Oedipus is rather impressive as a leader. He wants to take everything on himself. When it’s suggested he send for a prophet, he’s already done it, for example. Ironically, he doesn’t follow through with how all this applies to him, how he really is responsible for it all. Notice how he uses the personal pronoun “I. ” (I Oedipus, whose name is known afar” ) He seems full of himself, but there’s a blind spot in the middle of all this pomposity.
I think one of the main reasons Oedipus is so arrogant, is because he olved the riddle of the sphinx; “What is it that walks on four legs, then on two legs, and then on three? ” The answer is “Man. ” The child creeps about on four legs, the adult walks on two, and the aged walk with a cane. What could make his ego bigger than solving a riddle nobody else could? Hubris: This is the Greek word for arrogance from pride or passion — a human being not knowing his or her place as a normal human being. Oedipus has to be reminded that he is not a god- but first among men (this would still inflate his confidence, though)
Oedipus thinks he has it all, and thinks no one is able to stop him. I believe this sort of arrogance can contribute to the downfall of anyone, how often do we see the most popular people in society “getting it” in the end? Oedipus is so overconfident he ignores the warning Teresias gives him about his past. He even pushes Teresias so far over the edge that he blurts out the prophecy.
Even after this, Oedipus still thinks he is lying and claims that Creon, whom Oedipus believes is after his crown, has set him p. Creon then states that he loves his life, because he has a royal position, but no responsibility of being king. Jocasta intervenes here, and stops the two from fighting. Jocasta herself is just as arrogant as Oedipus, and she shows this when she says “A fig for divination” meaning that the art of divination is worth no more than a fig. Jocasta believes that the gods are powerless, and reassures Oedipus that he has nothing to worry about. Jocasta contradicts herself later when she pleads to the gods for help.
It takes Oedipus a fair amount of time to work out that he is the one who killed king Lauis. Jocasta works this out before him and commits suicide. If Oedipus was really as smart as he claimed to be, he should of either left the truth unknown or worked out what had happened quicker. In conclusion I would like to say that Oedipus’s arrogance and hubris was his downfall in this Greek tragedy, and that maybe if Oedipus had not been so arrogant and prideful this may not of occurred and it could of saved him a lot of pain and suffering.
