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The foundations of Greek tragedy were laid down by the philosopher Aristotle in his famous "Poetics" which discussed the characteristics of a tragic hero. In this composition of philosophy and literary theories, Aristotle's ideas revolve around three crucial effects to audience members. First, the audience must develop an emotional attachment to the tragic hero. Next, the audience must fear what may befall the hero. Finally, once misfortune strikes, the audience pities the suffering hero. Clearly, for Aristotle's theory to succeed, the tragic hero must be a complex and well-constructed character, as is seen in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. Like any tragic hero, Oedipus elicits the three needed responses from the audience far better than most.
Oedipus' nobility and virtue are the first keys to success as a tragic hero. Nobility is a main component of his character, which ensures that the audience has respect for him. The dynamic nature of Oedipus' nobility earns him this respect.......

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Approximate Word Count: 597
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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