Last night I ask myself what is the tragic flaw in the form of Oedipus..No matter how far I let my mind wander, it always return to what I stated in the previous post - what's tragic for Oedipus was the fact that he realized his dark path way too late to prevent anymore damage. And for person as noble as he was, as invincible as he was, as worshipped as he was, the calamity was too much for him to endure.
But out tutor pointed out that Oedipus's tragic flaws are not what was bestowed upon him but rather his weaknesses. His profuse anger, compulsive judgements, absolute headstrong, are listed as such flaws. In a complete different perspective, one can easily consider Oedipus was trying too hard to become the saviour of Thebes. His raging curiousity to find out everything and insisting to know details of the past eventually lead him to the discovery of his own horror.
Perhaps those are really his tragic flaws. But to think of it that way, no one is flawless. Rage Impulsive Stubborn Compassion - all of us display those in various situations. But the problems with us humans, we strive to be perfect. We expect such perfection in both ourselves and other people, subsequently leading us to judge and discriminate here and there. We blame others for our own insecurities and fears. Oedipus might lead a sad tragical life, but he was not the only one...
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Hi Atie, I am Norbahira Bt Mohamad Nor (139790) and I want to comment on your blog about the tragic flaw of Oedipus. I am deeply interested when you state that “His raging curiousity to find out everything and insisting to know details of the past eventually lead him to the discovery of his own horror”- this line I believe refers to the curious nature of Oedipus that brings him more harm than good. It is true what they say, curiousity kills the cat.
In the case of Oedipus, it is inevitable for him to be curious when it comes to solving the mystery of Laios’s murder, as finding the murderer would ultimately cure Thebes from the plague. Little did he know, in his quest to find the murderer of the former king, he actually finds out the truth about his own existence.
Personally, I think it is quite unfair for Oedipus to suffer such an outcome since his intention was good in the first place, that is to save the fellow Thebans from the plague. However, too bad for him, his good intention to protect his citizens turns out to be the doom for himself.
I also agree when you said that as humans, we strive to be perfect. But then again, nobody is perfect, nobody will be perfect. We are all blessed with strengths and weaknesses and it is up to us to cherish those unique qualities that make us different from each other- individuality, that what makes us who we are. It is undeniable that sometimes we make the mistake of judging others and putting the blame on somebody. Nonetheless, in the story of poor Oedipus, I do not even know who is there to blame. Don’t you think so?
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