The philosopher Aristotle, when defining the tragic hero, used the main character of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Oedipus, as exemplification. According to his definition, Oedipus is everything a tragic hero should be. He is a good person of a high social stature. His flaws and the revelation of the truth bring about his downfall. He does not necessarily deserve his fate. Oedipus is the perfect example of a tragic hero.

Tragic heroes are, as Oedipus is, of a high social stature. Oedipus manages to fall into this category in not just one, but three different ways. His true parents are Laios and Iocaste, the king and queen of Thebes, and thus he is of royal birth. Laios and Iocaste, after having learned from their oracle that their son would grow up to be incestuous and patricidal, attempted to outsmart fate by having young Oedipus put on a mountain to...