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Oedipus Hamartia

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Oedipus Hamartia
Oedipus' Hamartia Aristotle once said that a hero's downfall must be a result of some tragic flaw within the character. This flaw was known as hamartia in the Greek world of Aristotle. Since Aristotle greatly admired Oedipus the King, many people believe that Oedipus must have had a prominent and complex hamartia. Discovering Oedipus' hamartia within the play is not an easy task. In fact, it is impossible to point out Oedipus' hamartia since I do not believe that he has one. Everything that he says or does throughout the play is justifiable in one way or another. There is always some logical explanation behind his thoughts and actions and, thus, Oedipus does not have a tragic flaw in his character. There are a number of different points that one can analyze and claim to be Oedipus'hamartia. For instance, some people may examine Oedipus' bad temper and label this as the flaw that leads to his downfall. Oedipus becomes enraged at Teiresias' claim that he is the one who murdered Laius and he begins to believe that this is an attempt by Creon to overthrow him. Despite Oedipus' anger in this situation, his reaction can be justified. First of all, Teiresias' allegation that Oedipus is the killer is absurd to him since he would never murder a king. Also, it seems logical that Creon would …show more content…
One deals with his possible pride and arrogance. Some people think that he is overly proud about his success with the Sphinx. This cannot be true, however, because he includes himself in the curse he made and is more than anxious to find the truth. The other point is Oedipus' fatal curiosity which led to his inquiry into matters (Laius' death) that might have been best left unexplored. This can hardly be considered a flaw by either the Greeks of ancient times or by people today. The truth is out there and although it may be unpalatable or dangerous, it is better than
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