Oedipus Rex

               Oedipus, the King of Thebes, is a very prideful man. After saving Thebes he becomes the ruler and doesn't rule very well. By the time the tragedy starts his kingdom is in horrible condition. He thinks a curse is upon the land, but I think that if he took things into his own hands and actually ruled (because who chooses their king because he defeated a monster? that doesn't mean he can lead a nation.) he would get better results. But then again Oedipus' society heavily believed in the forces of nature like the gods. So it’s odd that when he sends for Tiresias and hears his fragmented prophesy he doesn't want to hear it. A lot of foreshadowing indicates that he's the guy who killed the former king, and I think it is very foolish of him to decree all these curses when he doesn't know who the culprit is. He's practically digging his own grave. And for some reason he knows it's not himself, even though there is a slight chance because he has killed someone before. The hamaratia is that he killed his dad, but also that he proclaimed this grand curse in front of his people. This may be due to his tragic flaw of pride and impulsiveness in my opinion. This definitely has pathos appeal because you kind of sort of like the character, or feel sorry for him, but you know that all these bad things are going to happen to him. Sort of like Romeo and Juliet. The tragedy may have a karthsis moment at the end when Oedipus can finally absolve himself of the crime he committed all those years ago. I don't think I would happy towards the end of the play, the whole thing is about a man who couldn't escape a fate determined by others and doomed to suffer. That in itself, is something dismal.