Hubris is the feeling that one is beyond the reaches of any authority or convention.
Often this excessive pride can lead to tragic endings in plays. This is a key role in all .
tragedies. One tragedy in particular is a Greek play called "Oedipus the King" by .
Sophecles. In this play our tragic hero, Oedipus, is doomed to a fate that he will not .
accept because of the pride that he possesses. The play "M. Butterfly" by D.H. Hwang is .
also a tragedy. This one is slightly different. It is a more recent play in which the main .
character, Rene Gallimard is the tragic hero. Gallimard is not actually told the outcome of .
his life, but just refuses to see the truth and when he finally does, he would rather no one .
else know it. .
.
Oedipus' strength is definitely intelligence and he knows it. After leaving .
Corinth, Oedipus wanders the land to find himself in the town of Thebes. Here his mind .
pays off when he solves the Riddle of the Sphinx that took many lives before him. In one .
of his rages he says, "I stopped the Sphinx! With no help from the birds, the flight of my .
own intelligence hit the mark." (page 1301, lines 452-453). His bright mind later acts as the.
downfall for Oedipus as he puts together the pieces of his own past and the murder of his .
father. He uses his wits to slowly link the stories, but remains ignorant to important .
details that would reveal all. .
"Here I am myself, you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus." .
(page 1290, lines 7-9). This bold statement proves undeniably that Oedipus knows his .
heroic status and greatly enjoys it. All heroes have a tragic flaw; something that builds .
up and ultimately leads to their demise. The King's flaw is his pompous, arrogant .
attitude that he uses to place himself above those around him. This hubris also leads .
Oedipus to have a quick, violent temper when his ego feels threatened. One of his greatest .
threats was the words spoken by the blind prophet, Tiresias.
