Oedipus Rex Character Analysis Essay

Oedipus, in Sophocles profligacy Oedipus Rex, is by definition, a tragic hero. mightiness Laios of Thebes was given a prognostication from the oracle that he would be kill by his sons hand, and that his son would marry his wife, Queen Iocaste. When Oedipus was born, King Laios had him coming backn to Mt. Cithaeron to die, however, the servant who was instructed to take him to the mountain felt pity for the baby and turned him over to a shepherd from Corinth. Once in Corinth, he was raised by King Polybus and Queen Merope, and the prognostic slowly became a reality. Oedipus grew up, believing that he was then the son of Polybus and Merope, when a drunken man informed him that he was non his fathers son.In search of the truth, he went to the shrine at Delphi, where he was told of the same prophecy his birth parents already knew, and fled to Thebes, believing the prophecy pertained to King Polybus and Queen Merope. In going to Thebes, he finds that King Laios was bump off in th e same area that he had recently off a man in. He tells Iocasta of this event, exclaiming that he had killed him. He killed them all. (Scene II, ll. 288-289) His curiosity gets the best of him, and he orders as the new king of Thebes that the people find pop who murdered Laios, and that they report it to him immediately.When a messenger brings the shepherd to the palace, he is told that he was Laios son. Oedipus realizes that he has killed his avouch father, saying, Ah God It was true All the prophecies (Scene IV, ll. 68-70) Iocaste is horrified by this, and flees to her room, where she is ulterior found hanging, her body swaying from the cruel cord she had noosed about her neck. (Exodus, II. 38-39) Oedipus finds her animationless body, and breaks down, alone hysterical, striking his eyes not once, but many times. (Exodus, l. 52)His entire lifespan is all full of tragedy. His nobility, his curiosity, his bad choices, the realization of a foretold prophecy coming to life, t he finish of Iocaste, and the blinding by his own hand, all contribute to the theory of him organism a tragic hero. He was born the son of a king, and lived his life king of both Corinth and Thebes responsible for the people of his land. His curiosity is his biggest flaw, because he bottomt leave well enough alone, and goes to great lengths to find out the truth.His choice to kill the man on the road instead of solely letting the confrontation go decided his fate. Realizing that hes murdered Laios even though hed triedso sticky to prevent the prophecy from becoming a reality was unbearable. Finding Iocasta lifeless in her room by her own hand was his suffering. Finally, gouging out his own eyes in a hysterical attempt to punish himself was a punishment far beyond the crimes he had committed. These factors alone do not define a tragic hero, but when brought together the way they do in Sophocles play, they make Oedipus a tragic hero.