Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex As A Tragic Hero
Q.1 Do you think that hubris plays a significant part in the fall of Oedipus?
(PU-2006)
OR
Discuss Oedipus’ final choice and evaluate his character. (PU-1994)
Ans. Sophocles was a versatile genius and like a bee gathered the honey of
minutest details in portraying his characters. His sensitiveness was vigorous
and he could not but note the most enchanting expressions of life through
nature and man. He utilized all opportunities of the external world and all the
faculties of his imagination to represent life and nature on the stage in their
full bloom. Sophocles touches the Olympian heights of excellence in
presenting vivid varieties of characters, emotions, passions, occasions,
scenes, sentiments, moods, joys, sorrows frustrations, agonies and physical
as well as psychological crisis.
Oedipus is a master creation of Sophocles’ genius who comes upto

the cannon fixed by Aristotle for a tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a tragic
hero is a distinguished person, who occupies a high position or has a high
status in life and from very prosperous circumstances falls into misfortune on
account of a “hamartia” or some error of judgement. In Aristotle’s view tragic
hero should be a good or fine man though not prefect. The fall of a bad
character will not arouse any felling of pity or fear and the fall of a person
who represent near perfection will be repugnant and horrible. In this way
ideal tragic hero should neither be a paragon of excellence nor a depraved
villain. Aristotle also believed that the tragic hero should be true to type and
Prof. Ashfaq Ahmad CELL Centre for English Language & Literature
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consistent or true to himself and his catastrophe must be caused by an error
rather than a deli berate crime.
Now when we examine Oedipus on the criterion set by Aristotle we find that
he fulfils the requirements mentioned above. Oedipus is the son of a king
and queen, he is brought up by another king and queen and he himself
becomes a king. In this way he is man of social eminence as well as he
possesses excellent qualities of character, through he is by no means perfect.
Yet we cannot say that his misfortune is due to any defect in his character
rather it is an error of judgment (Hamartia) Which brings about his fall.
When carefully and critically examine the character of Oedipus, it becomes

quite vivid and clear that he is an ideal king as he treats his subjects as his
own children . Once he saved the lives of the citizens from the clutches of a
devil and now in the wave of pestilence they look towards him for guidance
and help. He is a man who is highly esteemed by all because of his qualities.
He is an able ruler, a father of his people, an honest and great administrator
and a man of outstanding intellect. There is no doubt about the essential
goodness of his characters. He is also a religious man and believes in the
oracles also. He has full faith in the bond of family and hates impurity. Even
in the prologue of the play we get the feeling that Oedipus is an ideal king.
Thus a man who is essentially a noble man should meet such ghastly fate is
unthinkable and very painful.
But this is not a complete picture of Oedipus’ character. Like and ideal
tragic hero Oedipus is also not perfect because in spite of all these good
qualities we do find in him some irritants and the traits we do not like and
approve. For example he is hot-tempered and short-tempered and can be
easily provoked. He quickly loses his temper with Teiresias when the prophet
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is reluctant to reveal the things he knows. He flares up and accuses Teiresias
of hatching a conspiracy against him. Though, first he addresses him
reverently but later on, he behaves like a ruthless tyrant who is out of pick up
a quarrel without any consideration of its consequences. He is guilty of rash
judgment and in the case of Creon, he comes close to commit a judicial
murder. It is really not proper to treat one’s trusted and tried kinsman like
that. It all shows his arbitrariness, thoughtlessness and rash vindictiveness.
An other negative feature of Oedipus’ character is that he is

excessively proud of his intelligence. This feeling of pride may be the result of
his success in solving the riddles of sphinx. Oedipus’ feeling of pride is the
subject of comment in one of the choral songs. Self- confidence is a good
quality but when it takes the form of over confidence and pride, it becomes
disgusting and obnoxious.
But despite these faults and shortcomings it would be wrong to

suppose that Oedipus suffers because of this flaw---pride. He has committed
heinous crimes but his pride is not the direct cause of these crimes. He tried
his level best to avoid the fulfillment of prophecies. It was in complete
ignorance that the killed his father and married mother. His tragedy is a
tragedy of errors, not of any willful action yet it is possible to argue that if he
had been a little more careful, things would have taken a different shape. He
might have avoided the quarrel on the road if he had not been so hot
tempered and he might have refused to marry a woman old enough to be his
mother if he had not been blinded by the pride of his intelligence in solving
the riddle of the sphinx.
Actually Oedipus failed to realize that man can solve the riddle of the
sphinx but he cannot solve the riddle of his own life. He wanted to know the
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whole truth but could not see that man cannot bear much truth. Thus if he
had not pursued the investigations, he might have avoided the shock of
discovery. Teiresias tried to conceal the truth and Jocasta discouraged
Oedipus to continue his investigations but Oedipus paid no heed to them. It
was his insistence on the truth that led him to the tragedy. The oracle said,
that Oedipus would be guilty of those sins but no oracle said that he must
discover the truth. If there had not been any discovery surely there would
have not been any tragedy. No doubt Oedipus has already committed the
sins which make him guilty in the eyes of gods and people. But the tragedy
lies not so much in committing of these crimes as in his discovery of these
crimes.
In conclusion we can say that Oedipus is an authentic tragic hero in

the Aristotelian sense because his tragedy is caused by his own initiatives in
discovering the truth. However, the manner in which Oedipus blinded
himself after realizing his guilt and the manner in which he endured his
punishment, raise him high in our estimation. The final impression which we
get of him is of massive integrity, powerful will, and magnanimous
acceptance of a horribly altered existence. The spirit of Oedipus remains
unconquered even in his defeat and that is the essential requisite for a tragic
hero as propounded by Aristotle in his poetics.
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Q.2 Irony in “Oedipus Rex”
Irony is a Greek literary device
Greece was famous for holding fairs and religious festivals and people
from far and wide used to come to attend these religious festivals because
they not only provided entertainment to them, but also enlightened their
minds and illumined their souls with religious spirit. These humble religious
gatherings marked the beginning of drama as playwrights too, from every
nook and corner of the country, used to come there and presented their
literary dramatic creations before the audience which were purely imbued
with morality and eternal truth. They used different literary devices and
techniques in order to explain the themes of their plays and to make them
more attractive and more appealing. Thus, drama in their hands attained the
zenith of success and became the most popular source of entertainment.
Among the literary devices employed by them, irony was and is regarded as
one of the best literary devices.
Definition of irony
According to Martin Gray’s Dictionary of literary terms, “irony consist

of saying one thing while you mean another. It is a method of achieving
meaning via understatement, concealment and allusion rather than by direct
statements.” Prologue. “Swifts’ “ Gulliver’s Travels” and Jane Austen’s novels
illustrate irony in its most refined form. However, the most subtle examples
of irony can be found in the dramas of Sophocles, who is the master of
dramatic art. He has set trends which are yet followed.
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Plot and irony
In Oedipus Rex irony is not only the theme of the play, irony is actually the
structure of the play. The plot moves through ironical actions and reactions.
Oedipus is the son of king Laius and Jocasta of Thebes. There is an oracle
saying that he will kill his father and marry his mother. When he was born,
Laius, his father, abandoned him on the hill in order to defy this decree of
fate. But some stroke of luck takes him to Corinth where he is reared by the
issueless king and queen of Corinth. Later on, circumstances lead him to kill
his father and marry his mother in complete ignorance of reality. When he
comes to know of the truth, he blinds himself and goes into exile. This tragic
story is replete with many types of ironies.
Irony of situation
First, outside the plot of the play, there is irony of situation, i.e, a set of
circumstances turn out to be the exact opposite of what is excepted or
anticipated. The oracle tells Oedipus’ father escapes that he will get a son
who will murder his father and marry his mother. Laius tries to avoid the
decree of fate, but this act in a way fulfills the oracle. Later on, when the
same is told on Oedipus by the oracle, he runs away from Corinth in order to
avoid his misfortune. But this action brings him nearer to his doom. He tries
to change the whole course his life to escape oracle, but to no use. He runs
away from his destiny but ironically he runs into the destiny. So irony of fate
is there in the play.
Structure and irony
In fact, the very structure of “Oedipus Rex” is based upon irony. Oedipus is
shown throughout the play searching for the murderer of Laius, but at the
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end, to his great surprise, he himself turns out to be the murderer. He is
introduced as a clairvoyant leader, the greatest of men, and as the one who
has solution for all problems and possesses absolute knowledge and also the
one to whom people look at as a deliverer, But letter events show the real
picture of Oedipus that is entirely different from what he appeared in the
beginning. All the titles given to him in the prologue are taken away from
him, ultimately, he comes out to be the one who has committed patricide
and incest. Whole reversal of his personality takes place. He is the
investigator but becomes the thing to be investigated. He was prospecting
while he himself was a thing to be prospected. While talking with Teriesias,
he blames him of plotting against him and also against Laius and calls him:
“Sightless, witless, Senseless,” mad old man!
Later on, all these words recoil upon him. He is the shameless who
committed incest: he is the brainless that could not comprehend the true
problems, he is sightless and senseless that could not see beyond what is
visible. He boasted himself to be the man who solved the riddle of the sphinx
but he failed to solve the riddle of his own life.
Verbal irony
There is grim verbal irony in the prologue when priest says to Oedipus.
“ Let it not be said that under your rule we were raised up only to
fall.”
Oedipus saved then from the tyranny of the sphinx and Thebans
enjoyed sixteen years of prosperity. But now the very pushes them into
greater disaster. Oedipus says while discussing the murder of Laius:
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“ I mean to fight for him as I would for my own father”
He is terribly near the truth because Laius, in fact, is his real father.
Further, while talking with suppliants in the prologue he says:
“When you suffer none suffer more than I.”
Later events prove that he really suffers more than others.
Statement of Oedipus relates irony
Then there is irony in the proclamation which Oedipus makes including even
himself within the jurisdiction of the punishment which he announces for
those who may harbor or have collusion with the killer of Laius.
“…….And it is my solemn prayer that the unknown murderer, and his

accomplices,
If such there be, may wear the brand of shame.
For their shameful act, unfriended, to their life’s end.
Nor do I exempt myself from the imprecation.”
Speech of Teiresias shows irony
There is also irony is the lines when Teiresias while talking with Oedipus says:
“ A blind man,
Who has his eyes now: a penniless man, who is rich now:
And he will go tapping the strange earth with his staff:
To the children with whom he lives now he will be
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Brother and father-the very same: to her
Who bore him, son and husband-the very same
Who comes to his father’s bed, wet with his father’s blood”.
Conclusion
Subsequent events prove true these words of Teiresias. In “Oedipus Rex”. To

be curt, there is no dearth of the examples of irony so much irony, In fact,
Sophocles has managed to produce so much irony, as well as to maintain
perfect suspense, in a play the plot of which is so well known. That is why
critics of all the ages acclaim the world’s master pieces of sustained irony,
pocked with skillfully devised ambiguous details.
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Q.3 Plot of “Oedipus Rex”
Sophocles a dramatist and Oedipus Rex fulfills a good plot
Sophocles was not only a representative of a highly cultured class of his time
but also possessed aristocratic feelings and frowning spirit towards what was
ugly in art and insolent in man. As a dramatist Sophocles’ artistic
achievements are the great land marks in the history of Greek as well as
European tragedies. His introduction of painted scenery on the stage,
psychological pictures of the characters, counteracting dialogues and the
fullest exhibition of human motives can rank him with the greatest
tragedians of the world.
Definition of plot
Aristotle lays great stress on the importance and significance of plot and the
plot of Oedipus Rex fulfills Aristotelian standards. The elements of peripety,
discovery, surprise, Suspense and contrast are so well knitted in the plot of
Oedipus rex that it is almost a complete whole and there is no gap in it.
Oedipus Rex as a great Greek tragedy
Lexically, the plot or structure of a play is the logical arrangement of events

which constitute the story of the play. The greatness of a play depends much
on the skillful management of these events. Aristotle demands that the plot
of a tragedy should be a complete whole in line with a living organism which
does not admit of an addition, omission or transposition without effecting
the natural unity. In this regard, it is acclaimed by the critics of all the ages,
that the plot of Oedipus Rex is skillfully arranged and composed and looks
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“breathless.” From the very first scene, action moves on straightway and
rises in one great crescendo to the level of great crisis and tension and tragic
feelings. Thus this play deserve the position given to it by Aristotle that it is a
typical example of the highest Greek tragedy.
Observance of three unities
The most outstanding feature of the play is the observance of three unities,
which were propounded by Aristotle…….Unity of place, unity of action and
unity of time. The whole action of play takes place at one place there is no
change of scenes; the action is completed within one revolution of the sun,
as Aristotle deemed fit for a tragedy. There is also unity of action as we are
made to concentrate on a single theme……..the investigation made by
Oedipus into the murder of Laius and the discovery of the truth. There are no
variations, no sub-plots and any material which may distract our attention
from the main plot. It is a fact that observance of three unities have made
the play close-knit and is considered by many critics as “marvel of
construction.”
Beginning, middle and end
Aristotle says that a skillfully constructed play should have a beginning, a

middle and an ending. “Oedipus Rex” fulfills this qualification too. It begins
with a complaint by the people to the king and the arrival of Creon gives the
information about the Delphic oracle. An unknown murderer of the last king,
Laius is still lurking in the state and he should be banished forthwith for the
safety and welfare of the people. This information is conveyed in the
prologue which may be called as beginning of the play. With it the action of
the play moves forward and the way is prepared for the development of the
real theme of the play. Suspense and curiosity grip the minds of the readers
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or the audience. Oedipus quarrels with Teiresais, the blind prophet and the
situation takes highly dramatic turn. In a fit of anger, Teiresias reveals certain
facts about Oedipus which make the whole situation tense. Then a
messenger from Corinth comes and informs Jocasta about the happening in
Corinth. His revelation that Oedipus is not a son of Polybus and is an adopted
child fills her mind with fears and she leaves in a state of great perturbation
and anxiety, Oedipus is still ignorant and pursues the enquiry with same zeal.
The Theban shepherd arrives, in response to royal summons. Oedipus learns
the truth about his parentage and his involvement in the murder of Laius, the
king of Thebe. The Oracle’s statement was true about his past life. He was
the murderer of his father married his own mother. The shock was
unbearably amazing. Soon it is conveyed that Jocasta, the queen, had
committed suicide. It was followed by the self-blinding of Oedipus. All these
incidents form the middle of the play.
Orderly development of plot
Thus we notice that how emotional excitement of the audience is increased

with each scene and a tension is generated in their minds. Here the tragedy
lies not in the guilt itself but in the discovery of the guilt. Feelings of fear and
pity reach their climax with the discovery of truth by Oedipus and Jocasta.
The last scene of the play brings the story to its end when Oedipus laments
his fate and the fate of his daughters. He insists on his banishment from
Thebe. Thus we find an orderly development of plot with no digression of
any kind and nothing seems superfluous or irrelevant. Every situation
contributes to the furtherance of the plot.
Surprise and suspense in plot
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Surprise and suspense are the two vital elements of a successful play and the
most outstanding feature of these scenes is the highly dramatic effect which
they create in the minds of the spectators. For Example, when Teiresias
comes before the king, we are in a state of suspense whether the prophet
divulges the secret or disobeys him. He however tries to evade giving direct
reply to Oedipus’ questions with the result that Oedipus loses his temper
and charges him with treason in league with Creaon. It creates feelings of
astonishment among all the people present there. The prophet could not
control his anger and hits him back with a series of allegations and
revelations about the identity of the killer of king Laius. He calls Oedipus a
murderer and makes a number of veiled predictions about Oedipus’ fate. The
outbursts of Teiresias fill us with terror. This scene is highly dramatic. The
pride and insolence on the part of the king and highly disturbing for us. Here
Oedipus comes before us as a stubborn and inflexible man with rash
temperament and irrational mind.
Feelings of pity and fear in the plot
Jocasta makes an attempt that Oedipus may not take the prophet’s
allegation seriously. She tells him that no man possesses the knowledge of
Divine truth and he should brush aside his allegations. But later incidents
unravel the truth and it becomes almost clear that Oedipus is the murderer.
Thus it becomes quite obvious that there is nothing forced or unnatural and
everything proceeds in a logical and convincing manner. Of course, the
arrival of the messenger from Corinth seems to be some what introduced out
of the way, but it is a matter of coincidence and this is the only coincidence,
but it has its own dramatic effects. It produces the feelings of pity, fear, awe,
admiration, resentment, and irritation. The feelings which dominate us in the
end are the feelings of pity and fear. We feel fear because of the thought
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that what has happened with Oedipus may not happen with us too. And the
feelings of pity are created on the sad fate of Jocasta and Oedipus. However
at the same time we cannot but admire Oedipus for his integrity. He pursues
the matter with the same vigour and enthusiasm, though he is repeatedly
advised not to purse the case. Oedipus’ final appearance touches the chords
of heart. The account of self murder and self-blinding is horrifying, yet it is
highly uplifting and productive of that cathartic effect which according to
Aristotle is the core of the tragedy.
Device of irony gives colour to the plot
Sophocles has also made use of certain literary devices to impart depth and
colour to the plot. Among these literary devices irony is of paramount
importance. The whole play is replete with all kinds of ironies notably irony
of situation, irony of character and irony of dialogue. The dichotomy
between appearance and reality creates suspense and horror in the play.
The role of chorus in the plot
And last but not the least in importance in the plot of “Oedipus Rex.” Is the
role of chorus which cannot be ignored because in Greek tragedy chorus
performed a large number of functions. In this play the chorus is not just a
spectator but performs the role of an actor and is an integral part of the plot.
It comments on different situation, takes an active part in the dialogues and
also acts as a peace-maker.
Conclusion
Thus in conclusion we can say that the plot of” Oedipus Rex” not only
satisfies the Aristotlian standards but also arrests the attention of the reader
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and spectator right from the beginning to the end. The organic texture and
unity of this plot is indeed marvelous and the whole plot is like a moon-lit sky
studded with beautiful stars.
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CTHARSIS
Q:4 Do you think Sophocles is able to harmonize censure and

sympathy in his play Oedipus Rex? Illustrate your answer with
reference to the text. (PU-2006)
Or
Discuss how Sophocles arouses pity and fear in Oedipus Rex.

(PU-1992)
Ans. Function of tragedy is to arose pity and fear
According to Aristotle, a tragedy should arouse, in the spectators, the feeling

of pity and fear………pity chiefly for the hero’s tragic fate and fear at the sight
of sufferings that befalls him. By arousing the feelings of pity and fear, a
tragedy cures us from the feelings of pity and fear, which always exist in our
hearts.
Pity of reader is evoked
According to Aristotle, pity and fear are not the only emotions, which find a
healthy relief in a tragedy rather the spectators also experience such feelings
as ‘ contemp’, ‘delight,’ indigation’ and admiration’ while witnessing a
tragedy. However, these emotions are less important whereas pity and fear
are the dominant emotions that are aroused and clarified.
Suffering of poor Thebes
“Oedipus Rex” is a very significant play for the discussion of the emotional
impact of tragedy.
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First we take pity there are many things in “Oedipus Rex”, Which
evoke a sense of strong pity. The very first impression that is produced on us
as we begin to read this play is that of pity. The priest of Zeus gives a vivid
description of the suffering of poor Thebans as:
“Thebas is in her extremity
And cannot lift her head from the surge of death
A rust consumes the buds and the fruit of earth
The herds are sick: children die unborn”
The picture is further filled in and made grimmer by the chorus in the
entrance ode in which they say:
“Beyond all telling, the city
Reeks with death in her streets, death brings
None by to pity
Mother at every alter knee!’’
Sufferings of Oedipus
There is, of course, a sense of great pity for Oedipus who ultimately finds
that he has unconsciously become guilty of the gravest offence against both
his parents. He says:
“if only I had died
This weight of monstrous doom
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Could not have dragged me and my darling down”
Sufferings of Jocasta
Pity is aroused also by the fate of poor Jocasta who ultimately finds that she
has been guilty of marrying her own son. The description of her last
moments by the attendant is truly heart-rending. He says”
“We heard her wail for the double fruit of her marriage,
A husband by her husband, children by her child.”
Sufferings of Oedipus’ children
We feel pity also for the plight of Oedipus’ children, especially the helpless
girls whose wretched condition is graphically brought out by Oedipus himself
as:
“And I weep for you when I think of the bitterness
That men will visit upon you all you lives
What homes, what festivals can you attend
Without being forced to depart again in tears.”
Fear of chorus
Along with pity there is also the feeling of great fear. In fact there is some
element of terror even in our feelings of pity. The entry song of the chorus
heightens the feelings of terror, which has already been aroused in our
hearts. The chorus says:
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“With fear my heart is riven, fear of what shall be told, Fear is upon
us”.
Fear of Thebans and Oedipus
It strikes us with fear that the poor Thebans should be sufferings so miserably
for not fault of theirs. Similarly, the sufferings of Jocasta and Oedipus also
seem to us to be largely underserved. This mystery of underserved suffering
does inspire a sense of fear in us. The unexpected way in which the various
oracles come true also inspires fear in us. We share the fear of Oedipus when
he exclaims.
“Ah, What net has God been weaving for me?”
There is fear also in Oedipus ‘ step by step progress towards the discovery of
Laius’ murderer. The complete reversal by which the king who was esteemed
by everyone turns into homeless beggar and outcast whose very sight is
pollution, is truly productive of terror. We feel terror when Teiresias says:
“A blind man
Who has eyes now: a penniless man, who is rich now
And will go tapping the strange earth with his staff”.
Oedipus has been searching for truth about the identity of Laius’ murderer as
well as about his own true identity, but the knowledge brings nothing but
dismay and suffering and he makes an exclamation which arouses great fear
in the reader:
“ O light, may I look on your for the last time!
I, Oedipus
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Oedipus damned in his birth, in his marriage damned
Damned in the blood he shed with own hands.
The song of the chorus immediately following the discovery arouses

the deepest sense of fear in us at Oedipus’ terrible fate. The chorus includes
the whole of mankind and says:
Alas for the seed of men
What measure shall I give these generations
That breathe on the void and are void
And exist and do not exist?
Conclusion
The fall and sufferings of Oedipus thus produce intense feelings of pity and
fear, but they do not give rise to lasting pessimism because the feelings of
relief, exhilaration and pleasure have also been aroused in us. These feelings
are partly the result of the felicity of the employed language and music and
poetry but mainly the result of the spectacle of human greatness in human
misery. In the closing scene, the blind and helpless Oedipus rises truly to
heroic heights, displaying and indomitable spirit, which has a sustaining,
cheering, uplifting and exhilarating effect on us.
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HAMARTIA OF OEDIPUS
Q:5 Why is Oedipus punished for sins of which he has no knowledge? Give
reasons. (PU-1994)
Or
In what way is the tragic flaw of Oedipus reconciled with his responsibility as
kings? Illustrate. (Pu-1997)
Or
What in your opinion is Oedipus’ ‘ hamartia’ and what is its relevance to the
play Oedipus Rex. (Pu-2005)
Ans. Definition of Hamartia
Aristotle points out that:
“ The ideal tragic hero must be intermediate kind of person, man not pre-
eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon
him not by vice or depravity but by some error of judgement or “hamrtia”.
So far as hamratia is concerned, Aristotle tells us:
“ It may be accompanied by moral imperfection, and in purest tragic

situation the suffering hero is not to morally blame”.
Thus hamartia is an error, or a series of errors and the tragic irony lies
in the fact that hero may err innocently, unknowingly without any evil
intention at all, yet he is doomed no less than those who have committed the
sin consciously.
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Oedipus answers all the requirements of Aristotle regarding an ideal
tragic hero. Being a man possessing excellent qualities of character and
having high status, he meets a great tragic fall. It is not easy to point out a
hamartia which should be directly responsible for Oedipus tragedy. And at the
same time, it is also not correct to say that he is a puppet in the hands of fate.
Ideal Oedipus suffers due to his Hamartia__his arrogance

Oedipus is a good king, great well-wisher of his people, a man of
integrity, honesty and a great administrator and an outstanding intellect. He
is a relentless seeker after truth and has a great capacity for bearing
sufferings. He also shows himself as a devoted husband and as a loving
father. However, he is somewhat rash and is capable of making unfair
judgments in fits of temper. Creon remarks about him.
“Ugly in yielding as you were ugly in rage
Nature like yours chiefly torment themselves”
His uncommon intelligence makes him over suspicious. Despite all his love
for the people, he wants absolute power. He says:
“Where power and throne are mine”.
Feeling of pride
An outstanding feature of Oedipus’ character is an inherent feeling of pride

in his own wisdom which seems to have been nourished by his success in
solving the riddle of sphinx. He says:
“Oedipus the simple man who knows nothing
I thought it out for myself, no birds helped me.”
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Because of this arrogance, Oedipus certainly alienates some of our sympathy
for him, self-confidence is a good quality but when it takes the form of pride,
it becomes disgusting. Of course, Oedipus has committed the crimes of killing
his father and marrying his mother. But the tragedy lies not so much in the
committing of those crimes as in his discovery that he is guilty of them. That’s
why Jocasta says him,
“May you never learn who you are”
If the crimes had remained unknown, there would hardly have been any
tragedy. Thus tragedy comes with the fact of discovery both for Jocasta and
for Oedipus. But his pride is not the direct cause of his crimes. Having come
to know from oracle what is in store for him, he tries his utmost to avoid the
fulfillment of prophecies. He commits those crimes completely in a state of
ignorance. His tragedy is a tragedy of error, not of any willful action.
Sophocles says:
“Since fate rules us and nothing can be foreseen”
Oedipus’ insistence upon knowing truth
And yet it is possible to argue that if he had been a little more careful, things
would have taken a different shape. He might have avoided the quarrel on
the road if he had not been so proud or hot tempered, and he might have
refused to marry an old woman if he had not been blinded by the pride of his
intelligence. But then prophecies of the oracle would have been fulfilled in
some other way because nothing could have prevented their fulfillment. As
Jocasta Says,
“ It is God himself/who can show us what he wills, in his own way”
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We can be almost certain if Oedipus had not relentlessly pursued his
investigation, he might have been spared from the shock of discovery.
“The greatest grieves are those, we cause ourselves?
After Teiresias’s frightening prophecies, Oedipus is discouraged by Jocasta to

continue his investigation. But he pays no heed to her philosophy of living at
random and says,
“ The truth must be made known”
Jocasta makes another effort to stop him when she herself realizes the truth
but again she fails. The Theban shepherd, too, tries to resist Oedipus’
determination to know the truth by saying:
“Yet if I speak the truth, I am worse than dead”.
But, he too was in vain. It is Oedipus insistence on the truth that leads to
discovery in which lies the tragedy. We may interpret this insistence on truth
as a form of pride, the pride in his own intellect.
Conclusion
Thus Oedipus’ Hamartia is this that he failed to realize his own situation and
went on for knowing the whole truth, without realizing that man cannot bear
much truth . However, Oedipus is, an ideal tragic hero in the Aristotelian
sense because the spirit of Oedipus remains unconquered even in his defeat and
that is the essential fact about a tragic hero. He Is introduced to us a man of heroic
proportion in the prologue and again the departs at he close of the play as a man of
heroic stature.
24
THE CHORUS IN “OEDIPUS REX”
Q:6 Write a note on the function of the chorus in Oedipus Rex. (PU-1995)
Ans. Definition of Chorus
Lexically the word chorus means a company of dancers or singers. In the

tragedies of the ancient Greek, the chorus is a group of character who
represent ordinary people in their attitudes to the action which they witness
as by standers, and on which they comment, Before its special use in the
theatre, the chorus had been participants in Greek religious festivals, dancing
and chanting, hence certain poetic terms and forms, such as the strophe and
the ode came to be used with reference to choric conventions.
History of Chorus
The chorus in classical Greek tragedies plays a very significant role. Aristotle
in his “Poetics” traces the origin of tragedy in choric songs and hymns sung in
the prayer of various gods particularly Dionysus. It is chorus that in the due
course of time developed into tragedy and the choric songs gradually
incorporated in them dialogues. Tragedy later on consisted of dialogues and
motions but the role of the chorus was still prominent though this role
diminished as time passed. In Sophocles and Euripides the chorus seems to
have been exploited differently, but it is still, there all the time for the
spectators to see and hear when and if planned by the playwright. In Roman
tragedies the chorus only delivered speeches in between the acts. In
Shakespeare, in some cases, the chorus appears as an actor delivering the
prologue and the epilogue. Aristotle praises Sophocles more for the proper
exploitation of the chorus than he does Euripides. As he says:
25
“ The chorus should be regarded as one of the actors: it should be an
integral part of the whole, and take a share in the action…..That which it has
in Sophocles rather than in Euripides.”
As a matter of fact, in most Greek tragedies chorus does not seem to be an

undersirable interpolation rather it contributes positively to the over-all structure of
the play.
Chorus creates the atmosphere in Oedipus Rex
In “Oedipus Rex” as in other Greek plays, the chorus seems knit in the very
structure. The tragedy beings with the pronouncements of the chorus after
the prologue. The chorus like the opening scene of “ Hamlet” Creates an
atmosphere of the play and certain expectations mingled with an element of
suspense. The structural significance of the chorus can well be imagined from
the fact that various episodes are marked off by choric odes. Each ode
commenting on what has happened, also seems to speculate what is likely to
follow. Even the conclusion of a Greek tragedy is clearly marked off by exode
or the exit song. The chorus thus comments on the various events and stirs
the imagination of the spectators.
Chorus plays the role of an actor
In Greek tragedies, the chorus playing the role of an actor, on certain

occasion, is found talking with the main characters. The chorus even advises
the characters and gives them clues regarding the appropriateness of their
actions and utterances. Sometimes we feel as if the pronouncements of the
chorus comprise nothing but our own view point viz-a-viz event in the
tragedy. At others, it would seems as if the chorus voices the view points of
the dramatist, particularly when we take into account its thought provoking
26
comments on evens and character and also its contribution to creating an
atmosphere.
Chorus in “Oedipus Rex” as a mediator The role played by chorus

in “Oedipus Rex” is no less prominent. The Parodos or the entrance song
delivered by the chorus certainly creates an atmosphere of horror resulting
from the plague that has striken the people of Thebes. The misery of the
people of Thebes has been very graphically and poignantly depicted. The
gods do not seem to respond to their suppliants. The chorus seems to lend a
helping voice to the entreaties of the suffering Thebans. So we see the
chorus contributing its share to the creation of the atmosphere of horror,
and this atmosphere seems to be the need to the play at this stage. In fact
all the odes say things that ought to have been said at various stages of the
play. The role of the chorus in pacifying Oedipus and Creon is particularly
remarkable; It is the role of a moderator. But prior to playing this role, the
chorus sides with Oedipus when he has an argument with Teriesias.
Aristotle’s views
Aristotle acknowledged the importance of the chorus and maintains that it

should be given the status of an actor. But this statement should not be
taken too literally. The chorus does at times talk to the characters in tragedy
and is found to be advising some of them but it never takes a hand in the
action of the play directly rather it influences the action indirectly.
Chorus takes part in actions of the play
In Oedipus Rex, the chorus seems to have a lot to do with the main action. It
is chorus whom Oedipus questions as to who the killer of Laius was. It also
advises the king to sent for Teiresias though the king replies that he done so
27
already. Creon needs the testimony of the chorus having hear that he has
been accused of treason. The reaction of the chorus on this occasion is
balanced and moderating. The role of the chorus, though an indirect one,
when it persuades Jocasta to reconcile, Oedipus and Creon is particularly
remarkable. It is the chorus again that expresses its veiled apprehension,
when Jocasta rushes into the palace having known the truth. The chorus
comments on the prevailing mood and prepares the spectators for the
imminent disaster. Oedipus questions the chorus if it knows the identity of
the Theaben shepherd who handed over a child to Corinthian messenger.
The chorus shrewd enough, once again says:
“Locaste perhaps could tell you something”.
It expresses sympathy with Oedipus when the blinded king enters the stage.
Earlier, it has lamented the terrible fall that has occurred in the position of
Oedipus. In the final song, it seems to under-line the moral of the play by
emphasizing that human happiness is extremely transitory and precarious.
All these instances throw ample light on the influence of the chorus on the
action. This influence takes place in many ways. The contribution of the
chorus to the impact of tragedy on the audience is also great. The chouse,
therefore, is certainly not an undersirable encumbrance. Its presence on the
stage keeps the attention of the spectators riveted to the action even when
there are no actors saying or doing anything on the stage.
Chorus lends structure of the ply
Chorus lends continuity to the main plot. Just as in modern plays, we have
melody, the chorus (Its songs and dances) satisfied this psychological need of
the viewers. In Shakespeare, in the Elizabethan age, the role of the chorus
28
seems to have almost diminished though its remanants can easily be traced
in Shakespear, Marlowe and Johnson. The comic relief that relieves hightend
tention in Shakesopear can easily be equated with choral odes in Greek
tragedies. Comic relief in the porter scene in Macbeth and the Grave. Digger
scene in Hamlet is reminiscent of the chorus because exactly similar function
was performed by the chorus in Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus.
Conclusion
To sum up we can say that the chorus has its significance not only viz-a-viz
structural necessity but also the psychological state of mind of the
spectators. The odes create an emotional background to the action. They
point to the significance of certain facts and also reflect the out-look of the
society. Its function, therefore, is not only to mark off scenes and events but
also to control the emotional reaction of the spectators to events taking
place on the stage. With the passage of time as the interest of the people in
psychology, anthropology and other social sciences increased, more personal
and complex stories began to be adopted for the stage and it diminished the
significance and role of the chorus. Moreover, the techniques of
impressionism and expressionism have made it possible to present reality in
an oblique manner and the need of chorus to dilate on the implication of the
play.
29
THE ROLE OF FATE IN : OEDIPUS REX”
Q:7 What does Sophocles intend to prove and illustrate in Oedipus Rex?
Rationalise with arguments. (PU-1997)
OR
‘Tis not in mortals to avert their doom! Discuss with reference to Sophocles’
Oedipus Rex. (Pu-2000)
OR
Greek drama was part of religious festival
How far can the play Oedipus Rex be described as ‘tragedy of destiny.
Ans. Greek theatre was very different from what we call theatre today. It
was, first of all, part of a religious festival. To attend a performance of one of
these plays was an act of worship, not entertainment or intellectual pastime.
But it is difficult for us to even begin to understand this aspect of the Greek
theatre because the religion in question was very different from modern
religions. The god celebrated by the performances of these plays was
Dionysus, a deity who lived in the wild and was known for his subversive
revelry. The worship of Dionysus was associated with an ecstasy that
bordered on madness. Dionysus, whose cult was that of drunkenness and
sexuality, little resembles modern images of God. A second way in which
Greek theatre was different from modern theatre is in its cultural centrality;
every citizen attended these plays. Greek plays were put on at annual
festivals (at the beginning of spring, the season of Dionysus), often for as
many as 15000 spectators at once. They not only dazzled viewers with their
special effects, singing and dancing as well with their beautiful language, but
30
also imparted morality and acquainted them with eternal truths. At the end
of each year’s festivals, judges would vote to decide which playwright’s play
was the best.
Sophocles as a king of his age
Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides were the three great tragic writers of the
classical Greece who participated in these competitions and among them
Sophocles was the king. It is thought that he won the first prize at the
Athenian festival eighteen times. He is one of those Greek thinkers who
propounded the Hellenic view of life in a most dramatic and significant
manner. According to this profound moral point of view man should remain
in his limits fixed by the gods. Over ambition, pride and rashness are
responsible for one’s downfall. He must show respect to gods, prophets and
social institutions and religious dogmas. Whereas, Aeschylus believes more in
the fatalistic and deterministic tendencies of fate, Sophocles gives new
dimension to the suffering of man by shifting the responsibility to man’s own
character along with the role of fate.
Hamartia is related to fate in Oedipus Rex
Thus in Sophocles this tragic concept becomes more snarled and

complicated. In his play Oedipus Rex fate is closely related to hamartia. This
is most mathematically expressed by an Arabian story of a man who was
warned that his death would occure to him at a certain time and place. He.
therefore, desperately ran believing that in this way he would escape his
fate. But finally he came to the place where death was waiting for him and
he was told that this was the way in which fate spelled his end by his own
efforts. So this points out how the hamartia of the tragic hero helps the
adversity of fate.
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Oedipus Rex’ father is victims of ignorance
In case of Oedipus, his father Laius had the prophecy from the gods that he
would be killed by his own son who would marry his mother. Laius was
blessed with a son but in order to defy the oracle he planed the death of his
child by giving it to a slave to left him on a mountain, exposed to dangers of
all kind. He also drove a rivet into child’s feet so that he might not crawl that
is why, he was given the name of Oedipus which means a person with a
swollen feet. The slave, however, did not kill the child and handed it over to
an other Shephered who took the child to Corinth and presented it to the
childless king of Corinth named Polybus. So Oedipus grew up into a pretty,
handsome and well-built young man looking upon Polybus as his father and
Merope his mother.
Son and father are victims of hubris
Laius’ hamratia was his pride and by defying the authority of the oracle he
showed kingly impetuosity and wrath, believing that thereby he could undo
the decree of gods that had been expressed through the oracle. This
harmartia is made more elaborate in the case of Oedipus who in this respect
is the chip of the same block. Oedipus grew up without any idea that he was
the son of Thebeain king. One day he heard the prediction by the Apollo
about himself that he will kill his father and marry his mother. He became
worried and ran away in the manner of Arabian story. Thinking Polybus his
father and Merope his mother. On the road he met Laius’ royal chariot and
soon a quarrel arouse about the right of the passage. As both the son and
father were irascible Oedipus who was strong and sturdy killed the king.
Then he proceeded to Thebes and answered the riddle of sphinx and
Oedipus as made the king of Thebes. According to the custom the new king
32
was to marry the widowed queen. So Oedipus married his own mother
Jocasta without knowing that he was marrying his own mother and he has
killed his father.
Persistence for truth and ignorance from limitation bring tragedy

This is very powerful example of relationship between hamartia and
circumstances created through the use of free choice. After his rule of 15
years over Thebes, the city is caught up in the hands of pestilence and
famine. There is a prediction by the gods that the city should be cleaned from
a pollution caused by the sin of a man. Oedipus most gracefully announces a
proclamation wherein asking for the killing or banishment of the said person.
It is from here that Sophocle constructs, the plot of the play most
dramatically and ironically. The hamartia of Oedipus grows very powerful
when he accuses Teiresias, the blind prophet for hatching a canspiracy
against him in collaboration with Creaon. It is quite ironical that Oedipus who
is famous for solving the riddles does not understand the clear allusions
made by Teriesias. Nor he understands that human knowledge is extremely
limited and misleading. That was is hamartia when trying to find out the
truth he bears himself equal in knowledge with gods and prophets. He says
proudly.
“Untill I came………I, ignorant Oedipus came……………
And stopped the riddler’s mouth, guessing the truth by mother-wit,

Not bird-lore.”
Uptill then gods were not willing to reveal the truth but then only to
make Oedipus recognize his limitation as a human being, the truth is
revealed and thus Oedipus becomes responsible for hastening his tragic end.
33
Irony and fate
It is through the skillful use of reversal and recognition that Sophocles

portrays the tragic end of Oedipus. Man can solve the riddle of sphinx but
cannot solve the riddle of his own life. Oedipus forces Tereisias in his anger
to utter the truth against his will, Teriesias forbades him from knowing the
reality. The irony becomes more dramatic when Jocasta and Corinthian
messanger in order to console Oedipus add to his mental disturbance. He
refuses to pay and head to Jocasta’s request of not continuing his search and
attributes it to her snobbery and jears at seeking the truth even though it
becomes clear that the result will be extremely unfavorable to him. When he
came to know the secret of his birth, Jocasta commits suicide and Oedipus
takes out his eyes and becomes blind in order to show his past spiritual
blindness. The following speech by Oedipus not only throws light on his
tragedy but it also shows the close relationship between fate and hamartia,
the use of free will which becomes hamartia.
Tragedy is due to fate (but for what happened on the stage Oedipus is
responsible) In conclusion we can say that in spite of the evidence to prove
Oedipus a free agent in most of his action as depicted in the play, we cannot
forget that the most tragic events of his life is murder of his father and his
marriage with his mother had inevitably to happen. Here the responsibility of
the fate cannot be denied. But the discovery by Oedipus of his crimes or sins is
the result of the compulsion of his own nature. The real tragedy lies in this
discovery. Which is due to the traits of his own character. If he had not discovered
the truth, he would have continued to live in a state of blissful ignorance and there
would have been no tragedy, no shock, no self-blinding and no suffering at all. But
the patricide and the incest….these were pre-ordained and for these fate is
responsible.
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Oedipus Rex

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Oedipus Rex As A Tragic Hero

Discuss Oedipus’ final choice and evaluate his character. (PU-1994)

Oedipus is a master creation of Sophocles’ genius who comes upto

When carefully and critically examine the character of Oedipus, it becomes

An other negative feature of Oedipus’ character is that he is

But despite these faults and shortcomings it would be wrong to

In conclusion we can say that Oedipus is an authentic tragic hero in

Irony is a Greek literary device

According to Martin Gray’s Dictionary of literary terms, “irony consist

Structure and irony

“Sightless, witless, Senseless,” mad old man!

“When you suffer none suffer more than I.”

Later events prove that he really suffers more than others.

Statement of Oedipus relates irony

“…….And it is my solemn prayer that the unknown murderer, and his

If such there be, may wear the brand of shame.

For their shameful act, unfriended, to their life’s end.

Nor do I exempt myself from the imprecation.”

Speech of Teiresias shows irony

And he will go tapping the strange earth with his staff:

To the children with whom he lives now he will be

Who bore him, son and husband-the very same

Subsequent events prove true these words of Teiresias. In “Oedipus Rex”. To

Sophocles a dramatist and Oedipus Rex fulfills a good plot

Oedipus Rex as a great Greek tragedy

Lexically, the plot or structure of a play is the logical arrangement of events

Observance of three unities

Beginning, middle and end

Aristotle says that a skillfully constructed play should have a beginning, a

Orderly development of plot

Thus we notice that how emotional excitement of the audience is increased

Surprise and suspense in plot

Feelings of pity and fear in the plot

Device of irony gives colour to the plot

The role of chorus in the plot

Q:4 Do you think Sophocles is able to harmonize censure and

Discuss how Sophocles arouses pity and fear in Oedipus Rex.

Ans. Function of tragedy is to arose pity and fear

According to Aristotle, a tragedy should arouse, in the spectators, the feeling

Pity of reader is evoked

Suffering of poor Thebes

“Thebas is in her extremity

And cannot lift her head from the surge of death

A rust consumes the buds and the fruit of earth

The herds are sick: children die unborn”

“Beyond all telling, the city

Reeks with death in her streets, death brings

Mother at every alter knee!’’

“if only I had died

This weight of monstrous doom

A husband by her husband, children by her child.”

Sufferings of Oedipus’ children

“And I weep for you when I think of the bitterness

That men will visit upon you all you lives

What homes, what festivals can you attend

Without being forced to depart again in tears.”

Fear of Thebans and Oedipus

“Ah, What net has God been weaving for me?”

Who has eyes now: a penniless man, who is rich now

And will go tapping the strange earth with his staff”.

“ O light, may I look on your for the last time!

Damned in the blood he shed with own hands.

The song of the chorus immediately following the discovery arouses

Alas for the seed of men