The Character of Oedipus

In every Greek tragedy the main character must have a hamartia that will lead to their downfall. In “Oedipus Rex” Oedipus depicts many good qualities that make him a competent king, however, it is these same qualities that caused his terrible fate.

            The character of Oedipus can be described as being confident. In the line “So I have come here myself. Who am called Oedipus, and known to all”. (Sophocles 7-8). This line implies that Oedipus is well aware of his potency. He considers himself a strong leader and those around him are just as aware of this as he is. He had made history by saving his city and defeating the Sphinx so he believes he can use his intellect to unravel the mystery of the city of Thebes.

            The character of Oedipus can also be described as selfless. He cares very deeply for his people. In line 98 through 99, when asked if he would like to speak in private with Creon, Oedipus replies  “Speak to everyone, for I consider their pain more important even than that of my own soul”. He shows a lot of chivalry. He wants to help his people and their safety and tranquility yields more importance than his own. He is willing to discuss private concerns with all of his people because he deems them worthy of knowing.

            During the dialect with Creon, in lines 100-135 Oedipus shows to be inquisitive. He is asking many questions and attempting to decipher the underlying cause of the suffering in Thebes. “What? For one thing could lead us to learn many, of those he saw, had nothing to say but one thing”. (Sophocles 127-128). In this line, Oedipus depicts excessive determination and hope. Oedipus is insisting that Creon tells him what happened because he feels this will help the problem at hand. 

            However it is this same determination and inquisition that causes Oedipus downfall. He insisted on finding the culprit to rid the city of evil. He found out who it was but with great pain. At one point, even Jocasta had warned him not question any further but Oedipus is as stubborn as he is determined. Another flaw Oedipus has was his excessive arrogance. Of course, he has every reason to feel confident in his capabilities considering he did at one time save the city of Thebes. His excessive pride caused him to no listen to Creon, Jocasta, or Tiresias. Even at the beginning Oedipus felt he could overpower the gods by doubting them.