oedipus rex

The great poet and philosopher Aristotle was a highly intellectual man who loved to reason. One of his ideas was his structured analysis of the quintessential “tragic hero” of Greek drama. In his work Poetics he defines a tragic hero as “...The man who on the one hand is not pre-eminent in virtue and justice, and yet on the other hand does not fall into misfortune through vice or depravity, but falls because of some …

…and mother, Jocasta, hangs herself due to the events of the plot. This certainly is an unhappy ending that brings mourning to the audience of Oedipus the King. The scene with Oedipus giving a final farewell to his children, Antigone and Ismene, hits home with every observer. Overall, Aristotle’s definition of a “tragic hero” is clearly shown by the actions and emotions portrayed by Oedipus in the epitome of Greek tragedies, Oedipus the King.