Odeipus’ Downfall Essay, Research Paper

In the play Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, Oedipus’ self-destruction and fall from power leaves him as the villain and not the hero in this play. The very thing he fights so hard to discover, is what leads to his self-destruction. Oedipus is the only one to blame for this destruction, even though he tries to place the blame on others. Oedipus’ real traits are shown in his downfall, his haste, his anger and his truthfulness are his greatest enemies.

The story portrays Oedipus’ lack of patients. Oedipus wants to put an end to all this commotion as soon as he can. He threatens to kill anyone with holding information about the murder of Laios. Tiresias is playing games with Oedipus by trying his patients with what he knows. Tiresias shows this when he says, “None of you knows and I will never reveal my dreadful secrets, not to say your own”. We can tell how upset and impatient Oedipus is getting when he says, “What? You know and you won’t tell? You’re bent on betraying us, destroying Thebes?” If Oedipus would have been patient with Tiresias he might not have been so upset about what he was told.

Oedipus’ anger is another trait that does not help him. He gets angry with Tiresias when he will not tell Oedipus what he knows. We can also see Oedipus’ anger when he insults Tiresias by saying to him, “old man. You’ve lost your power, stone-blind, stone-deaf-senses, eyes blind as stone!”

As Oedipus’ anger comes out he begins to show the people his true self and it slowly leads to his downfall.

Throughout the entire story we see the trait that is Oedipus’ greatest enemy, his own truthfulness. Oedipus gives every issue an honest look. When evidence is found that Oedipus was involved in this whole ordeal he accepts it when he states, “I think that I

myself may be accurst by my own ignorant edict”. He does not hide any evidence that will lead him to his fall and loss of kingship. This is the trait that brings him to his downfall. Oedipus could have denied all the evidence and gotten rid of Tiresias and no one would have known that he was the one who killed his father and married his mother. But Oedipus’ truthfulness led to his decline of power.

Oedipus’ fall is brought on by himself. He is the one most intent on finding out who killed Laios. And when it turns out to be himself we see that he does indeed cause his own self-destruction.