Oedipus Rex Analisys

In "Oedipus Rex", Sophocles portraits one of the most intriguing and fascinating traits of the human nature: the search for truth regarding who we are and the realization of the paths reserved by our future fate.

The play starts with the presentation of the main character: Oedipus, the king of Thebes. Sophocles presents Oedipus to the reader as a majestic figure who addresses his attention to the people of Thebes from his palace. The city had been hit by a devastating plague due to LaÐ"Їos (the previous Theban king) murder and Oedipus was believed to be able to help them overcome that hardship. As the play develops, the reader is provided with the fact that LaÐ"Їos, Oedipus' biological father, and IocastÐ"Є, his biological mother, learned through an oracle that Oedipus was fated to kill his father. LaÐ"Їos decided to kill his son and IocastÐ"Є ties their child's feet together. Oedipus was given to a shepherd to be sent to death, however, the shepherd, pitied the baby and changed his mind, handling the infant to a servant of Polybos, the King of Corinth. Oedipus was raised as Polybos son and never knew, despite his suspicions, that he, in fact, was not Polybos' biological child. During this sincere search for his true identity, he asked to the Delphi Oracle about his real parents. The Oracle did not provide him with the answer Oedipus was searching for, but told him he was doomed to kill his father and mate his own mother instead. Later, Oedipus met LaÐ"Їos and, ignoring that he was his biological father, ended up killing him over an argument on the road to Thebes. Because he solved the Sphinx's riddle, Oedipus was rewarded with Thebes' kingship and the hand of the Theban queen, IocastÐ"Є, his biological mother. At this point, he demanded that the shepherd was brought to him and his search for the truth has ended: he found out he was LaÐ"Їos' and IocastÐ"Є's son. When she figured out she was Oedipus' biological mother, IocastÐ"Є committed suicide and Oedipus struck his eyes with IocastÐ"Є brooches, blinding himself as a punishment for all the evil he presumed he was responsible for.

"Oedipus Rex" has all the elements that build and compose a tragedy. Oedipus is the key figure, the tragic hero who started the whole play at the moment he was born. As a tragic hero, he suffered and was doomed at the beginning of the play. The whole prophecy was fulfilled and he discovered his role in the prophecy through his own actions and his own inner wish of knowing who he really was, of discovering the truth about his origins and about the consequences of his actions. At the end of the play, his actions aroused sympathy in the audience due to his suffering and dooming. Oedipus experienced a remarkable and gradual process of unveiling his downfall which is one of the main characteristics of a tragic hero. His intelligence was also outlined when he solved the Sphinx's riddle. Tragic heroes must be intelligent.

Oedipus avidly seeks the truth, however, he fears it. He tries to blame Theiresias and Creon for the murder of LaÐ"Їos,