“Oh my children, the new blood of ancient Thebes, why are you here?” (p.2). Only a person of high esteem would call others “children,” and yet Oedipus does. People like Oedipus in our society nowadays might face a similar fate, a long fall to the very bottom. Oedipus, a character in Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, flees Corinth from an early age, and tumbles his way to Thebes, unknowingly killing his father. After solving a riddle, he is proclaimed king and marries the queen, his mother. He only fled Corinth to keep the prophecies incomplete, yet he still fulfilled them. Throughout the play Oedipus feels all-powerful, yet falls. However, would he be considered a tragic hero by Aristotle? Yes. Oedipus is a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s characteristics because Oedipus is an important person, a ruler; he brought doom upon himself through an error of judgment, and because he accepts responsibility for the catastrophe. Oedipus is a ruler, a leader, which is one of Aristotle’s characteristics of a tragic hero. This is proved when the Priest says “King Oedipus, the sovereign of our land” (p.5). Since Oedipus is a king, that means he is a ruler, so he fulfills one of Aristotle’s characteristics of a tragic hero. Also, before Oedipus became King of Thebes, he was “brought up by a king and queen” (p.3). This …show more content…
He accepts responsibility, as told by the Palace Official: “so did his [Oedipus’] hands, to strike his founts of sight, not once but many times” (p.70). Oedipus knew he had done something wrong, and knew it was his fault, so he blinded himself. If he thought it wasn’t his fault, or didn’t accept responsibility, he wouldn’t have hurt himself because people don’t just hurt themselves without reason. But, since he has a reason (his wrongdoing), and accepts responsibility, he scratches his eyes out. This is yet another reason Oedipus is a tragic