Oedipus Essay - 734 Words

This analysis of Oedipus’s character shows how Oedipus, the protagonist and the antagonist against himself, dealt with unfortunate situations which sealed his fate. Oedipus was a strange round character that was really interesting and mysterious. Oedipus’s life was a good example of a true Greek tragedy; he worked himself up to be a great king and ultimately in the end he died with only his perception on life. Oedipus was once a man of power who falls impoverished. He goes from having much respect in his great position to being impure, blind, and expelled from the land that he once ruled. At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus’s wisdom and actions as a king are very effective. To his subjects he is respected and very well†¦show more content†¦His pride in himself is even greater than what the people propose it to be. However, Oedipus pride can be backed up by the fact that he did save the city from disaster while virtually becoming king almost imm ediately after his knowledge was known. Oedipus seems to use his pride to embellish his power. â€Å"Here I am myself— / you all know me, the world knows my fame: / I am Oedipus† (Oedipus the King, 7–9). Unfortunately Oedipus’s initial attribute of pride and confidence soon dwindled throughout the play. From the time that Oedipus’s fate comes into action, when he hears the perception of Tiresias, Oedipus is in due course in losing his fulsome nature. We see the round nature of Oedipus go a full circle throughout the play; first he is flattering of himself and self-governing, yet later we see him as impoverished and dependent on others. Oedipus’s fate seems to always win even though he tries tirelessly to beat it. His doesn’t allow him to lose due to his cockiness, but in the closing stages the story seems to show that Oedipus is starting to accept the fact that he will never win. Towards the conclusion of the play when Oedipus gives his trust to Theseus over his fortune giving burial he seems to find a peace again even though his life is still not impressive. Oedipus’s reflection towards the end of the play can be summed up by Jocasta’s statement, â€Å"Fear? What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earthShow MoreRelatedThe Oedipus Complex ( Oedipus )1666 Words   |  7 Pagesmother and her son. Sigmund Freud himself came up with the Oedipus complex, which is when a boy has an attachment to the mother, which in turns results in aggressive and envious feelings toward the father and these feelings are largely repressed. 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