Oedipus Rex

The Greek tragedy Oedipus the King by Sophocles is a play about a Greek emperor who was brought to ruin and had no one to blame other then his character. This Greek emperor embodied all traits' a ruler in his position would be blessed to have. Oedipus was a compassionate honest man who cared for the people he lead. Even as wonderful of a leader as he was, Oedipus was brought to his ruin because of his anger, impatience and blindness of fate.

In the first part of Oedipus the King, Oedipus sent his brother-in-law Creon to the temple of Phoebus to ask the Lord Apollo for help with his kingdom. As Creon takes longer than expected to return, the reader comes to realize that Oedipus is an impatient man. "Already, when I think what day this is, I wonder anxiously what he is doing. Too long, more than is right he's been away" (73-75). Although Oedipus displays impatience, we also see a side of him that displays honesty to his people. Creon returns from the temple with news, "Speak out to all! The grief that burdens me concerns these men more than it does my life" (93-94). In these lines Oedipus displays to his country men that he is truly concerned about the tragic state that his country is in. In the first part of the tragedy the reader realizes that although the king is and honest man who cares for his country men he clearly has a side of him that rules with an iron fist.

The news that Creon brought back was that they were to find the murder that killed the previous ruler Laius. "We must or murder to free ourselves from a murder that blows through the city" (100-101). As tension begins to rise, so does Oedipus's temper. He tells the citizens of the city to find out who murdered Laius, only to find out that he was the man they were looking for. "From this day say no word to either these or me for you are the vile polluter of this land" (356-358). Although Oedipus was searching for someone to tell him who the murder of Laius was he was enraged that this blind prophet, Tiresias, had the courage to call him a murder. As the story progresses the Prophecy of Oedipus comes out, which was that Oedipus was the murder of his father and then marries his mother. Oedipus's anger led him to a road rage incident, in which Oedipus unknowingly murders his father.

I struck in anger. The old man saw this, watched

me approach, then leaned out and lunged down

with twin prongs at the middle of my head!

He got more than he gave. Abruptly Ð'- struck

once by the staff in this my hand Ð'- he tumbled

out, head first, from the middle of the carriage. (810-815)

If Oedipus had not