资源描述：
《oedipus tragic hero》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在行业资料-天天文库。
1、OedipustragicheroAccordingtotheancientGreeksandAristotletheheroisapersonwhopossessessuperiorqualitiesofmindandbody,andwhoproveshissuperioritybydoinggreatdeedsofvalor,strength,orintellect.InSophocles’OedipusRexthemaincharacterOedipuspossessesthesecharacteristicso
2、fatruehero,whichinturnleadtohisself-destruction.InthebeginningoftheplayOedipus’sgreatintellectismadeknownbythechoruswhoseehimassomeonewhohasprovenhiswisdom,someonewhohassingle-handedlysavedThebesinyearspresentfromtheSphinx,andsomeonewhoisadoredbyhispeople.Hedisp
3、layshisgreatintellectwhenthepriestdeclares:YoufreedusfromtheSphinx;youcametoThebesandcutusloosefromthebloodytributewehadpaidthatharsh,brutalsinger.Wetaughtyounothing,noskill,noextraknowledge,stillyoutriumphed.Agodwaswithyou,sotheysay,andwebelieveit-youliftedupou
4、rlives(Sophocles1226).AnothersignofOedipus’sintellectualachievementishisself-blinding.Thoughhemaynotseetheworldwithhiseyes,hecannowseehistrueself,andwhathewas.TomepersonallyOedipusisakindofsymbolofthehumanintelligencewhichcannotrestuntilithassolvedalltheriddles,
5、eventhelastriddle,theriddleofhisownlife.Thehero,beingblessedwithsuperiorqualitiesofmindandbody,lovedtoengageinbattle,preferablywithanotherhero,sincecombatgavehimthebestchancetodemonstratehisWilkins2physicalstrength.D.BrendanNagle,authorofTheAncientWorld:ASociala
6、ndCulturalHistory,contendsthattheherowasalwaysbelligerentbecauseheregardedcombatas,“theultimatetestofhumanvalor,strength,andability”(91).Oedipus’sphysicalstrengthopensthedoorofopportunitytobeking.ThisphysicalstrengthwhichOedipuspossessesandmisuseshoweverwillmark
7、thebeginningofhisdownfall.However,OedipuswouldbeaheroforhisdefeatoftheSphinx,andhisinwardstrength,notforhisskillsincombat.Butsurely,Oedipusisagreatman,notinvirtueofgreatworldlyposition,butasanillusion,whichwillvanishlikeadream.Oedipusisgreatbecauseofthevirtueofh
8、isinnerstrength,strengthtopursuethetruthatwhateverpersonalcost,andstrengthtoacceptandendureitwhenfound.“Thishorrorismine,”hecries,“andnonebutIisstrongenoughtobearit”(
