Q. DISCUSS OEDIPUS REX AS A TRAGIC HERO.

Q. DO YOU THINK THAT HUBRIS [arrogance] PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THE FALL OF
OEDIPUS REX?
According to Aristotle the tragic hero must be a person of noble birth and prosperity whose
misfortune results, not from corruption or vice but from some hamartia (a tragic flaw or an error
of judgment from the hero). Further Aristotle is of the view that the tragic hero should be an
intermediate sort of person, neither completely good nor completely bad. Aristotle gives the
example of Oedipus as a great and successful tragic hero.
In terms of the Aristotelian theory of tragedy, Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is not perfect,
but has tragic flaws. Aristotle points out that Oedipus' tragic flaw is excessive pride and self-
righteousness. He also points out certain characteristics that determine as tragic hero. Using
Oedipus as an ideal model, Aristotle says that a tragic hero must be an important or influential
man who commits an error in judgment, and who must then suffer the consequences of his
actions. The tragic hero must learn a lesson from his errors in judgment, his tragic flaw, and
become an example to the audience of what happens when great men fall from their high social
or political position.
It is very difficult to say that the misfortune of Oedipus results from some flaw in his character or
some error of judgment committed by him. Oedipus is, no doubt, rash, impatient, and passionate.
Further he is very proud of his intelligence and believes that he can find answer to every problem.
Yet if we take his tragedy to be the basic action of incest [Sexual intercourse between a parent
and a child] and parricide [The murder of your own father or mother] then these flaws of
Oedipus are quite irrelevant.
It is Oedipus who proclaims a severe punishment for the murderer of Laius and says that he will
award punishment even to himself if he is found guilty. It is by his words that Tiresias is evoked
and predicts that Oedipus will turn out to be the murderer of his father and the husband of his
mother. Further Oedipus provokes him by making fun of his blindness and this leads Tiresias to
predict that Oedipus will become blind and will leave Thebes like a helpless beggar. Although the
predictions cannot be taken as responsible for the action mentioned in them, yet they add to the
suffering and humiliation of Oedipus. So, one may say that Oedipus commits the fundamental
mistake of thinking himself equal to the gods and of being able to solve every problem.
Greek tragedy is generally believed to be the tragedy of fate, in contrast with Shakespearean
tragedy which is regarded as tragedy of character. Whether or not it is true of other Greek
tragedies, it is inapplicable to Oedipus Rex. At the most we can say that both character and fate
play a part in the tragedy of Oedipus. Oedipus is certainly the victim of adverse chances, like his
encounter with passenger whom he killed not knowing that he was his father. But his own
character cannot be put aside in the context. It is because of his character as a great discoverer
of truth and a man determined to find out what he has decided to discover that Oedipus meets
with tragic end.
In the scene where he is cross-examining the shepherds, Jocasta begs him not to carry
investigation further but he pays no heed to her words. The Theban shepherd also begs that he
may not be asked to disclose what he knows, but Oedipus forces him to tell the whole truth.
It can be said that the tragedy of Oedipus is the result more of his good qualities than his bad
ones. To Oedipus the discovery of truth is more important than his own good and safety. He
decides to carry on investigation knowing that it will not produce any result which will be safe for
him. He is so honest with himself that he inflicts the punishment of self-blinding when he learns
that he has committed horrible crimes against his parents. He even insists on Creon to banish
him from the city as demanded by the Oracle.
There is, of course, a great sense of pity and fear for Oedipus who has in vain been searching for
his parents. All this while he has tried to avoid doing wrong to them by leaving Corinth and who
yet finds that he has unconsciously become guilty of the gravest offences against both his
parents.
Along with pity there is also the feeling of great terror. Suffering of Jocasta and Oedipus seems
to us largely undeserving. This mystery of undeserved sufferings does inspire a sense of terror in
us.
Therefore, Oedipus is an example of a tragic hero, because he ultimately commits this action
which later came back to destroy him. At the end of the story he was blind man who hated himself
for his actions.
Oedipus fulfills the three parameters that define the tragic hero. His dynamic and varied
character emotionally bonds the audience; his tragic flaw forces the audience to fear for him,
without losing any respect; and his dreadful punishment arouses a great sense of pity from the
audience. Though Sophocles crafted Oedipus long before Aristotle developed his ideas, Oedipus
fits Aristotle's definition with startling accuracy. He is the tragic hero of excellence and richly
deserves the title as "the ideal tragic hero."