Oedipus Rex Character Analysis

In the play Oedipus Rex, tragic flaws are character traits that talk about the downfall of the protagonist. In Oedipus Rex it talks about how Oedipus himself struggles with his life due to him finding information that makes him rethink about who he really is. Later in the play it talks about how he received the information on how he has married his mother, and killed his father. Although he didn’t like the information he received, he decided to blind himself and leave his town of Thebes. These various symbols throughout Oedipus Rex helps to illustrate the theme that a person’s truth is unavoidable.

In the play sight represents knowledge and blindness represents the forgotten information. In Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, Oedipus states, “I must

During the play Oedipus states to Teiresias “You child of endless night! You cannot hurt me or any other man who sees the sun” (1. 359 - 360). What this embodies is that Oedipus gotten distracted due to Teiresias aggressively talking to him making Oedipus feel confused to why he was talking to him like that and his response to Teiresias was that he was a liar. Therefore, Teiresais stated that if he was lying, how come Oedipus cannot tell if he was lying because normally Oedipus could figure out the meaning of a tricky question or statement that is given to him. But due to him not knowing the full truth about himself, that is why Oedipus cannot tell if Teiresias is lying or not. Also in Sophocles’ play Oedipus finally understands what Teiresais was explaining to him and how his prophecy came true, which went like this “O Light, may I look on you for the last time” (4. 1120). What these symbolic forms mean is that Teiresias was trying to inform Oedipus that whatever is done in the dark will come to light and everyone will know the full truth about you. Then his prophecy came true and he does not like the effect it has on him. Therefore, Oedipus himself cannot believe he found out that he had married his own mother and had children with her. But not only that he found out he was the murderer who killed King Laius (his father) and was destroying his town apart trying to find out who the murderer is and blaming other people. So his reaction was to physically blind himself so he won’t have to see all the wrongs he has done and to leave Thebes so the town can live in