The Tragic Man- Oedipus

1. A Belief in His Own Freedom-
This fits Oedipus very specifically because its about having to make choices based on dilemmas and obviously Oedipus has a lot of dilemmas in his life. Even though his fate was inevitable once they realized the prophacy has become true (to be killed or banished) he could have fought it, but he basically said "take my life I don't deserve to see anything good every again". That is a choice he made based on the fate he was destined to live.
2. A Supreme Pride-
In the beginning of the story this is very true because they speak of him as more than human, he seems to have godlike powers because he saved them from the Shinx. "But we do rate you first of men, both in the common crises of our lives and face-to-face encounters with the Gods" (161). When he saved them he did something that they were all loosing hope in, making him seem more than any of them, more than human.
3. Capacity for Suffering-
Again this is true because his actions inevitability destroy him. He is suffering more than anybody else in these plays because something didn't happen to him, he did it to himself which is much worse. He can't blame his fate on anybody else because the things that destroyed him (killing his father and marrying his mother) he did by himself.
4. A Sense of Commitment-
I think this comes true the moment he kills his father because his fate has been set in motion. Up to that point he had some sense of hope that he could have a better life than the one laid out for him but the second he killed that "strainger" at the crossroads, his fate was set in motion. The worst part was he didn't even know it was happening. I think he if he knew then he would've either ended his life instantly or spent the rest of his life hiding.
5. Vigorous Protest-
Oedipus shows this when he stabs out his eyes with his mother's broach. He is fighting his fate by refusing to face it. He is so ashamed of what he has done that he doesn't ever want to see anything ever again. I think this is him lashing out to the Gods because he is afraid. Afraid of himself and everything else around him because now that he has faced reality he doesn't believe anything can seem good and happy ever again and if it did, he doesn't deserve to see it.
6.Transfiguration-
I think his soft spot in all of this is his children and what they are have to go through because of him. He is starting to accept that this is who he is now and he cannot change it. When he tried to fight his fate it didn't help anything, if anything it just prolonged it. Also he changed from the beginning to the end and he doesn't fight the punishment. Even though he did horrible things in his life he ends with a good decision to take his punishment no matter how gruesome it may be.
7. Impact-
In the story I think it impacts the entire city, after all they did lose both their King and Queen to a tragic fate. Also Creon has to go through loosing his sister. But I think the biggest impact is on two daughters. "Such disgrace, and you must bare it all! Who will marry you then? Not a man on earth. Your doom is clear: you'll wither away to nothing, single, without a child" (248). Oedipus is saying in this speech that his girls must face a life of rejection and bitterness all because of their father/brothers fate. When you read this story it hits straight to the heart I think because it is about family. I believe family is something close to everyones hearts so this is a very emotional story. Even though we can't exactly relate to it the best, it still has a very big impact.