Hubris

As the Greek play opens, Oedipus portrays himself as the hero and caretaker for the land of Thebes. He rescues the citizens by eliminating the Sphinx and begins to cure the awful plague which spread across the land. Although his actions are commendable, he does not work his miracles alone. The priest tells Oedipus, “this you did in virtue of no knowledge we could give you, in virtue of no teaching; it was God that aided you, men say, and you are held with God’s assistance to have saved our lives” (41-45). God guides Oedipus on his journeys to benefit others, but Oedipus insists he is capable of aiding the public independently.

In many Greek plays, hubris is the culprit for an overall fall. Oedipus falls and becomes a victim to hubris in the first three hundred lines of the play. While solving the murder of the previous king, Laius, Oedipus avoids any assistance from the Gods. “For what you ask me – if you will hear my words, and hearing welcome them and fight the plague, you will find strength and lightening of your load” (231-233). He plans to make the citizens lives easier and less stressful with solely his power, proving his gargantuan amount of pride. In doing this, Oedipus is in a sense abandoning the Gods and disbelieving in their excellent power to provide wisdom and assistance.

In this picture, the man can represent Oedipus who is holding onto his pride tightly averting from the God’s helping hands. This man suffers from the same condition Oedipus has – dreadful hubris.