The Downfall of a Theban King
Hubris can manifest itself in every single being. It is the superfluous amount of pride innately found in a person. A person’s hubris influences the choices they make and is invariably present in everyday life. It can affect their future and present. In the tragedy of Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Oedipus’ downfall is caused by his hubris. The clever king of Thebes was deterred from the dais of greatness due to his dangerously fatal flaw. Oedipus displayed his hubris by assigning blame upon others, holding unwillingness to accept the possibility of the truth, and acting out in anger.
Oedipus blames the people around him for his own faults. He dismisses reason and acts out of pride. In the scene, Oedipus points fingers at Teiresias and states, “And I’ll tell you what I think: you planned it, you had it done, you all but killed him with your own hands: if you had eyes, I’d say the crime was yours, and yours alone” (18). Oedipus accuses Teiresias for the death of the former King of Thebes with no strong evidence. His ego could not allow himself to even think of accepting such a possibility as him killing Laius. The unjust ruling of Oedipus seems hardly fair to a person that is only concerned for his well-being. Another person he accuses of this treacherous act was his good friend, Creon. Oedipus accuses Creon angrily, “What savage envy is stored against these. If Creon,
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He refuses to listen to the counsel of those around him. In fact, Oedipus retorts to Teiresias, “Say what you will. Whatever you say is worthless” (Sophocles 19). Oedipus turns a deaf ear to the truth and a blind eye to his actions. He is crippled not by truly being blind but his foolish ignorance. Even if he ignores the truth, Oedipus will never be able to escape reality. Another way Oedipus shows his evasion of the truth was when he was with Creon. He refuses to acknowledge the truth by