Oedipus as an Example of a "High-minded Man" in Sophocles’ Play

In the modern world, theater serves as a way for people to escape their daily lives, but it is much more than that. Both today and in Ancient Greece these performances helped teach people lessons and learn about historical events. Although in today’s society, it does not play as big of a role as it did in Ancient Greece, it is an influential art that helps express many issues and problems in society. In Greek life, theater played a large role, and from that was a form of drama known as tragedy. Tragedy focused on many themes such as love, loss, hubris, abuse of power, and the orchestrated relationships between gods and men. In these tragedies, the protagonist often inadvertently makes a poor decision, and, as he learns of the error he made the world begins to collapse around him. The character Oedipus, in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, is a great example of Aristotle’s “High-Minded Man”, Oedipus may not have the trait of remaining calm in petty situations, but he knows how to correctly talk to people of all classes and has a need for truth despite the consequences.In the work Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is not a high-minded man due to his lack of self-control when angered. Aristotle states: “The high-minded man is not quick to run into petty dangers”. This means that a high-minded man will not willingly go into danger unless it was for a good reason. He will evaluate the threat and figure out if it is worth his time to act before he will place himself in a position to fight. Also that a high-minded man would have enough self-control to stop himself before a situation gets out of hand. In Oedipus Rex, Tiresias states, “I say that you are the murderer whom you seek'. This was said during an argument between Tiresias and Oedipus, Tiresias states he will not reveal the information about Laius’s death. Oedipus eventually forces him to tell the information, which

In the modern world, theater serves as a way for people to escape their daily lives, but it is much more than that. Both today and in Ancient Greece these performances helped teach people lessons and learn about historical events. Although in today’s society, it does not play as big of a role as it did in Ancient Greece, it is an influential art that helps express many issues and problems in society. In Greek life, theater played a large role, and from that was a form of drama known as tragedy. Tragedy focused on many themes such as love, loss, hubris, abuse of power, and the orchestrated relationships between gods and men. In these tragedies, the protagonist often inadvertently makes a poor decision, and, as he learns of the error he made the world begins to collapse around him. The character Oedipus, in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, is a great example of Aristotle’s “High-Minded Man”, Oedipus may not have the trait of remaining calm in petty situations, but he knows how to correctly talk to people of all classes and has a need for truth despite the consequences.

In the work Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is not a high-minded man due to his lack of self-control when angered. Aristotle states: “The high-minded man is not quick to run into petty dangers,” (Witt 160). This means that a high-minded man will not willingly go into danger unless it was for a good reason. He will evaluate the threat and figure out if it is worth his time to act before he will place himself in a position to fight. Also that a high-minded man would have enough self-control to stop himself before a situation gets out of hand. In Oedipus Rex, Tiresias states, “I say that you are the murderer whom you seek”. This was said during an argument between Tiresias and Oedipus, Tiresias states he will not reveal the information about Laius’s death. Oedipus eventually forces him to tell the information, which in turn reveals that Oedipus was the one who killed the king. Further into the work, Iokaste reveals the details of the killing, which involved men running Oedipus off the road. The king was not killed in an act of honor, saying that when Oedipus killed the king it was purely due to rage and lack of self-control. This action is not characteristic of a high-minded man since he engaged in petty danger without a good reason which resulted in the murder of another man.

Although Oedipus may not have all the qualities of a high-minded man, Oedipus has the ability to be kind to lower classes. “It is characteristic of the high-minded man, … to be lofty in his behaviour to those who are high in station and favoured by fortune, but affable to those of the middle ranks; for it is a difficult thing and a dignified thing to assert it over the latter,” (Witt 160). A high-minded man must be able to treat people correctly depending on their class. This also refers to how they must be very careful how they treat the lower class since they do not want to be perceived poorly by the public. Sophocles states: “Children, I would not have you speak through messengers, and therefore I have come myself to hear you,” (Witt 110). In this scene, Oedipus talks directly to the crowds about how he is here to help and that he wanted to speak directly to them. Oedipus is trying to connect with all crowds and people, this is characteristic of a high-minded man since he is trying to be kind and mindful of the lower classes. Oedipus also wants it to be known that he respects and cares for people of lower classes.

Another quality that Oedipus has that is associated with a high-minded man is his concern for the truth over all things. “He must care about the truth more than for what men will think of him'. A high-minded man should always want to know the truth and should not be worried about the outcomes or the effects the truth may have. Sophocles writes, “In God’s name, we all beg you … What! You do know something, and will not tell us? You would betray us all and wreck the state?”. Tiresias refuses to give Oedipus information, this causes Oedipus to become very frustrated and angry since he feels that the deprivation of this information affects the city. This shows that Oedipus is in search of the truth and only the truth. In this scene, it is also ironic because Oedipus asks for the very information that will incriminate him and result in his exile from the town. In this Oedipus is forcing the truth out of Tiresias for the benefit of the town, even though this information will negatively affect him. The relationship between the character Oedipus and the high-minded man is that they both have a need for the truth and they are not worried if the truth will harm them or how others look at them. They are both willing to risk everything, while in the pursuit of the truth and are unaffected by the possible outcomes.

The character Oedipus in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, may not have the trait of self-control when angered, but he knows how to correctly communicate with people of all classes and has a need for the truth despite the consequences, thus, making Oedipus a great example of Aristotle’s “High-Minded Man”. The story of Oedipus Rex has many underlying messages that relate to today’s society when combined with Aristotle’s work “The High-Minded Man”. Oedipus Rex shows how people must be focused on the truth, especially in today’s society since there are lawyers, politicians, and advertisements which often stretch the truth. In today’s society, for people to get the full truth, they must work to find it. An example of this is in elections, during elections often there are false advertisements or claims against nominees. This often causes people to vote differently since they feel they have been deceived by this person or organization; voters value honesty and do not want to be tricked. This all relates to Oedipus being a high-minded man since it shows that since he was in search of the truth, he was trying to correct that flaw that many people today have. Oedipus does not have all the traits of a high-minded man, but he contains the need for the truth, and the ability to speak to people of other classes, thus making him a high-minded man.