Theme Of Arrogance In Oedipus The King

Words: 1028
Pages: 5
Open Document
The Inevitable Denouement of Oedipus Rex

In many situations, a hero meets his or her downfall because of certain flaws that create a twist in fate. Thomas Sowell, a social theorist and political philosopher once said, “It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” This is true, because at the point of the tragic hero’s downfall, the person receives anagnorisis, or knowledge, of his or her faults, caused by his or her own characteristics. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Oedipus realizes that his hubris (arrogance), ignorance, and haste of investigation ultimately lead to his tragic downfall. Oedipus, who is the king of Thebes in the play, occasionally abuses his power and flaunts his status as a …show more content…
His inability to accept the fact that he murdered Laius, prompts his ignorance. When Tiresias states, “But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blind: You cannot see the wretchedness of your life” (Sophocles, Oedipus Rex.1.1.399-400), he means that although Oedipus has vision and can literally see, his ignorance closed his eyes to the shameful reality of his own life. Also, instead of using his own judgment, Oedipus relied heavily upon the oracles to guide him towards the truth, rather than his own judgment. When he tells Jocasta about how he murdered a man, whom he was beginning to think was Laius, Jocasta takes a sensible attitude and says, “From now on, where oracles are concerned, I would not waste a second thought on any.”(Sophocles, Oedipus Rex. 1.2.812-813.) But Oedipus, who doesn’t understand the truth, ignores her and orders to send for the shepherd, the only witness of Laius’ murder. When Oedipus does meet the old shepherd, he continues to abuse his power as he tries to force the truth of his identity from him. The old shepherd who was unwilling to tell the truth directly, divulges the information in stages. Yet as the truth is slowly beginning to unravel, Oedipus still remains baffled until the shepherd finally asserts the truth by saying, “For if you are what this man says you are, no man is more wretched than Oedipus.” (Sophocles, Oedipus Rex. 2.4. …show more content…
He scarcely minded what anyone had to say and would act quickly. In the beginning Oedipus learns of the prophecy that the plague can only be cured if the culprit of King Laius’ murder is caught. But he has no idea that he was the murderer himself and recklessly curses the one who murdered Laius, “I pray that that man’s life be consumed in evil and wretchedness.”(Sophocles, Oedipus Rex.1.1.234.) After talking with Tiresias, Oedipus is enraged at the prophecy and immediately jumps to conclusions that Creon was trying to overthrow him. Creon defends himself and justifies his sincerity by saying, “And as for this other thing; if I am found guilty of treason with Tiresias, then sentence me to death…but not without evidence!” (Sophocles, Oedipus Rex.1.2.573-577.) Choragos, the peacemaker, foreshadows when he says, “a prudent man would ponder it. Judgements quickly formed are dangerous” (Sophocles, Oedipus Rex. 1.2. 583-584), because it reflects Oedipus’ impulsiveness, which eventually leads to his downfall. The third event that proves Oedipus’ haste of investigation is when the messenger informs Oedipus that he had been given to him by a shepherd of Laius’ people and that Oedipus’ ankles were tied together. Oedipus’ wife Jocasta begins to receive an inkling that Oedipus was her own son, and she tries to stop him by lamenting, “You are fatally wrong! May you never learn
Show More

Related Documents: Theme Of Arrogance In Oedipus The King

Arrogance In Oedipus The King Essay

to repel their arrogance. Conquering one’s inner hubris establishes the status of a hero, as demonstrated by Oedipus. In Sophocles’ ageless play, Oedipus Rex, Sophocles develops the theme that fighting the excessive arrogance within can truly defines one’s character by using dramatic irony and the motif of sight/blindness. Throughout the play, readers witness Oedipus forge an illusion of innocence and holiness. Only the final moments does Oedipus cast aside his incessant arrogance to see his mirage…

Words 617 - Pages 3

Irony in Oedipus the King Essay

THE TRAGEDY OF OEDIPUS Tragedy, in English, is a word used to indicate other words such as misfortune, calamity, disaster and many more such words. However, this word has another dramatic meaning, not far from its original meaning in English. In Western theatre it is a genre that presents a heroic or moral struggle of an individual that leads to his or her ultimate defeat or misfortune. When the audience and reader share the playwright's particular social perception and social values they easily…

Words 2277 - Pages 10

Theme in Anitgone Essay

December 5, 2010 Into the Theme of Antigone The Theban Trio logy tragedies were written to be performed at the Great Dionysus, a festival held in honor goddess Dionysus the goddess of fertility, theater, and wine, in Athens. Attending these plays was considered a civic duty and even criminals were let out of jail to attend. Antigone won Sophocles first prize at the festival and was an enormous success. The is one of the series in the Theban Trilogy which are the stories of Oedipus. Antigone sets after…

Words 715 - Pages 3

Oedipus And Antigone Analysis

have survived. Two of these seven plays are Oedipus the King and Antigone, which both have very similar themes. Oedipus the King takes place in a city called Thebes where a plague occurs. The king of Thebes, Oedipus, is trying to save his city, trying to figure out what is causing these tragic events, but he is blind to the fact that he is the problem. In the play Antigone, Creon, the new king, has a tragic flaw very similar to Oedipus’s, which is arrogance. Oedipus’s daughter Antigone wants to bury…

Words 1092 - Pages 5

Oedipus Essay

prevalent theme in “Oedipus the King”. Usually, people equate knowledge with sight. Expressions like “I see” and “seeing the truth” are used to express the understanding of something, but in this case, seeing is not the same as knowing. Oedipus, who is not literally blind, is blinded by the ambition to find the killer of Laius. All the while, Oedipus is the one who killed Laius. His ambition and his blindness is what eventually lead to his downfall. Teiresias however, is a foil to Oedipus. He is a…

Words 404 - Pages 2

Dichotomy And Pride In Macbeth

A key theme of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the way in which pride unmakes the central character and brings about his downfall. In this way Macbeth adheres to the pattern of classical Greek tragedy. In contrast with Macbeth, King Priam (from Malouf’s Ransom), is a depiction of a humble king; he lays aside the honour of his kingly offices in order to pursue what he believes is the right course of action. In a comparison of the two texts, pride and humility are therefore clear determinants of the Good…

Words 1772 - Pages 8

Individual Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment

Carl G. Jung and Selfhood History abounds with stories in which the crown prince or successor has a bitter falling out with the king or the board chair. Take, for example, the biblical account of Absalom’s treason against his father, King David. Even if you are not familiar with the story, you can probably correctly guess many of its components. You might guess that King David was a wise and good ruler who tried to do what was right. You might also guess that Absalom was a spoiled and greedy son who…

Words 9124 - Pages 37