First of all, Odeipus was an idiot. He refused to listen to the prophets when they tried to tell him that he was the killer of Laius. He also set himself up for failure by proclaiming his greatness.
Odeipus is tragic because almost every bad thing that could happen happened to him. He was cast away as a child, killed his father, married his mother, blinded himself, and was banished. His entire story is very sad and doomed by the prophecies. While he was somewhat an arrogant idiot, he did have many amiable qualities that made him a good king. He devoted himself to finding the murderer of Laius in order to save Thebes. He then called that the murderer be banished. When it was revealed that he was the killer, he supported the banishment and was exiled. Most men would back down from banishment, but Odeipus proved that he was loyal to his word.
Odeipus's amiable qualities make him likable and tragic. His agony is felt by his mother/wife and the people of Thebes. It is easily portrayed as tragedy to the reader who sees the drastic changes (a symptom of tragedy) that take place in Odeipus's life. A fall from power is one of the most tragic and reoccuring instances in history and Odeipus took a very hard fall.
No comments:
Post a Comment