Similarities Between Oedipus And Bill Cosby

Heroes come and go; some retain their honor, while others are stripped of all their glory and become tragic heroes. Despite belonging to different eras, both Oedipus from Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, and the comedian Bill Cosby experience a similar, successful fate then controversy leading them to their current state. Oedipus and Bill Cosby stood as elite symbols to their followers. However, when tragedy struck it didn 't take long for these heroes to crumble. Oedipus’s followers thought that he would lead them through their times of struggle as their king. On the other hand, Bill Cosby encompassed the role of the ideal father through his work on television and comedy. As Oedipus’s and Bill Cosby’s fame grew, they eventually attained an “untouchable”

Oedipus’s ultimate downfall was due to his arrogant personality. Oedipus 's egotism is revealed on page 60 when Oedipus hears the news about his “father’s” death, “Ah! Undone then!...Well, my wife, and i am done...yes, had it all arranged-that I should kill my father. Ha! He’s dead and under sods...And did i kill him so?...Well, he’s dead! And may he rest in peace with all those prophecies (worth nothing now) in Hades Halls.”Oedipus shows just how heartless he can be to prove his point since he isn’t fazed by the death of the man who raised him; instead, he is jubilant of the death. Ben Finsler defines Oedipus’s fatal flaw by stating, “In this respect, Oedipus errs by believing he is greater than the gods, that he cannot transcend the destiny decreed by Apollo’s own oracle.” Oedipus’s misguided beliefs and stubborn nature render him helpless to the future he brought upon himself. Bill Cosby’s fatal flaw was the futile belief that he could get away with anything behavior he portrayed when drugging the women with whom he intended to have sex with. During his trial, Cosby’s persecutor

When our tragic heroes experience the embarrassment of their deeds, and realize their mistake at the same time, their attitude changes from confident to a more restrictive nature. When questioned about the truth during an interview done by the Associated Press for Bill Cosby’s family’s art exhibit at the Smithsonian, Cosby avoided the question and prevents the interviewer from asking any further questions. Cosby was caught off guard when he was questioned about the scandal,“There’s no response...There is no comment about that. And I’ll tell you why. I think you were told — I don’t want to compromise your integrity — but I don’t talk about it.” (AP Interview) Bill Cosby seems to realize that the case is now impossible for him to win and he knows very well that any wrong move could weaken his case even further.As recounted by Snow “It was a jarring image, seeing the man who once personified family values on television now walking past cameras to enter court…”(Snow) Bill Cosby now struggles to maintain his status in the public’s eye, but the damage is done and his fans are now disgusted by the very man they grew up loving and admiring. On the other hand, Oedipus’s anagnorisis came to light when he discovered his fate and its relation to his present. Disgusted by his past of incest, Oedipus 's hubris takes a step back as he starts to show remorse. On page 70, Oedipus illustrates the repugnance brought on by the revelation of his true identity, “ Lost! Ah Lost! At last it’s