Preview

Oedipus Hamlet As A Tragic Hero

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
878 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Oedipus Hamlet As A Tragic Hero
In our novel Hamlet, our protagonist is faced with the task of avenging his father's death. Who was wrongfully murdered and Hamlet knew so but despite that he still had trouble killing the man who killed his father. This is what makes Hamlet a tragic hero, he uses indecision and procrastination to drive him to his downfall. Oedipus on the other hand is completely different. Oedipus was in denial he tried to stop his own fate, but ended up running “smack dab” into it. He was also filled with rage causing him to do things he shouldn't have done. This is what makes these two tragic heroes. They have terrible flaws that lead them to their downfalls. A tragic hero is a protagonist who tries to save the day and is successful but in the process they …show more content…
Of course at the moment he didn't know that was his biological father, but that's what happens when you act on instinct and not thought. The text states, “ You would provoke a stone! Tell us, you villain, tell us and do not stand there quietly unmoved and balking at this issue (Oedipus line 357). You blame my temper, but you do not see your own, that lives within you. (Terresias line 539). This quote shows how another character views Oedipus and his attitude. It allows us to look in and realize Oedipus is blind to the fact he is filled with anger, and rage. Which is also an example of allusion, and foreshadowing. The arthur alludes to him being blind to his rage mentally, to his physical blindness which comes later on in the play. By alluding this he hints at a later on event it our play. Our arthur uses the literary element of situational irony, by allowing Oedipus to think running away from home is him escaping his fate, but in reality he ends up bringing himself closer to his fate. Which brings us to Oedipus’s next tragic flaw, denial. The text states, “O no! Once on a time Loxias said that i should lie with my own mother and take on my hands the blood of my own father. And so far these long years I’ve lived away from Corinth; it has been to my great happiness”… ( line 1175). This quote shows us how Oedipus denied his own fate, despite the fact that he knows it is inevitable at heart. This is a key example of his denial. So in conclusion Oedipus causes his own downfall by using rage, and denial in our

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    A person of noble birth with heroic or potentially heroic qualities, defines a tragic hero. A young man known by the name Oedipus, died a tragic hero. Throughout his life, he was faced with situations that he just could not surpass which led to his gruesome destiny. He was born into a world where the future held nothing but lies and despair.…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle defines a tragic hero as a man of noble and high status, whose admirable qualities and basic goodness are undermined by a fatal flaw, which ultimately leads to their own downfall. Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Sophocles’ Oedipus the King both show an excellent example of tragic heroes as both protagonists experience a downfall from a high status due to their fatal flaws. In Hamlet this flaw can be seen in Hamlet as he becomes determined to find his father’s killer. He becomes oblivious to what is going on around him. Oedipus is so determined to find out the truth of who the murderer of the previous king is, such that he is blinded to the truth of what he has done. As seen in their mental stability, their treatment of women and their reversal…

    • 241 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Journal Questions

    • 762 Words
    • 4 Pages

    When Oedipus is told by the the blind prophet Teiresias that he was the man who would kill his own father and marry his mother, he denies this and tries to avoid this fate, "I have kept clear of Corinth, and no harm has come-" to which his messenger replies. "And is this the fear that drove you out of Corinth?" Of course Oedipus denies this fate. Who would want to be accused of such appalling acts? Oedipus is simply trying to do what he thinks is right in order to avoid this fate. One could say that Oedipus is ignorant of the fact that one could not just avoid his fate, others might argue that it was his pride that led him to believe that he was above the power of gods. Yet again, Oedipus is unaware of his parentage, he moves out of his hometown where he thought his parents resided in, and marries the Queen of Thebes. Surely this woman would not be someone who Oedipus would think to be his own mother. This fact alone shows that it is not Oedipus ' hubris that leads to his tragic fall, but him being uninformed. Oedipus was always trying to do the right thing, he searches for the…

    • 762 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle once said “A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” (Aristotle) Aristotle actually had a lot of ideas about heroes, specifically tragic heroes. He defined a tragic hero as an individual of high social standing, whose fatal flaw leads him to be brought low in a reversal of fortunes, which he later recognizes before receiving a fate worse than he truly deserves. One of the most famous characters from a play in the tragedy genre is Oedipus. His tale is one of destiny, hope, and finally sorrow. The question posed, however, is whether or not Oedipus really does fit this model of a tragic hero. Oedipus must be a nobleman and have his own tragic flaw that causes him to experience a reversal of fortunes…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Someone can go from having everything to nothing, in a blink of an eye. Having everything that was needed and desired to having nothing can really change the way people act and function. In this world there are two types of people, people that have to work for their necessities and people that just get handed what they want. But what happens when it all gets taken away from one mistake? A tragic hero is a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy that is destined for downfall. In the play Oedipus the King, written by Sophacles, the main character is a tragic hero by displaying error in judgement, excessive pride, and reversal of fortune.…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to Adade-Yeboah, Ahenkora, and Amankwah (2012), “Tragedy is of action and not character as Aristotle puts it” (p. 10). Therefore, Oedipus’ tragedy deals with his ignorance and not his character. Oedipus is ignorant in the fact that he does not realize he is committing patricide or incest (Adade-Yeboah et al., 2012, p. 11). Oedipus grows up knowing two opposite people that he thought were his parents, which leads to him killing his biological father and marrying his biological mother. Oedipus then goes on to search for his biological father’s killer and soon realizes that it was he himself who committed the atrocious acts toward his family. He came to this realization after it was revealed to him by an oracle. Originally, Oedipus believes that the man he originally kills is only just a shepherd, when in return it is his biological father. According to Greenburg (2012), “Oedipus has been told, and has come to believe, that at the end of his life and in death he will have the power to protect the city that has taken him and buried him” (p. 52). Oedipus maintains the belief that things will always be the way he knew them to be and he would be in charge of the city he knew and loved. He maintains this belief until an oracle reveals his misfortune. At first, Oedipus and his wife (biological mother) refuse to believe that what they were told is true. According to…

    • 1506 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Tragedy is an imitation not of men but of a life, an action…” (Aristotle). Greek Tragedy was invented five hundred years Before Common Era, and focuses on the actions of characters. These actions emphasize the harsh reality in which the innocent mankind lives in. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is defined as one with great potential, but has a hamartia leading to the ultimate demise of himself. Oedipus’ actions are tragic, as he tries to make the right choice but fails. He was dealt a hand that would only lead him to lose. Furthermore, Sophocles develops Oedipus as a relatable character which allows for catharsis to occur. Aristotle’s, The Poetics, explains the necessary components to create a powerful Tragedy. Oedipus the King is a powerful representation of Aristotle’s ideas on tragedy, so the purpose, protagonist, fall, and plot elements in Oedipus the King demonstrate the concepts of tragedy written in The Poetics.…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tragedy comes in many forms, for example earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes are all types of tragedies. On the other hand, when talking about tragedy in literature, it has a whole different meaning. Tragedy in literature is on a smaller scale than things like earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes. In literature tragedy is usually about one person and the horrible things that happen to them during their life in a story or play.…

    • 620 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Tragic Hero Essay

    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the play Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the main character and tragic hero. He is a royal king who came to Thebes to save it from the plague. Oedipus runs into some other character conflicts in the play with a prophet named Tiresias and his brother in-law Creon. In the play Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman stands out as the main character and has the tragic downfall. Willy’s mental disease causes trouble for him throughout the play with his family and friends. After examining the tragedies of Oedipus the King and Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman stands out as more of a tragic figure because the average person can relate to his everyday life.…

    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Is Hamlet A Tragic Hero

    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Hamlet is a tragic hero in the true sense of terrible event because he died trying to complete his goal of avenging his father. He is a tragic hero who asked Horatio to let his story be known of how he saved Claudius but, in the process, lost everything he loved, including his own life on one level people might not believe completely he is a tragic hero because he did not die at the hands of Claudius. Instead, he died at the hands of Laertes through Claudius's dishonest actions. Hamlet might have been a more tragic hero if he had died at the hands of Claudius while fulfilling his prophecy to avenge his father's death. Hamlet flaws did not discourage him to give up and he accomplish his end goal which makes him a tragic hero. King Oedipus is…

    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet As A Tragic Hero

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, the main character Hamlet is often described as a hero. There are 6 criterion for a Shakespeare play to be considered a tragedy; the hero is a man of outstanding quality, the hero has a tragic flaw, the hero’s downfall is a result of his own choice, the audience has a “sad sense of wasted human potential”, the hero has an increase in awareness and a gain in self knowledge, and the audience experiences a cycle of good and bad emotions towards mankind. Hamlet is a great example of a tragic hero, one of his greatest attributes is also his biggest downfall.…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus the King

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages

    When Oedipus is completely blind to the truth, he is safe from fulfilling his terrible destiny. It is when he begins to see the truth that he starts to approach his fate. "...a drunken man maundering in his cups / Cries out that I am not my father's son! / ...the suspicion / Remained always aching in my mind," Here, on page 42, Oedipus, in a very minor way, starts to see the truth. By becoming slightly aware of the truth, Oedipus's situation only got worse as his knowledge only escalated with every curious inquiry. Because of what the drunkard said, Oedipus learned about the oracle ("[Oedipus] should lie with [his] own mother... / ...and that he should be his father's murderer" (42) ) and fled for safety from what he thought was his fate. However, he was doing the exact opposite; while fleeing from Corinth, he met his real father, King Laїos, and killed him. He then made his way to Thebes where he married his real mother, Iocaste.…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    To be a tragic hero or not to be a tragic hero, that is the question. This phrase is a clash between two very important figures of literature. William Shakespeare an English composer who wrote many well-known plays with Hamlet being the most popular and Aristotle who was a Greek philosopher and well known for his academics who created the expression tragic hero. Combining the work of these two individuals we come to question is Shakespeare’s character Hamlet worthy of Aristotle’s term tragic hero.…

    • 1258 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Oedipus Tragic Hero

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Oedipus says: "Lost! Ah lost! At least it's blazing clear. Light of my days, go dark. I want to gaze no more. My birth all sprung revealed from those it never should, myself entwined with those I never could. And I the killer of those I never would" (67). It is at this point that Oedipus realizes everything: he is the adopted son of King Polybus; he is the true son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta; he killed his father, Laius; he married his mother, Jocasta; and Tiresias' prophesy was right in that he was the man he was looking for. When everything becomes so clear to Oedipus, he feels nothing but remorse. He must punish himself, and does so by gouging out his eyes with Jocasta's brooches. His monologue, brought about by his anagnorsis, foreshadows his self-inflicted…

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hamlet vs. Oedipus

    • 1482 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Oedipus the King by Sophocles are both tragic stories which contain many elements of which are similar and different. Although both Hamlet and Oedipus suffer from fate, Hamlet’s father is murdered by his brother Claudius, while Oedipus kills his own father. Both Hamlet and Oedipus have the opportunity to shun their fate, but the two men believe themselves to be the only individual who can resolve the predicament which they are faced with. The homeland of Hamlet and Oedipus, Denmark and Thebes, are both in a state of tumult. After Hamlet’s father’s death Denmark was presided by a new court, after Claudius, who in addition to murdering Hamlet’s father, became king by marrying his mother, Gertrude. Thebes, on the other hand, was infested with plague and other sickness. Dictated by Oedipus’ brother-in-law, Creon, according to the message from the oracle, the only way to rid Thebes of its death and pestilence was to abolish the individual responsible for Laius’ murder. One of the most significant characteristics in both Hamlet and Oedipus is their individual convictions that it is their solemn duty to rescue their state from destruction.…

    • 1482 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays