Fate chose him to kill his father, marry his mother and discover all this in Oedipus the King, the tragedy of Sophocles. Oedipus was so determined to save Thebes from the plague inflicted on them by Apollo. But he didn't know that he was the source of all this. His constant reversal of fortune, neutrality, and suffering make him the perfect example of the classic Greek tragic hero. For a moment, Oedipus overflows with hope; the next, he is sure to be the murderer of his father, King Laius. Every time Oedipus thinks it can't be him, the evidence proves otherwise. His wife, Jocasta, attempts to prove his innocence but "lets part of the terrible secret slip through her allusion to the 'triple crossroads'" (Haigh). In trying to help Oedipus, she makes matters worse by reminding him of his terrible attack on several travelers on this very spot. But then the reversal happens. A messenger arrives with news of the death of King Polybius, which gives Oedipus false hope: “…but [Polybius] is dead and buried, / And here I am – I never touched him…” (Oedipus King II. 3. 919-920). He now thinks that he could not have killed his father, because he assumes that Polybus was his father, when in reality Laius is his real father. Regardless, with yet another reversal of fortune, he reaches the decisive moment where he collapses. When the shepherd who saved him from certain death on Mount Cithaeron many years ago reveals the truth to Oedipus, he can only completely break down: “Ah my God! / It was true! / All the prophecies! (II. 4. 1119). The man who saved him in the first place dissolves all of Oedipus' "hope", as Oedipus finally realizes that even though he tried so hard, he could not avoid accomplish...... middle of paper .. .....Ultimately, Sophocles brings all this reversal, neutrality, and suffering into one character, and it works very well. The end result is a perfect tragic hero that ties the whole story together. Oedipus makes tragedy a great tragedy. From the noble quest to save Thebes from the plague, to discovering the truth about his crime: Oedipus has traveled the entire journey of the typical tragic hero, and it ended with his ultimate downfall. Works Cited “AE Haigh”. Theater Database. January 18, 2007. Costas and Switzer, Ellen. Greek myths: gods, heroes and monsters: their sources, their stories and their meanings. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1998. Sophocles. Oedipus the King. World literature. Writers, Susan Wittig Albert, et al. New York: Holt, Rhinehart and Winston, 2001.