Discuss Oedipus as a tragic hero and compare him to another tragic hero in literature
A tragedy is an emulation of a severe event that tends to prompt fear in the audience. A tragic hero is a character in any literature play of high social class in most cases whose downfall comes as a result of the poor decision they make in their judgment hence resulting in their destruction. For instance, in Oedipus, because of his imperfection and tragic flaws result in his downfall.
In the play, Oedipus is the king of Thebes who at one point had everything in the play and suddenly loses everything. Oedipus suffered a reversal of fortune. Oedipus made errors in his judgment that automatically resulted in his destruction. The misfortune of Oedipus comes as a result of his poor decision hence evoking feelings of pity among the audience that makes him a tragic hero.
Another tragic hero in the literature that suffers the same fate as Oedipus is Romeo in Rome and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Romeo was dead because of his actions and choices. Despite his social class, the choices he made led him to his downfall and caused his death. Therefore, Romeo is an excellent example of another tragic hero in the literature that is comparable to Oedipus.
Both Oedipus and Romeo had royalty, which means that they had a noble disposition at some point in the play. Both the two characters had a tragic flaw involving a defect in their character that led to their downfall.
In conclusion, a tragic hero in play is of a social class who makes a significant fall. The hero’s downfall is often as a result of their own choices they made, and their story often arouses pity and fear from the audience.
References
Sanders, N. K. (1960). The epic of Gilgamesh. Assyrian International News Agency Books Online.
Sophocles, S. (2019). Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone. BoD–Books on Demand.