Oedipus the King as a Greek tragedyThe Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles (496-406 BC), adheres to Aristotle (384-322 BC) definition of tragedy. The first criterion of a Greek tragedy is that the protagonist is a good person; doubly blessed with good heart and noble intention. Sophocles immediately reveals at the beginning of the play that Oedipus is such a man. As is common in Greek tragedy, Oedipus is also an aristocrat. Born to the king and queen of Thebes, he is of true nobility. Oedipus, on the other hand, believes that his parents are the king and queen of Corinth. Oedipus was abandoned as a child and adopted by them. Since this information is known to the audience, and not to Oedipus before the play begins, it is a perfect example of tragic irony because when he declares that he will find the murderer he is the man he chases. Here Tiresias tells him: "I say that you are the murderer you are hunting" (1235). The theme of Oedipus Rex is unclear. The theme of this tragic comedy seems to be that you cannot escape your destiny. Contentment leads to ignorance while Oedipus lends a hand to fate in his bitter end. This trait is hinted at in these lines spoken by Creon. “Look at you, grumpy in giving in, brutal in your anger: you will go too far. It is perfect justice: natures like yours are the hardest on themselves” (Sophocles 1242-1243). Oedipus is a true hero of Greek tragedy. He holds the destiny of the community in his hands and the noble character of taking care of it himself. He announces his belief in taking this problem into his own hands and doing whatever it takes to break the curse. Oedipus addresses the priests gathered before him: “You can trust me; I am ready to help, I will do anything (Sophocles 1225). The town has this faith in him and the priest comes to tell them so he will help them break the curse. “Now please. You cannot equal the gods, your children know it... But we consider you first of men" (1226). He also appears to have Apollo's ear, which makes him seem omnipotent to the audience; this is another standard of classical Greek tragedy. Oedipus said to his people: "After a painful search I found a cure: I acted immediately.