Friday, 5 August 2011

Describe how the hamartia in Oedipus makes him the tragic hero in Sophocle' drama.

I think
that the question brings out many different issues that need to be distilled in a distinct
manner.  In examining the definition of "hamartia," the understanding is that it
refers to a "fatal mistake" or some type of calculation taken by thethat proves to be
disastrous.  As per the definition, it "is rooted in the notion of missing the
mark(hamartanein) and covers a broad spectrum that includes accident andmistake,as well as
wrongdoing, error, or sin."  Hamartia, by itself, does not make a tragic hero.  I think
that the hamartia has to work in conjunction with the hero's tragic flaw that ends up being the
undoing of the protagonist.  In the case of , the hamartia was not knowing about his own
parenting lineage, causing him to kill his own father and sleep with his mother.  The hamartia
is not knowing about his background, while his pride ("") is his tragic flaw.  Both
hamartia and hubris are similar and verfy close to one another.  But, I think that the hamartia
is the genuine unknowing about his own condition and the hubris is the failure to heed to the
counsel that tries to bring it to his awareness in the form dismissiveness that Oedipus directs
at the oracle, , or advice from .  In the end, I think that the convergence of both concepts
help to form the tragically heroic condition of Oedipus in ' work.

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