The Tragic Hero Essay, Research Paper

The Tragic Hero

& # 8220 ; Writing About Drama & # 8221 ; in the book, Literature for Composition, describes the universe & # 8217 ; s greatest dramas written before the twentieth century as either calamity or comedy. In a tragic drama, the tragic hero normally does some fearful deed which finally destroys him. The chief character of a tragic drama does a good title which in bend makes him a hero. This hero reaches his premier, and in the terminal a fearful title which he had committed earlier, finally destroys this adult male one time called hero. Oedipus the male monarch of Thebes is an illustration of this tragic hero.

Oedipus who is the chief character in Oedipus the King was the hero of Thebes. This male monarch & # 8220 ; disenthralled us ( the metropolis of Thebes ) from the Sphinx & # 8221 ; ( p 6 ) . and in bend he became & # 8220 ; Oedipus & # 8230 ; most respected male monarch & # 8221 ; ( p6 ) . Oedipus was respected by the people of Thebes, because he saved the metropolis from the Sphinx, by replying the conundrum.

When the metropolis suffers another pestilence, as a promise to salvage this metropolis of Thebes once more, Oedipus sends Creon, his & # 8220 ; royal brother & # 8221 ; ( pp8 ) to inquire the Godhead Apollo how to salvage the metropolis once more. Creon came back from Delphi and told Oedipus what the prince, Apollo said.

& # 8220 ; & # 8230 ; The Prince Apollo openly enjoins on us

to break up from the organic structure politic

a monstrous growing that battens there:

halt eating that which festers. & # 8221 ; & # 8212 ; ( p8 )

Oedipus asks Creon who it might be that the metropolis must ostracize, and Creon in bend studies:

& # 8220 ; And now clearly is required

the merely blood of his ( Laius ) assassins & # 8230 ;

Here, says the God. Seek and you shall happen & # 8230 ; & # 8221 ; & # 8212 ; ( p9 )

The male monarch, desiring his metropolis to return to the rich metropolis he one time knew, seeks to happen the 1 who killed Laius. Oedipus discovers that the kid of king Laius, and queen Jocasta was done off with. As he seeks for the ground for this kid being sent off he stumbles upon an old Prophet of the metropolis of Thebes. This Oracle says:

& # 8220 ; & # 8230 ; that he & # 8217 ; vitamin D kill his male parent & # 8221 ; ( p67 )

As Oedipus continues to bring out the secrets of the metropolis of Thebes, he realized the kid was non said to merely kill his male parent but besides marry his female parent. Soon Oedipus realizes that it is he who might be the kid. He knew that 15 old ages ago he had been told by the Prophet:

& # 8221 ; he was destined to slay his male parent and get married his female parent & # 8221 ; & # 8212 ; ( p3 )

Oedipus was really shocked by what happened. He realized through all his glorification, he was at the same clip playing into what the Prophet has told him he would make. Although he had had many achievements and hailed as a hero, he hadn & # 8217 ; t see

n the truth. A adult male who had eyes couldn’t see the truth. Tiresias, a unsighted adult male knew the truth, saw the truth.

& # 8220 ; Oh, if you could merely see what lurks in yours you would non call on the carpet me so. & # 8221 ; ( p19 )

Jocasta and Lauis, so Oedipus didn & # 8217 ; t want their Prophet to come true, hence they tried everything that they could to travel against it, but in the terminal they did what the Prophet said they would make in the beginning. By running off from what might be, they ran right into it, both without cognizing the consequence.

Jocasta, thought she could alter her and Laius & # 8217 ; fate, by giving the kid off to a shepherd, but in the terminal the kid came back. She didn & # 8217 ; t cognize it was he, and she didn & # 8217 ; t cognize that he had killed her hubby and his male parent. She was grateful because Oedipus saved the metropolis from the Sphinx. But by giving this kid off she has walked right into what was destined to go on. If she hadn & # 8217 ; t sent the kid off, possibly her hubby would still be alive, and she wouldn & # 8217 ; Ts have married her boy.

Oedipus thought that he could alter his fate, but alternatively he ran right into it. He ran into the male monarch who was his existent male parent, and killed him as the Oracles had said would go on. He ran right into the metropolis of Thebes where his female parent lived. He solved the conundrum of the Sphinx, and as a consequence he married his female parent. He couldn & # 8217 ; t avoid his fate. As Oedipus eventually realizes the truth.

& # 8220 ; Lost! Ah lost! At last it & # 8217 ; s blazing clear.

Light of my yearss, go dark. & # 8221 ; & # 8212 ; ( p67 )

Oedipus wasn & # 8217 ; t physically blind, yet he didn & # 8217 ; t see the truth. He thought if a adult male can & # 8217 ; t see anything with eyes so what are they for? With that he blinded his eyes.

& # 8220 ; I want to stare no more.

My birth all sprung revealed from those it ne’er should,

Myself entwined with those I ne’er could.

And I the slayer of those I ne’er would. & # 8221 ; & # 8212 ; ( p67 )

Oedipus is an illustration of this tragic hero, because he finally commits fearful workss. He kills his male parent and marries his female parent. Oedipus is damned for his fearful title and, because of his title he had about destroyed the metropolis of Thebes. Right after the decease of Laius the kingdom didn & # 8217 ; Ts have a swayer, and the Sphinx took advantage of that. The Gods were unhappy as a consequence of the decease of Laius, and the metropolis of Thebes was one time once more damned. This clip it was the pestilence. The actions of this tragic hero at the terminal gimmick up with him and destroys him. He was the male monarch of Thebes, but in the terminal he was a unsighted adult male who hated himself for his actions, Oedipus can be described as the tragic hero that commits some fearful title which finally destroys him.