Hamartia: Oedipus' Tragic Flaw

According to Aristotle, the tragic hero is impeded by a distinguishable characteristic or character trait, which leads to his ultimate demise. This trait is known as hamartia, or the "tragic flaw." This characteristic is said to not only lead to the hero's demise but may also enable the reader to sympathize with the character. So it follows that in Oedipus the King, a Greek tragedy, the tragic hero Oedipus should have some sort of flaw. …

…received news he did not like and attempted to change his destiny. Oedipus went to an Oracle, and he too tried to flee his destiny. By running from his fate, Oedipus ends up sealing both his and his parent's destiny. The primary moral that the reader should come away with is to let nature take its course. The odds are, as Oedipus and Laius find out the hard way, fate will prevail anyway. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**