as a wise and perfect king Tragic Flaw Hamartia A tragic flaw is a character trait that leads to the tragic hero s downfall Oedipus's tragic flaw is Hubris or excessive pride Oedipus is too confident in his intelligence and ability to solve problems Oedipus wants to find and punish the murderer of the former king Laius to save the city from the deadly plague He says I will bring it all to light He does not know that he himself is the murderer The blind prophet Teiresias warns him to stop searching He hints that Oedipus himself is the murderer Instead of listening Oedipus becomes furious His arrogance leads him to blame Teiresias for lying and even plotting with Creon to overthrow him He says You dare say that Can you possibly think you have Some way of going free after such insolence In these lines the king threatens Teiresias This scene shows how his excessive pride pushes him further down the path of his downfall Reversal of Fate Peripeteia Oedipus starts the play as a great king to his people However his investigation to save the city gradually unravels his fate Oedipus learns that he is the abandoned baby by Laius and Jocasta The reversal of fate is complete when Oedipus realizes that he has fulfilled the prophecy to kill his father and marry his mother The truth destroys his life as a king a husband and a father Recognition of Mistakes Anagnorisis One important quality of a tragic hero is that they recognize their mistakes too late Oedipus realizes that his pride and determination to fight his fate have led to his downfall He understands how his actions have caused pain to himself and others He says this before blinding himself O light let me look at you one final time a man who stands revealed as cursed by birth Catharsis Catharsis is the massive suffering of the tragic hero that arouses pity and fear among the audience Oedipus s suffering is heartbreaking His suffering arouses pity and fear among the audience Being crushed by guilt and horror Oedipus blinds himself He says Why should I have eyes when there was nothing sweet for me to see We feel pity for Oedipus because he genuinely wants to do good for his people At the same time we feel fear because his story shows how fate can destroy even the strongest person In conclusion noble birth a tragic flaw hamartia a reversal of fate peripeteia recognition of mistakes anagnorisis and evoking pity and fear catharsis are present in Oedipus He starts as a noble and respected king but his pride and the power of fate lead to his downfall Thus King Oedipus is a perfect tragic hero