It is recognized that there are seven deadly sins: Envy, Greed, Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, and Pride. It is argued that every person exhibits one of these sins and that they are a core part of human nature. The most common among rulers is the sin of Pride, pleasure derived from one’s own exploits. Oedipus, the ruler of Thebes, is proud of his new position and his ability to figure out solutions to unsolvable problems which is how he gained his victory over the sphinx. As the tragic hero in the play Oedipus the king, His fall from grace is due to his pride that is displayed throughout the play.
Pride is commonly considered as having high expectations of oneself, but there is more to it than that, especially in Oedipus’s case. Most people who are viewed as prideful are also viewed as arrogant, boastful, and egotistical. This is commonly shown through many rulers in history and modern leaders tend to be very prideful due to their high position and importance to the country they rule. Oedipus follows this trend, even more so considering that he achieved the position of king by overcoming the Sphinx’s riddle, which had unsolvable caused the death of many citizens of Thebes (Oedipus 1.39). With this great challenge defeated and with this newly placed high position as
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Oedipus had a bad problem of jumping to conclusions. He had so much faith in his own wisdom and intelligence that he prematurely cursed himself. In this way, he is both the protagonist and the antagonist of this story (Zachrisson 94). This is why the ancient Greeks feared Hubris. They feared it because it caused one’s pride to backfire on themselves. In the sequel to Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colona, Oedipus realizes that he jumped to conclusions because according to Konstan, “Oedipus later realizes that he did not deserve his fate, because he was ignorant to who his biological parents were.”