The Oedipus Tragedy Chad A. Morin

Sophocles' epic poem, Oedipus the King, is a classic elegy that explores how irony can affect ones life and how "fate works more closely" then one would expect. It is due to this that many argue over how to react to the character of "King Oedipus, the sovereign of" Thebes (13). Though at times arrogant and overly assertive, one must look more closely at the life of Oedipus. He is a man whose leadership demanded such qualities to overcome the Sphinx and other challenges along his road to becoming king. From this we must become sympathetic, and understand how a man so determined and admirable to do good for his people, could possibly have the same qualities as an arrogant person.

A man running from a prophesy of his fate, the story opens with Oedipus king of the Thebes with a population dying of a plague. Wanting to help his people, Oedipus opens his heart to his public saying, "Here I am myself-/you all know me, the world knows my fame:/I am Oedipus" (lines 7-9). By declaring this, he is declaring that he is on the problem of city, deliberating what to do. When asked by the old priest what Oedipus plans to do, Oedipus quickly replies that "after a painful search [he] found one cure:/[he]...