3 SOURCES/ MORE QUOTES

Imperfectly noble- HereIammyself/youallknowme,theworld

knowsmyfame:/IamOedipus(79).

It is extremism that seals Oedipuss fate as an

imperfectly noble character. His determination, irrational
temper and extreme pride lead to his inevitable downfall. In a
period when man believed the gods had total control over everything,
Oedipus was confident that he could outwit the gods and change his
fate;
By trying to avoid his own fate, Oedipus ironically runs right
into it.
Pride causes him to be blinded by the truth.
HIS ACTIONS:
Oedipus, determined to change his own fate, flees his
hometown of Corinth after hearing a terrible prophecy from the Oracle
of Delphi, that he would kill his father and marry his mother. After
feeling his home he commits a murder, that seals his fate. Oedipus

actsimpulsivelyonhistemperandoftendoesnotthinkthingsthrough
fully,forexample,whileontheroadfromCorinth,hesconfrontedby
agroupofmenatacrossroads.Oedipusactscarelesslyonhisanger
andmurderersallbutonemaninthegroup.Oneofthemenhekilled
turnsouttobehisbirthfather,Laius,KingofThebes.Thus,fulfilling
thefirstpartofhisprophecyandallowingtherestofittofallrightin
place.
WhenOedipusreachesThebeshesavesthecityfromthe
monstroussphinx,becomingtheKingofThebes.Heisworshipedand
referredtoasOedipus,Greatestinallmenseyes().Thisvictoryisa
hugeegoboostforOedipusandhewillmakesurethepeopleof
Thebesdontforgethisdefeat.Pridefloodshismindandhequickly
forgetsaboutthemenhemurdered.Hereferenceshisdefeatofthe
sphinxmultipletimes,toremindthepeopleofhisgreatnessand
power.

A plague threatens the city of Thebes. AsKing,Oedipus shows

compassion for his suffering people. He speaks to them confidently as
he reassures them that he himself will solve the murder of Lauis and
save everyone of Thebes

Oedipussisoverconfidentinhisabilitytosolveproblems.Heseeshimself
asgodlikeandbelieveshe,alonecanfixeverything. He is convinced that
finding Laiuss murderer will end the plague, thats destroying Thebes.

Withoutthought,hecarelesslythrowsoutharshpunishmentsforthe
murdererofLaius,punishedwithexecutionorexile.Hedoesnotallowany
roomforanexplanationofLaiusmurder.(QUOTES FROM TEXT
SOUNDING LIKE GOOD RULER)Whathedoesntknowisthatheisthe

causeoftheproblem.Heissoextremeinhisrullingandhisselfpride
thathewouldneveroncethinkthatmaybeheistheonewhokilledthe
kingandmarriedhiswife.

OedipuscallsforTeiresias,ablindprophetandservantofApollo.DuringOedipuss
meetingwithTeiresiasweareabletoseehowquicklyOedipusdemeanorchangeswhen
dedoesnotgetwhathewants.HegreetsTeiresias,praisinghimandaskingforhishelp,
Mylordinyoualonewefindachampion,inyoualoneonethatcanrescueus.(1571)
Teiresiasisreluctanttotellthetruth,hewarnsOedipusofthetruth,Letmegohome.It
willbeeasiestforusbothtobearourseveraldestiniestotheendifyoufollowmy
advice(1572).OedipusisangeredwithTeiresiasresistance.Oedipuscallshimavillain
andthreatenshim,Doyouimagineyoucanalwaystalklikethis,andlivetolaughatit
hereafter?(1573).OedipusgoesontomockTeiresiasblindness,youareblindinmind
andearsaswellasinyoureyesyourlifeisonelongnight(1573).Oedipusisvery
disrespectfultowardsTeirasiasandtellshimheisaliar.Blindedbyhisownpride,
Oedipusdoesnotbelieveawordteirasiashasjusttoldhim.insteadbelieveshimand
Creonareplottingagainsthim.HeaccusesCreonofbeingatraitorandwantstokill
him.

Hesitantly,TeiresiaswarnsOedipusthatheshouldnotmockhimsoquickly;hetellsthe
kingthatheisblind,foreshadowingOedipussphysicalblindness
Sinceyouhavetauntedmewithbeingblind,hereismywordforyou.You
haveyoureyesbutseenotwhereyouareinsin,norwhereyoulive,nor
whomyoulivewith.Doyouknowwhoyourparentsare?Unknowingyou
areanenemytokithandkinindeather,beneaththeearth,andinthislife.
Adeadlyfooted,doublestrikingcurse,fromfatherandmotherboth,shall
driveyouforthoutofthislandwithdarknessonyoureyes,thatnowhave
suchstraightvisionwhenyoushalllearnthesecretofyourmarriage
miseryshallgrindnomanasitwillyou(1575)

Significantly,TeiresiasisalsothefirstcharacterintheplaytoquestionOedipuss
assumptionthatheknowshisparentageandtotellhimthathehascommittedatrocities
thathedoesnotyetknowarehisown.HetellsOedipusthathewillbecomeblindand
poor,thatOedipusishimselfLaiussmurderer,andthathewilllearnthathehas
fatheredchildrenwithhismother.

http://go.galegroup.com.db18.linccweb.org/ps/retrieve.do?
sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&
userGroupName=lincclin_owcc&tabID=T003&searchId=R1&resultListTy
pe=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=AdvancedSearchFor
m&currentPosition=1&contentSet=GALE
%7CCX2692600020&&docId=GALE|CX2692600020&docType=GALE

Oedipuss extreme determination to find the truth..

DETERMINATION:: forces the ones (jocasta, tierases and the sheppard)
around him to reveals the unwanted truth.

JOCASTA:
Oedipusshastoomuchprideandisoverconfidetinhisownactionsthat
hedoesnotlistentoJocastawhenshebegsOedipustoendhissearchfor
thetruth.IbegyoudonothuntthisoutIbegyou,ifyouhaveanycare
foryourownlife.WhatIamsufferingisenough()Oedipusistooselfishto
considerhowthetruthmayeffectanyonebuthimself,Breakoutwhat
will!Iatleastshallbewillingtoseemyancestry.Theherdsmanalsotries
toprotectOedipusfromthetruth,begginghim,Omaster,pleaseIbeg
you,master,pleasedontaskmemore.Oedipusthreatenswith,Youarea
deadmanifIaskyouagain.TheHeardsmancontinueswiththetruth,that
OedipusindeedwasthesonofLaiusandJocasta,ishismother.

Oedipusshowshisweeknessattheend,overwhelmedwithshamehe
runsoffandstabshiseyesout.Blindinghimselfofhisownpollution,he
cannotfacehisownpeoplethathehasplagued,hehastomuchprideto
facethepeopleandlookthemintheeyes,toconfessitwashimwho
murderedtheirking,insteadhegoesoutinblindness.Hewasalwaysblind
butnotheknowsthetruefeelingofuncontrolledblindness.

"You, you'll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I
caused! Too long you looked on the ones you never should
have seen, blind to the ones you longed to see, to
know! Blind from this hour on! Blind in the darknessblind!"

He is noble for seeking out the truth and punishing himself

accordingly. He feels incredibly stupid and guilty that he has been so
blinded from the truth when it was staring him square in the face the
whole time.
Oedipuss strengths become his weaknesses, making him the tragic
hero of the story. It was Sophlacles goal to prove that man cannot
change the gods proclaimed prophecy. Oedipus thought he was
saving him self from his horrible fate, but he was blindly living in it. His
noble characteristics were so extreme that it created blindness of the
truth.