In Poetics, the Greek philosopher Aristotle outlines his definition of tragedy and the tragic hero. The tragic hero must possess certain qualities or traits in Aristotle's view. Among these he must be "of high or noble character," as well as "one who chooses to act nobly" (Brown 3). The tragic hero is not human perfection; however. He is neither completely virtuous nor completely villainous. Instead, Aristotle maintains the best kind of tragic hero exists "between these extremes...a person who is neither perfect in virtue and justice, nor one who falls into misfortune through vice and depravity, but rather, one who succumbs through some miscalculation" (Brown 3). In this way the hero's downfall is tragic because it is based on some miscalculation, often referred to as hamartia or some flaw by Aristotle (Aristotle 1). Finally, the tragic hero's fall is not total loss, as he often learns something profound during the process. Sophocles' Oedipus the King revolves around the discovery of King Oedipus that he has murdered his father and slept with his mother. This tragic discovery makes him recognize he has been blind with stubborn pride. In all of the aspects outlined by Aristotle, Oedipus' character and actions make him an exemplar of the tragic hero.
We see that Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is of high or noble stature. He is the King of Thebes and has greater stature in the region for his heroic feats of war and protection of his people. We are told that Oedipus is viewed as "the greatest in all men's eyes" (Sophocles 12). Known for his courage and integrity, Oedipus is of noble character as well as position. We also see Oedipus meets Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero by being someone who acts nobly. He knows his pursuit of truth may risk his own safety, but he is determined to act responsible as the leader of Thebes and find a way to rid his people of the
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