Sophocles' Oedipus Rex- Part-2
- 1. Sophocles: Oedipus Rex World Literature in Translation Lecture:2 Prof. O. P. Budholia & Dr. Naveen K Mehta Department of English Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, Barla, Raisen (MP)
- 2. Introduction Oedipus Rex is a typical classical tragedy because it has the element of tragedy and tragic hero as well. According to Aristotle; The tragic hero must be a person of noble birth and prosperity whose misfortune results not from depravity or vice but some hamartia i.e., a tragic flaw or an error of judgment from the hero. It made to him to fall from prosperity to adversity. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero consists of the following points: I. Noble structure II. Fate proves to be downfall III. Good person IV. Misfortune is not deserved. IV. There should be a tragic flaw. The dialogue as well as the language of the chorus also emphasizes the tragic message about the tragic life of the ill-fated Oedipus.
- 3. Oedipus Rex: As A Tragic Hero King Oedipus can be taken as a typical hero of “classical tragedies.” The name Oedipus means “swell foot” in Greek, comes from his swollen foot. He is ill-fated tragic character whose parents had to throw him away on the third day of his birth. He is the tragic man who was unfortunately pitted by the shepherd who was supposed to throw him and instead of “dying that unfortunate little death”, he was given to the shepherd of another king Polybos.
- 4. Oedipus Rex: As A Tragic Hero Oedipus’ tragic flaw is excessive pride(hubris) and self-righteousness. Oedipus is a great and noble king. The opening scene shows Oedipus in his magnificence, as a king who is so concerned about the welfare of his people. He addresses them as “my children”. He is a great man with respectable moral value and respectable personality. The priest glorifies the king as a man “Surest in mortal ways and wisest in the ways of god.” It is so good of Oedipus to try to avoid the unbearable fate that he hears of. he is also always afraid of doing wrong, he is determined in his search for the truth and the welfare of the people
- 5. Oedipus Rex: As A Tragic Hero He has a bad temper and wrong judgment; the error of a tragic character is primarily the “error of judgment”. It appears that Oedipus could have avoided his ill- destiny if he had taken certain precautions. Oedipus as a tragic character is heroic because of his because of his weakness before the forces of his destiny. The tragedy of Oedipus is a tragedy of human situations.
- 6. Oedipus Rex: As A Tragic Hero The first part of the definition of a tragic hero states that the character, usually the protagonist, must be of a noble birth and also must be virtuous and noble of character. Oedipus is all of these things; he is a king, and a king's son. All of his people come to him when they are in a time of trouble, showing that they trust him to treat them with virtuousness and nobility. Oedipus shows this well, even though he is a king. He is quick to show anger and very slow to forgive his friends and family, as shown through the way he treated Creon. He can also be cruel, as when he spoke and acted to
- 7. Oedipus Rex: As A Tragic Hero Oedipus himself reveals his hamartia when he tells the story of the day that he killed Laius. Oedipus was walking along a road, and when Laius' chariot came by, Oedipus was forced off to the side. His pride was so hurt that he killed Laius and his party. In this way Oedipus killed his own father, as it was prophesied. He finally realizes that Laius is his true father, and that he killed him in a moment of hurt pride. He also realizes that his wife is his mother, and blinds himself because he can no longer bear to look at his children. Finally, Oedipus recognizes that he had earlier stated that whoever had killed Laius would be punished, and this would now happen to him.
- 8. Conclusion Oedipus is a tragic hero in the play because he is a man of noble structure, he is good ,but falls because of an act of injustice, his downfall is his own fault, his misfortune is not fully deserved, and because he gains some self knowledge through the resolution. Some causes of his fall were his own flaws but some were brought by fate. Some of the causes of his fall are following: I. Moral wisdom II. Character and fate III. Oedipus goodness IV. Pity and fear. His life represents paradox of human situation in which tragedy is not only inevitable but also inescapable. He is introduced to us as a man of heroic proportions in the prologue and he departs at the close of the play as a man of a heroic stature. This tragic story of Oedipus Rex teaches the lesson that pride and other sins come before a fall.
- 9. THANKS For Any Doubt Contact on Mobile/E-mail to: Prof. O. P. Budholia or Dr. Naveen K Mehta