The Five Stages of a Tragic Hero and Oedipus' going through them.

The True Tragic Hero In Sophocles' play Oedipus Rex, every reader is riding a roller coaster of his life. Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero is one person who goes through five stages which in Sophocles' play the main character Oedipus does. The five stages that he goes through are pre-eminence, flaw, fall, gaining of insight, and rise. Pre-eminent is one who surpasses all the others or should be looked up to. Oedipus at the …showed first 75 words of 539 total…

…showed last 75 words of 539 total…whom the gods hate"(1257). He has gone from O mighty king to a great wreak without a chance. The final stage is rise however, he only has the potential to rise but the readers are not able to see it in this play. Oedipus says, " You need not fear to touch me. Of all men, I alone can bear this guilt"(1259). He begins to take all of the blame but will it continue or not?