Pride In Oedipus The King

Is it possible that one’s downfall can be caused by excessive pride? In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, tells the story of Oedipus who had an excessive amount of pride which ultimately led to his downfall. In the story, Oedipus receives a prophecy and tries to do everything in his power to not complete it but in his overconfidence to not fulfill it he ends up completing it by murdering his father and marrying his mother. Oedipus’s hubris created the circumstances in the play by being too caught up in himself, unable to step back and reflect on his actions, which in the course of time led to his dethroning of King. Oedipus’s hubris first led to his downfall when he stated that the man who slaughtered Laios shall be exiled. Oedipus declares, “I solemnly forbid the people of this country, Where power and throne are mine, ever to receive that man or speak to him, no matter who he is, or let him join in sacrifice, lustration, or in prayer.” (Sophocles 9). Oedipus is aware that he has murdered people and yet he is so confident in himself that he fails to consider that he might have been the one that killed Laios. “...or the culmination of a winning streak that causes a person to suffer the transient delusion that he is bullet-proof.” (Berglas). This

Oedipus states, “ I, Oedipus. Oedipus, damned in his birth, in his marriage damned, damned in the blood he shed with his own hand!” (Sophocles 36). Oedipus admits that his downfall is his and his alone. His over confidence in himself caused him to not see the truth that he has fulfilled his prophecy. ““Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface … a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune.”” (Jung). When it came time to face the truth Oedipus’s hubris did not want him to accept it yet given the facts he knew it had to be