Oedipus Tyrannos

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“Oedipus Tyrannos”: Responsibility, but Not Guilt
“Oedipus Tyrannos”, the classic Greek Tragedy written by Sophocles, possesses all the ingredients necessary for a good tragedy, including a tragic flaw in the main character. The story of Oedipus is captivating indeed, but it has been debated as to whether or not Oedipus actually has an error in judgment, or is he just a victim of fate who could not avoid the tragic end that the gods had in store for him. Oedipus plays a part in fulfilling the oracle by making certain choices along the way. He is not, however one looks at it, guilty of any wicked or heinous crimes that deserve such harsh punishment by the gods. Aristotle chooses to use Oedipus as an example of the perfect tragedy in his writing Poetics. It has been questioned whether or not Aristotle manipulated Oedipus to fit his mold, or does Oedipus truly meet every demand made for a good tragedy.
Aristotle outlines the requirements of a good tragedy in Poetics. First, the tragedy must be an imitation of life in the form of a serious story. It must be realistic and narrow in its focus. The purpose of a tragedy is to evoke a sense of fear and pity from viewers. Experiencing these emotions will leave a viewer with a feeling of catharsis.

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The word catharsis is Greek for “purging” or ”purification”. The effect is similar to that of a “good cry”.
Aristotle also outlined the requirements for a good tragic hero. He must, first of all, be a great man. He must be superior in some way to the average man. At the same time, he must be able to evoke fear and pity from the viewers. The best way to achieve this, according to Aristotle, is if the hero is imperfect. The hero suffers because of his hamartia. Hamartia is a Greek word that is often translated as “tragic flaw” but actually means “error in judgment.”
The question of the guilt of Oedipus has been much discussed over th...