Hubris in Oedipus Rex

Hubris, defined as “exaggerated pride or self-confidence often resulting in retribution”

(Lewis, 2011, p. 2), is the earmark character trait of King Oedipus of Thebes as well as of Prince Paris of Troy.

Hubris has been discussed by many writers as the reason for their downfall. Without hubris, Prince Oedipus

would probably use calm logical deduction and choose to stay in Corinth in order to keep everybody safe; he is,

after all, as killed and intelligent fighter. Then his foster parents and his biological parents would live. Without

hubris, Prince Paris would listen to the prophecies of his sister, Princess Cassandra, who was also a priestess in

the Temple of Apollo. In those days, seers and divination were taken seriously, even by the royals. He would

have returned Helen to her husband in order to protect his family, his city, and the citizens of Troy. However,

both had so much self-confidence. King Oedipus and Prince Paris were young men who took for granted their

own thinking and problem-solving abilities. Paris relied on the goddess Athena’s prom is that Helen is his prize

and on the invulnerability of walls of Troy against the seafaring Greeks‟ weaponry and might. Why King

Oedipus and Prince Paris did what they had to do and how others probably interacted with them can be inferred

from the following definition of hubris: Hubris is a consequence of an evaluation of success at one’s standards,

rules, and goals…. It is associated with such descriptions as “puffed up.” In extreme cases, it is associated with

grandiosity or with narcissism. In fact, hubristic is defined as to be insolent or contemptuous. Prideful people

have difficulty in their interpersonal relations since their own hubris is likely to interfere with the wishes, needs,

and desires of others, in which case there is likely to be interpersonal conflict.

The three problems associated with the prideful person are

• it is a transient but addictive emotion;

• it is not related to a specific action and, therefore, requires altering patterns of goal- setting or evaluation

around what constitutes success;

• it interferes with interpersonal relationships because of its contemptuous and insolent nature. (Lewis,

ibid.)

Fates, Hubris, and Hamartia in Oedipus Rex and in Helen of Troy: by Jaime Cabrera 5Authors familiar with

ancient Greek agree that Hubris should not be translated as pride but as “the quality of not keeping awareness

of your human limitations: the opposite of sophrosyne (moderation, balance, self-control)which is “moral sanity

and, from there, self-control or moderation guided by true self-knowledge and even chastity” (Anon. [5]. n. d.).
The forces of hubris shaped the story of Oedipus and Paris, both proud men probably because they were male in

a paternalistic society, because they were young with the rashness of youth, and because they were royalty. The

term Hubris has often been used synonymously with pride but the latter is distinct from the former. Pride is the

consequence of a successful evaluation of a specification. The experience is “joy over an action, thought or

feeling well done.” …the focus of pleasure is specific and related to a particular behavior. In pride, the self and

object are separated. Unlike shame and hubris, where subject and object are fused, pride focuses the organism

on its action. The organism is engrossed in the specific action which gives it pride. Because this positive state is

associated with a particular action, individuals have available to themselves the means by which they can

reproduce the state. Notice that, unlike hubris, pride’s specific focus allows for action. (Lewis, ibid)

Action shows Hubris in Oedipus Rex

Action Hubris

(1) He kills a stranger when he felt insulted. YES

(2) He decides to marry the widowed Queen

of Thebes.

YES

(3) He decides to conduct the inquiry in a public

forum.

YES

(4) “There is nothing fear

Though I will be proved slave-born “

(Oedipus Rex P.55)

YES

(5) “Apollo, Apollo, Friend, Apollo

Has laid this agony upon me;

Not by his hand; I did it”

(Oedipus Rex P.62)

YES

(6) Oedipus exiled himself to avoid or escape from

the horrific truth.

YES

(7) when Jocasta committed suicide and was

swinging like a pendulum.

YES

Explanation of Hubris Action shown in Oedipus Rex

(1) He kills a stranger when he felt insulted.

He arrives at a crossroads where one of three roads leading to Thebes. Along with that road comes a churlish,

surly stranger whom he resembles and who is old enough to

be his father. The man presents an insulting, violent challenge

to Oedipus' right of way. Oedipus could have stayed mindful

of the prophecy and avoided killing anyone. He could have

consciously strived to control his temper. He could have

chosen to be polite to an elder person. Instead, Oedipus

responds in kind and kills the man who, later, turns out to

Laius, King of Thebes and his biological father. This is

hubris: this action fulfilled half of the prophecy. If this did

not happen, his tragic end would not have come to pass. This is not hamartia because his goal was to kill the

man,

and he achieved exactly that. He did not “miss the mark.

(2) He decides to marry the widowed Queen of Thebes.

As a reward, the Thebans offer him the vacant throne and the

grieving, newly-widowed queen as his wife. He could have

been mindful of the reason why he left Corinth, and

respectful of the force of divine prophecy. He could have

decided to be humble, respect the age gap between him and

the queen, and ask for another reward instead of the kingship

of Thebes. Instead, he accepted his rewards and married the

royal widow who is old enough to be his mother. This is

hamartia: his goal was to claim a prize by marrying the

queen. He did not aim to commit incest, but that is what happened. This is hubris: he felt entitled to claim his

prize. His decision to do so fulfilled the second half of the prophecy. If he chose not to take this action, his fate

would have been different.

(3) He decides to conduct the inquiry in a public forum.

He did not listen to advice. He rejected logical reasoning and followed his

impulses and passionate sense of justice. He was driven to unearth the

murder and solve the plague. He was self-confident and proud in solving

these two problems before the whole city of Thebes, in the presence of his

people. He could have adopted an attitude of humility or at least more self-control. After all, he was relatively

at peace now, believing that he had

escaped the terrible prophecies. In addition, he was a king and respected by

his people. Finally, he was a husband as well as a father of twin boys and

two daughters. In short, he had a good life and this should have given him a measure of peace and serenity of

mind. However, when Creon suggests that they should discuss the news from the oracle in private, Oedipus

insists on everything all his actions for helping the city must be done in public. In addition, he once again lost

his temper when Teiresias refused to tell him what he wanted to know. As a result, Teiresias lost his own

temper as well and told Oedipus, "You are the murderer you seek." If Oedipus had better control of his temper,

he might have avoided this public revelation or at least learned of the truth in private so that he could examine

other options.

(4) “There is nothing fear

Though I will be proved slave-born “

(Oedipus Rex P.55)

Here he himself is cursing that no matter if I’m

proved to be a slave born either.

(5) Oedipus exiled himself to avoid or escape from the horrific truth

That he would marry his mother and will kill his father.
This was an oracle told by someone. He assumed himself

that they were his biological parents and neither had he

wanted to marry his mother nor he wanted to kill his father.

(6) When Jocasta committed suicide and was swinging like a pendulum.

Finally, when Jocasta committed suicide and was swinging

like a pendulum, he arbitrarily shot his eyes with pins with full

force and lost his eyes forever. Now he could never see

anybody. He nailed out door’s socket and began to beat

himself violently.