Oedipus Rex

"Look ye, countrymen and Thebans, this is Oedipus the great,
he who knew the Sphinx's riddle and was mightiest in our state.
Who of all our townsmen gazed not on his fame with envious eyes?
Now, in what a sea of troubles sunk and overwhelmed he lies!
Therefore wait to see life's ending ere thou count one mortal blest;
Wait till free from pain and sorrow he has gained his final rest."

-Sophocles, Oedipus Rex

This quote pretty much sums up this tragedy. Oedipus was the revered king of a dying city, Thebes. He sent men to the Oracle at Delphi to determine why the city was going through such hard times, and it was found out that it was because they had allowed their last king's murder go un-avenged. This play is the story of discovering who that murderer is. Through a perplexing series of conversations with his wife, the shepherd who saved his life, and a messenger from Corinth, the city Oedipus grew up in, Oedipus learns that it was really him who killed Laius and married his wife. This is not nearly as disturbing as the realization which follows it, which is the revelation that Laius was actually his father, and Jocasta, his wife, is actually his mother. After Oedipus realizes this, Jocasta is already dead, having killed herself when she realized who Oedipus is. Oedipus takes the brooches from Jocasta's shoulders and stabs his eyes out, because he cannot bear to see the world anymore.

The interesting part about this play for me was that even after Oedipus had fallen from his high place and was humiliated for all to see, he still tried to order people to do what he wanted, just as if he was king. This shows that even though Oedipus had been humbled, he was still noble inside, which I think is an attribute of a true tragic hero. He kept his authority, even though nobody really had any reason to follow him, and they said that to him. But in the end everyone obeyed him.