Characterization of Oedipus

David Schnabel 9/5/01 AP English / 4th Oedipus Characterization Essay A tragic hero would not be as tragic were they not to realize the truth or become enlightened in the end. At the end of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus comes to terms with himself and the truth from which he had been avoiding. The things that shape Oedipus throughout the story are what make him this thing we call a tragic character. The way he reacts and changes …

…killed his own father. The transition from high to low, what Aristotle calls ?Peripetia?, the reversal of situation, is now Oedipus? reality. Oedipus is taken from king to beggar and from light to dark. His character is no more the great king of Thebes. "Oedipus, the greatest of men, has fallen," says the Chorus. This fall from king, or Peripetia, is what characterizes The Great Oedipus as one of Sophocles? most tragic and dynamic heroes.