Sometimes humans try to avoid their predestined paths. Often times, the choices one makes seems to alter these paths. Oedipus the King is written by Sophocles. The main character in the play, Oedipus, is faced with this type of situation. Due to the character's actions and behaviors, he has everything and loses it all. Oedipus' tragic character flaw causes him to be defeated in the end.
Oedipus' major flaw is his endless pride. He is the hero and king of Thebes, but due to his fate, he ends up being blind in exile. Oedipus runs away from his homeland, including his mother and father. He is trying to escape his fate. The gods above told him that he would, in his future, kill his father and marry his mother. By moving somewhere else, he feels they will be safe from him. Oedipus himself states, "I must be exiled, and even in exile never see my parents, never set foot on native earth again. Else I'm doomed to couple with my mother and cut my father down - (1312). .
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Lirette 2.
On his journey, a chariot tries to run him off the road. He becomes very angry, which causes him to become violent. He unknowingly kills Laius and the men with him. Laius is the king of Thebes at the time of .
Oedipus' journey. One man manages to escape from Oedipus, and flees back to Thebes. Oedipus then continues on his path towards Thebes. Upon arriving in the town, he meets the Sphinx who kills people who cannot answer her riddle. Oedipus succeeds in solving the riddle, causing the Sphinx to destroy herself. The Thebans make him king out of thanks for saving their town. He takes his reign as king, and marries Laius' widow, Jocasta. Unknowingly, Oedipus has just killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus' prideful moment is actually his fate becoming reality. .
Another stunning reality is that a plague is sweeping the streets of Thebes. At this point, Oedipus' heroic pride takes over. Unable to solve the situation on his own, he sends a messenger to talk to the gods.