Oedipus is a man who is famous for his ability and his success at riddle-solving; however, in Oedipus Rex it is the riddle of his own past and fate that eventually destroys him in the eyes of his people. Oedipus is at first regarded as a hero, even though his character, filled with weakness, actually makes him anything but. Moreover, it is only when public adoration is taken away from Oedipus that he begins to behave nobly; it is only at the end of the play that Oedipus can become a hero, contrary to his shattered public image. Oedipus is no hero at the beginning of the story; however, by the end of the play he becomes one.

At the beginning of the play, though he is regarded as a hero in the eyes of his people, Oedipus is not a hero because he lacks the fundamental qualities...