Tragic Man - Oedipus

A Belief of His Own Freedom:
In King Oedipus, Oedipus is told that the Thebes is going to continue to die if the murderer of Laius stays in the country. Oedipus makes a quick decision and says that they must be banished. He has the courage to accept what happens when he finds out the murderer is him. He believes that the Gods do not control his life. He doesn't believe in fate and thinks that whenever he makes a choice it is with his own free will. He knows that the outcome of his choices might have a negative effect but he knows that his choices are ones that he made not the Gods.
A Supreme Pride(Hubris):
Oedipus shows arrogance when he solves the riddle of the sphinx. He knows that he is the best one of the town because he is the only one who was able to solve the riddle. He becomes king because of his actions. When he finds out that he is the killer of Laius he doesn't believe the blind prophet. He says the man is lying and wants to overthrow his throne. Oedipus believes that he has a power equal to the Gods. He makes decisions like a God would and in the end of the book he tells Creon that the Gods will not make any decisions for him.
Capacity for Suffering:
Oedipus shows a great deal of suffering in the story. He believes that what he is doing is the right thing so when it turns against him he is willing to suffer like anyone else would. Not only is he guilty, he feels ashamed of what he has done and is going to pay for his actions and make sure he suffers the most by piecing his eyes. He has the strength to leave his foster parents even when they have loved him his whole life. He wants them to be safe and wants to overcome the prophecy. He overcomes the road blocks in his life. He has the strength to punish himself even when he is the king and could easily take "king privileges" but instead he faces the consequences. He knows that all people end up dying and he is able to live with the fact that he might die at anytime. He is willing to kill himself to save his country. He questions the accuracy of the Gods and if they are really truthful and know what they are talking about.
A Sense of Commitment:
As soon as he told the townspeople what the consequences were for the person who had killed Laius he stays with them. Even when he is the king and could easily take the consequences away and stay king he punishes himself to a degree that nobody else would have been punished. He is the king, he can stop any action before it happens to anyone but he chooses to let his actions follow their chosen direction. In ways that makes him stubborn because he will not back down even when he knows he could.
Vigorous Protest:
When Oedipus finds out he is guilty of the crime he refuses to believe that he is guilty. He calls the blind prophet a fool and dares him to say it again. He is angered that someone would blame him for something so big. He thinks Creon is trying to overthrow him. At first he tries to reason and say it can't be true. He doesn't accept his fate meekly, he punishes himself and lets the country know that he has made a mistake. He calls everyone a lair and says that it is the Gods fault. He calls out against all the people that put him in this situation.
Transfiguration:
Oedipus is who he is because he has suffered so much in his life. At the end of the story he becomes a human being equal to all of the others. He has no more power than the person standing next to him. He has made mistakes(killing his father and marring his mother) just like any one else would and he faced the consequences(banishment) like anyone else would. He agonizes over what he has done and banishes himself. The reader feels very sorry for him because he experiences all of the human emotions that we feel.Oedipus is not forgotten; his story lives on forever.
Impact:
An author wants their story to have an impact on the reader, they hope that the story can help the reader have a better understanding of the human condition. Oedipus commits these crimes although he doesn't know he is doing them. It makes the reader and the characters think and you wonder if it is really a crime. It makes you see that our actions and decisions aren't always completely right or completely wrong. There is a gray area in the middle. In order to truly understand the decisions or actions that someone makes, you also have to understand all the factors, much like putting pieces of a puzzle together. It is that understanding that gives us compassion for the human condition.