Oedipus Trilogy Resources : Primarily Rex and Colonus

seems like the moral we're supposed to take from the story. Is it really a flaw to try to
avoid committing such horrendous acts?
Theory #4: We've got hamartia all wrong
Though hamartia is often defined as a tragic flaw, it actually has a much broader
meaning. It's more accurately translated as an error in judgment or a mistake. You can
still call it hamartia even if the hero makes these mistakes in a state of ignorance. The
hero doesn't necessarily have to be intentionally committing the so-called "sin." Hmm,
does that sound like anybody we know?
The word hamartia comes from the Greek hamartanein, which means "missing the
mark." The hero aims his arrow at the bull's eye, but ends up hitting something
altogether unexpected. Oedipus is the perfect example of this. The target for Oedipus is
finding Laius's murderer in order to save Thebes. He does achieve this, but
unfortunately brings disaster on himself in the process. Oedipus aim's for the bull's eye
but ends up hitting his own eyes instead.
Sure, Oedipus has some flaws. Just like the rest of us, he's far from perfect. There's a
strong argument, though, that ultimately the man is blameless. Some say that all this
talk or tragic flaws was later scholars trying to impress a Christian worldview onto a
pagan literature. The Greeks just didn't have quite the same ideas of sin that later
societies developed.
The reason that Aristotle admired Oedipus the King so much is that the protagonist's
downfall is caused by his own actions. We are moved to fear and pity at the end of the
play not because Oedipus is sinful, but because he's always tried to do the right thing.
The terrible irony is that his desire to do the right thing that brings about his destruction.
When Oedipus gouges out his eyes at the end of the play, he symbolically becomes the
thing he's always been: blind to the unknowable complexity of the universe.
If you want to learn more about Oedipus, check out the next play in this trilogy: Oedipus
at Colonus.
Oedipus Timeline and Summary
Oedipus emerges from his palace at Thebes to see what’s up. He’s aware that
the city is under a curse.