t, and they call on Zeus to correct his pride. The hero's conscious choice to pursue and accept his doom makes him a tragic figure. Oedipus single-handedly ruined his own life through his overweening pride. He let his pride as a hero, a loyal King, and a truth seeker stand in the way of a life full of happiness. This turned him into a tragic figure. He is a victim of fate, but not a puppet because he freely sought his doom though warned not to pursue it. Fate may have determined his past actions, but what he did at Thebes he did as a free individual. It was his own choice to kill the men on his way to Delphi, his own choice to seek an answer to heal his people and save himself, and his own choice to learn the truth.Oedipus claimed full responsibility, as any hero would, when the chorus asked, “What superhuman power drove you on?” (l. 1466). “…the hand that struck my eyes was mine, / mine alone – no one else - / I did it all myself!” (ll. 1469 – 1471) was his response.Sophocles ends this tragic story by warning his audience not to take anything for granted or they will suffer like Oedipus, a lesson many should heed. In my own theory about Oedipus the King, I see a righteous man with a good heart and good intentions. However, by seeking justice in the truth, he faces devastation and is destroyed by his own pride. Therefore, it's pity that is felt as a result, because at some level, his fate could be our own. This tragedy reminds us that even the bravest, those known throughout the world for their knowledge, are doomed if they set themselves up against the mystery of life itself, and if they try to force life to answer them, they may very well self-destruct as Oedipus had....
