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Strength Equals Downfall Aristotle defined a tragic story as the adventure of a good man who reaches his ultimate downfall because he pushed his greatest quality too far. Sophocles advocates the definition in the tragic play Oedipus Rex. He develops the play with the great polarities of fame and shame, sight and blindness, and ignorance and insight to show Oedipus’ experiences in search for knowledge about his identity. Through his search, Oedipus pushes his quest …

…strength and ultimate downfall. In all his experiences, he went from having fame, sight and ignorance to shame, blindness, and insight. He who had “solved the famous riddle and towered up…no mortal eyes but looked on him with envy(p884, 293)” was swept over by ruin. Oedipus pushed his need for truth and knowledge too far and ultimately lost everything he cherished. Sophocles shows his main character as the perfect hero to a perfect tragedy.