A tragic hero is a character who possesses a tragic flaw, excessive pride that leads to his downfall. Sophcelles uses Oedipus in the play Oedipus Rex to reveal that he is a man of great pride who refuses to accept the truth about his past, providing characteristics of a tragic hero and contributing to the theme of the play.

In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus exhibits excessive pride through his belief in his own intelligence and ability to solve the riddle of the Sphinx which ultimately leads to his downfall. He states, "I, Oedipus, whose fame all men acknowledge, Look on this city, the home of my birth, And who of all my fellow citizens, Is not as I? (Sophocles 7-10)" This quotation shows how Oedipus pride in his intellectance and his belief that