exile. Oedipus runs from his own
homeland including his mother and father. He is trying to escape his fate. The
gods above told him that he would, in his future, kill his father and marry his
mother. By moving somewhere else, he believes his parents will be safe from him.
Someone told him that Polybus and Merope were not his real parents so he asked
them, but they lied telling him they were. Oedipus still has doubts so he goes
to Delphi where he is told the truth, but not the identity of his real parents.
He flees Corinth where his parents are in order to avoid the prophecy. Oedipus
leaves Corinth and heads in the opposite direction towards Thebes. On his
journey, a chariot tries to run him of the road. He became very angry, which
causes him to become violent so he kills Laius and the men who are with him. One
man escaped the wrath of Oedipus and fled back to Thebes. Although he does not
know Laius was his father, he is one step closer to fulfilling the prophecy.
Oedipus is on the path close to the town of Thebes where this is a Sphinx who
kills people who cannot answer her riddle. Oedipus succeeds in solving the
riddle, causing the Sphinx to destroy herself. He is received with enthusiasm by
the Thebans that just lost their king. The Thebans make him king and he marries
Jocasta who was married to the late Laius. He is ignorant in knowing that not
only has he killed his father, but also now, he has married his mother. Oedipus
sinks low because of his tragic flaws, his actions, and his inability to dance
around one’s fate. There is a plague in the land, so Oedipus wants it to go
away, so he sends Creon to Delphi to find out what to do. Creon is Jocasta’s
sister and his brother-in-law. Apollo shot an arrow, which caused the plague
because Laius’ death went unsolved. Apollo wants the killer(s) paid back for
the murder. Oedipus wants to find the murderer, so he says that whoever killed
Laius will be exiled or killed. Someone tells Oedipus to send for blind Tiresias
who knows everything. Tiresias does not want to tell Oedipus the truth, but
Oedipus keeps harassing Tiresias even threatens him with torture. Finally, he
tells Oedipus the truth but Oedipus does not want to believe the truth. Oedipus
shows an error in judgment when he disregards Tiresias’ warning. He is too
hardheaded to listen to what Tiresias has to say to him. In doing this, he
creates his own downfall. He disregards all the information given to him because
he thinks that he can control his destiny. A servant announces to the king and
his people that Jocasta was dead. She hung herself in her bedroom when she
figured out that her husband was really her son. Her four children were by her
first born who she thought was dead. Oedipus sees his mother/wife’s body he
pulls to pins out of her dress and gouges his eyes out with them. He does this
several times, causing blood to drip down his face and on his beard. He could
not bear to see the damage that his life had caused. Oedipus keeps his word of
punishing the murderer of Laius. He is sent in exile to Cithaeron where as a
baby he was to have been left. He does not know if he will die there are not
because he realizes now that the gods are in control of his destiny. Apollo
takes away the plague, since the murder of Laius was solved and punishment had
been served. Oedipus was on top of the world and he literally lost everyone and
everything that he had loved. He tried to avoid his fate but it was meant to be,
so it happened. It does not make sense why his fate must be so terrible, but it
could have to do with his single flaw. Oedipus never did anything that bad to
deserve such a horrible life. At least he was man enough to realize that it was
not only Apollo’s fault, but his too. He lost some of his hubris throughout
this horrible event. This all took place in one day at the palace in Thebes.
Everyone has a downfall, some just have farther to fall than others do.