Oedipus the King by Socrates - Essay Example

Outline Thesis ment: As I will demonstrate, Oedipus in the play Oedipus the King by Socrates is acharacter plagued by excessive pride, expressed in both his words and actions, and which brings about his own downfall. I. Excessive Pride in Speech A. Oedipus before his people B. What he reveals about his own self-image II. Excessive Pride in Actions A. Oedipus' actions coming into Thebes B. Creon's warnings to Oedipus III. Downfall A. Pride forces the truth out B. Pride forces great punishment Oedipus the King In his analysis of what makes a true tragedy, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle identified three major elements. These included a character with a fatal flaw, his realization of this flaw and a reversal of fortune because of this flaw. At one point, Aristotle even says, “the tragic hero falls into bad fortune because of some flaw in his character of the kind found in men of high reputation and good fortune such as Oedipus” (1998). In most cases, the fatal flaw is excessive pride and the character's refusal to admit it is what drives the action of the play. By using Oedipus as his example, Aristotle is emphasizing that a man in high station is more in danger of having this fatal flaw than most. As I will demonstrate, Oedipus in the play Oedipus the King by Socrates is a character plagued by excessive pride, expressed in both his words and actions, and which brings about his own downfall. Oedipus's excessive pride is seen from the very beginning action in the play. As the play opens, there is a great crowd of people who have come to see King Oedipus to beg him to help with the plagues that have affected the city. Oedipus regards the people around him and views himself as a god. Rather than praising them for attempting to find other, perhaps more practical solutions to their problems, he chides them for not turning to him to begin with, as if he is the obvious answer. “What means this reek of incense everywhere, / From others, and am hither come, myself, / I Oedipus, your world-renowned king” (4-8). His choice of words shows that he is very proud of himself because he describes himself as the "world-renowned king," but this emphasis on his reputation also reveals that he is a bit insecure in his position. His people already know who he is, they have already come to him for help, there is no need for him to make these kinds of statements other than to make himself feel more important and to separate himself from them. Oedipus also demonstrates excessive pride in his actions as he continues to try to force things to go his way. Upon hearing about his own prophecy, Oedipus doesn't hang around to find out more details. Instead, he takes off for the next kingdom, never thinking twice about the men he kills on the road and taking great pride in his ability to answer the riddle of the Sphinx. This was, after all, a task no one else had been able to do, so he is justified in feeling pride, but perhaps not to such a degree that he would feel he is qualified to be king. This overly prideful aspect of his character is also commented on by Creon just before the royal couple start to discuss the events that led to Oedipus' arrival in Thebes and the reason his throne was empty upon his arrival. Trying to prevent this conversation, Creon tells Oedipus, “You are obstinate— / obviously unhappy to concede, / and when you lose your temper, you go too far. / But men like that find it most difficult / to tolerate themselves” (814-819). In this statement, Creon illustrates Oedipus’ pride in the rightness of his actions and his willingness to keep pushing forward even when others are telling him it's a bad idea. As the play unfolds, the pride that Oedipus has shown in his words and in his actions can do nothing other than to bring about his own downfall. Oedipus is so confident that he has outwitted his ordained fate because he and his wife have produced several children together and their people are happy. These are both considered indications of prosperity because they suggest the gods approve of the king and his rule. In spite of receiving a number of warnings from others, though, Oedipus continues to act in his pride and make a pronouncement that will assure his own downfall. He is so confident in himself that he almost seems to believe his words alone will reveal the murderer of the old King Laius. “Well, I will start afresh and once again / Make dark things clear” (139-140). It is somewhat ironic that Oedipus is right, his words will eventually reveal who the murderer was, but it takes the frustrated and irritated prophet Teresias to begin bringing this out. Although forced to make the statements, Teresias' suggestions that Oedipus might be to blame at some level forces the couple to begin discussing what actually happened when King Laius was murdered as well as what actually happened when Oedipus was born. Rather than heed the warnings he's been given, Oedipus allows his pride to continue doubting the possibility that his fate may have caught up with him at last until the last moment. When the truth is finally revealed, this same pride makes it impossible for him to forgive himself, even if it is in the best interest of his kingdom. As is seen in Oedipus' words and actions, excessive pride plays a tremendous role in the events of the play, eventually leading to his downfall. It is clear that Sophocles was attempting to educate his audience about the importance of humility and practical common sense. According to Friedlander, Aristotle defined the purpose of tragedy as “an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play … through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions” (2005). Through Oedipus, Sophocles emphasized the superiority of the gods and the necessity for those who are mere mortals to retain a sense of humility and subjugation to their wills. Works Cited “Aristotle.” Critica Links. The University of Hawaii, 1998. Web. (October 30, 2011). Friedlander, Eric. “Enjoying Oedipus the King by Sophocles.” The Pathguy. Web. (October 30, 2011). Sophocles. Antigone, Oedipus the King, Electra. Oxford World’s Classics. Ed. Edith Hall. Oxford University Press, 1998. Print. Read More