The drama, Oedipus the King, by Sophocles originally displays Oedipus as a powerful king but later, a tragic hero. Sophocles tells the story of a affluent and mighty Oedipus who is informed that he will both kill his father and marry his mother. In an attempt to avoid the prophecy, he runs right into it. Oedipus, the tragic hero in Oedipus the King, possesses certain qualities similar to most tragic heros such as a a royal background, hamartia or a fatal flaw, and a angornoris or realization of the truth.
To begin, Oedipus posses the power and prestige both as the king of Thebes and as the savior of the city. The priest states, “Oedipus ruler of my native land” (16). Oedipus has great prestige even to the high priest. Oedipus saves his people from the riddling Sphinx and is compassionate towards them. He cares deeply when the city is ravaged by the plague. Oedipus states, “There is not one of you/whose illness equals mine” (70-71) and “the soul inside me sorrows for myself” (74). Also,
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This realization is called the anagnorisis and leads to catharsis a feeling of pity or fear for the tragic hero. Oedipus states, “It’s so clear now” indicating a realization of the truth (1418). After the realization, the catastrophe or downfall of the tragic hero begins. Jocasta “was hanging there, swaying, with twisted cords/roped around her neck” (1507-1508). She killed herself due to her own realization of Oedipus’ prophecy and Oedipus’ refusal to back down from the truth. Next, Oedipus “ripped the golden brooches/she wore as ornaments, raised them high,/and drove them deep into his eyeballs” and “with every blow blood spurted from his eyes” not in drops but in showers “spattered like hail”