Every being that walks with four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night has inherent weakness that speak of his insufficiency and imperfection; these weakness reflect his need for others, the need for understanding, love and a sense of belonging. For great people, they acknowledge these Achilles' heels, and use them ultimately for their good and that of others around them. The fact is that they may fall by these weaknesses but they have chosen to work on themselves to use such as stepping stones to greater achievements life.
The story of Oedipus is a lesson for all. Indeed, he was an intelligent and noble fellow but he also had his share of miserable paths: his weaknesses. His pride was conspicuous and inimical to his health and his status as king of Thebes. Every society believes strongly in strong intellectual capacity, and they place large emphasis on its input on life. This faith in intellect is challenges in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. In the play, he presents his main character, Oedipus, as a man of intellect and proved to the audience the frail nature of man.
Oedipus rose to rulership of Thebes after solving the riddle of Sphinx, this stride propelled the inherent foolish pride in him. On a number of occasions, he bragged about his intellect and often plays himself above the gods. He believed so much in his ability to save the city, to the extent he could utter statements like: “You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers: come, listen to me-do what the plague demands: you'll find relief and lift your heads from the depths” (Lines 245-247). His shear foolishness was proven by the oath of the murderer, and his place in this whole picture that marred the city he vowed to save from perdition.
His tragic flaw was his "foolish pride in ignorance". And that led to his fall. I feel sorry for his plight, and all the pains he had earlier pronounced on himself. If I were in his shoes, I think knowledge would precede judgment and wisdom before pride.
