Oedipus the King :: Classics

Oedipus the King "Oedipus the King" Essay Oedipus Rex lived his life knowing the fate to which he was destined. He tried at all costs to avoid Apollo's prophecies; however, this only led him to a state of tragedy and despair. This outcome made it justifiable for the educated reader to label him as a "tragic hero." Oedipus' obvious identification made it all the more difficult to investigate the question as to whether there could be more than one "tragic hero" per novel. The supporting characters of Jocasta and Laius were possibilities, and in the following paragraphs, their likeness to a figure of tragedy will be expressed. The character of Laius had already died the moment the play began, however, because his presence played such a significant role in the novel, the reader was still able to determine a great deal about him. The biological father of Oedipus had been the reigning king and he lived in riches with his wife Jocasta in wealth and riches. This state of prosperity eventually was transformed into a pathetic end when he was killed in the street by his own son. This fulfills the first property of a tragic hero. Laius also experiences pain that had been partially self-inflicted. He sent his son, Oedipus, away to be killed at an early age, and in the end, it was this discarded son that killed him. Laius then must have realized that this "pain" was the result of allowing others to do his dirty work. If he had had the courage to kill the infant himself, then the misfortune of dying at the hand of his son would have been avoided. Not wanting to sway from the stereotypical traits of a king, Laius exhibited a pride that was largely displayed in the situation that had him killed. Instead of leaving the road for Oedipus to pass, he insisted on maintaining his stature and he "tried to push [Oedipus] off the road" (p.56). This is more specifically defined as "hubris", and is another essential characteristic of a tragic figure. Similar to the unyielding pride of a king, is the expression of one's mind at the expense of his own body. Again, the crossroads situation can be used, as can the general nature of a typical king, a personality from which Laius did not sway. The preceding two points illustrate the main flaw of Laius, King of Thebes. It has many times been proven that pride can be one's downfall, and the existence of this trait in Laius' personality, and the fact that it was this that killed him, prove that he experienced