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A tragic hero is essentially a character in a story that evokes emotion from the reader; specifically pity and fear. Also commonly found, tragic heroes are characters in high places that fall from grace due to a personal flaw; and, regardless of consequences, the character takes responsibility for their actions, thus solving the conflict through self-sacrifice. By these standards, the title character of Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King” is the epitome of the archetypal tragic hero. …

…keeping to his initial promise. This is Oedipus taking responsibility for his mistake through self sacrifice. This fall from power is due to a mistake caused by his one personal flaw: his pride. These are other characteristic featured in Oedipus that make him a model of a tragic hero. In conclusion, Oedipus Rex, through his role in “Oedipus the King,” fulfills all characteristics that would make him the epitome of archetypal tragic heroes in literature.