Oedipus is truly a character defined by tragedy. In Sophocles' story, Oedipus is cursed at birth. Jocasta, his mother, reveals that a prophesy was foretold at his birth indicating that Oedipus would murder his own father, Lauis. Oedipus as a King was very stubborn when it came to these prophesies and would simply not believe that he was the reason for the ills that plagued Thebes. Oedipus' stubborn nature was what Aristotle would call Oedipus' tragic flaw. Indeed, Aristotle believed that tragic figures had these flaws that helped define them. Oedipus was so stubborn that he would blame his own brother-in-law for some of the wretched prophesies that were made concerning Oedipus. He would also refrain from believing them until they began to reveal themselves as truth. Oedipus was a tragic figure not only because of his revealed cursed prophesy at birth but also because of his incestial marriage with his own mother. This action was terribly tragic for Oedipus and highlights just how disturbing and perhaps cursed Oedipus had been. Oedipus also soon found out that he was lied to his entire life and that his true father was indeed Laius, a man who he killed just as the initial prophesy unraveled. Oedipus was a tragic figure from the beginning and had a tragic flaw of stubbornness. I suppose one moral that may be taken from such a story may be that human beings should not deal with the supernatural like these characters did through oracles whom were supposedly channeling Gods.
