What are the human limitations in 'Oedipus Rex'?

Answer 1

That he is valiant under fire, straightforward in speech, results-oriented in actions, conscientious in his responsibilities and committed to his people are Oedipus' strengths in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Oedipus shows courage under fire against the monstrous Sphinx. He speaks in a way that is understandable to all. He likes to see actions linked with results. He is committed to carrying out his responsibilities, no matter how convoluted or uncomfortable, and to protecting Thebes and Thebans.

Answer 2

Weak characters may put off doing what's right. Or they may lack proper judgment. Or they may hesitate about what to do or change their minds back and forth. Theban King Oedipus shows himself to be weak in having put off the search for and punishment of the murderers of his royal predecessor and father, Theban King Laius.

Answer 3

Oedipus suffers from some specific weaknesses. These weaknesses are physical, mental, and emotional in nature. For example, his physical weakness is indicated in his very name. The name 'Oedipus' refers to lame or swollen feet. The play gives no specific information. But damage to the Achilles' tendon, such as the infant Oedipus suffers from a rod driven through both ankles, leaves the foot swollen and the gait markedly changed.

The weaknesses in Oedipus' personality center on his short temper. For example, that short temper flares up most tragically at a crossroads where three paths meet. A stranger challenges Oedipus' right-of-way and becomes violent. Oedipus becomes so angry that he kills the stranger and three out of the stranger's four traveling companions. As it turns out, that stranger is Theban King Laius, who is Oedipus' father and sovereign.

Another weakness is Oedipus' recklessness. He doesn't seem to think things through carefully. For example, he announces that Laius' killer[s] will be punished with execution or exile. He allows no room for accident, mitigating factors, or self defense. This pronouncement is quite typical of Oedipus. He makes blanket statements without a thought to the complete picture or to the impact on himself or others.

Still another weakness is his autocratic personality. He seems to want to have the last word on everything. He's supposed to be sharing royal powers with his wife and mother, Theban Queen Jocasta; and with his brother-in-law and uncle, Theban King Creon. But he behaves as though he rules alone and supremely. For example, Creon prefers to share, inside the palace, what he learns from Apollo's shrine. Oedipus insists upon Creon sharing in front of everyone outside the palace. It's Oedipus' way, or no way.

Yet another weakness is within Oedipus' mental makeup. He comes off as obsessive/compulsive. For example, he knows that he needs to go through a cleansing for killing four people. But he's fixated on getting as far away from Corinth as possible. He just doesn't consider the pollution with which he fills himself and his environment by not undergoing purification. In the way of another example, he knows that Thebans must resolve the disappearance of their sovereign and the perils of the Sphinx. He frees Thebes of the Sphinx. But then he conveniently forgets the problem of the missing sovereign. Instead, he becomes fixated upon his own reputation as the savior of Thebes, and his own happiness as husband to Thebes' grieving royal widow. And yet it's his responsibility to avenge the death of his royal predecessor.

Oedipus' tragic flaw is that he shows the propensity towards rash behavior and is overly confident in himself

Answer 4

King Oedipus is plagued with a myriad of frailties that will eventually lead to his downfall. They include an enormous pride and thirst for power. His relentless nature also led to him uncovering things that he would rather not have known about.

Answer 5

Oedipus possesses a pride that borders on arrogance. His pride is what takes him to Delphi to find the truth about his birth. His pride will not allow him to yield to the stranger on the road, ending in the fight where the stranger is killed. His pride leads him to think that he can lift the plague by finding the killer of the previous king, and his pride forces him to punish himself when he discoverers the truth, all because his pride led him to believe that he could escape his Fate, instead forcing him to live it.

Answer 6

Bravery, compassion and practicality versus emotionalism and pride are Oedipus' strengths and weaknesses in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Oedipus demonstrates bravery against the Sphinx. He exhibits compassion in his interactions with his people and with his daughters, the sister Princesses Antigone and Ismene. He expresses practicality in organizing the murder investigation. But he manifests emotionalism and pride in his violent interactions with Creon, Teiresias and the Theban and Corinthian shepherds.

Answer 7

Self-knowledge dependent upon information from others is the human limitation in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, all mortals depend upon others from information about their early years. They know only so much about themselves on their own. For example, Theban King Oedipus takes it for granted that Corinthian monarchs Polybus and Merope are his biological parents and that he is completely Corinthian born and bred. The truth ultimately will be found to be otherwise when it is too late to undo the personal and professional impact of a lifetime of a mistaken self-image and self-deceit.

Answer 8

Oedipus has a few weeknesses. They are: - his pride at the begining - he jumps to conclusions and is very rash in his descisions - scared of his fate!

Answer 9

Hubris, too quick to judge, absent loyalty