The Five Stages of a Tragic Hero and Oedipus' going through them.

The True Tragic Hero In Sophocles' play Oedipus Rex, every reader is riding a roller coaster of his life. Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero is one person who goes through five stages which in Sophocles' play the main character Oedipus does. The five stages that he goes through are pre-eminence, flaw, fall, gaining of insight, and rise. Pre-eminent is one who surpasses all the others or should be looked up to. Oedipus at the …

…whom the gods hate"(1257). He has gone from O mighty king to a great wreak without a chance. The final stage is rise however, he only has the potential to rise but the readers are not able to see it in this play. Oedipus says, " You need not fear to touch me. Of all men, I alone can bear this guilt"(1259). He begins to take all of the blame but will it continue or not?