"Oedipus Rex" as a Tragedy

Paper Summary:

In his classic work, "Poetics", Aristotle describes the elements of a tragedy. One of the most important elements is the tragic hero. The major characteristic of the tragic hero is a fatal flaw that results in their demise. Other common elements of a tragedy include the use of irony, the inclusion of an anagnorisis, and the catharsis that the audience experiences. These elements of the tragedy are all observed in "Oedipus Rex". Each of these elements are described in this paper.

From the Paper:

"The first element present is the tragic hero, with King Oedipus taking on this role. King Oedipus's decline is based partly on his fate, where he is fated to kill his father and then marry his own mother. Importantly, it is not just this fate that results in his decline. If this were true, then it would not be his fatal flaw leading to the downfall. The fatal flaw, which Aristotle referred to as Hamartia, is Oedipus's ego and pride. His excessive pride and his strong ego results in Oedipus ignoring the fate, which represents the will of the Gods, and believing that he can overcome his fate. This results in King Oedipus leaving what he thinks is his own homeland and traveling to his real homeland where he kills his father and then marries his mother. This illustrates how his fatal flaw results in Oedipus causing his fate to become a reality."

More papers on "Oedipus Rex" as a Tragedy:

• Term Paper # 138749 : "Oedipus Rex as a Literary Masterpiece"
• Analytical Essay # 3721 : "Greek Tragedy and "Oedipus Rex"
• Book Review # 68947 : "Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex"

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