Oedipus as the Architect of his Downfall
What is the purpose of an architect? An architect is one that plans or devises. The contriver, designer, or the creator of what is to be. In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, Oedipus in a sense is the architect of his downfall. The extent in which he is the "designer" or "maker" of his downfall is caused not by his actions, but the origin of those actions. What caused those free-willed measures were his own attitude, reasoning and characteristics, driving the choices he makes. Specifically, Oedipus' enormous ego, his attitude towards fate, and his conception of heroic greatness guided his decisions, spiraling Oedipus towards his tragic fall.
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