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Sophocles's play, Oedipus Rex is possibly one of the greatest tragedies ever written. It is the story of the downfall of a man. When the play begins, Oedipus is an honored king, respected and admired by his people. By the end of the story the name of Oedipus is a curse. This is due to his hubris: the deadly mixture of rage and pride that, unfortunately, Oedipus has. The Greeks believed that this sin was …

…with his father at the crossroads. If Oedipus were not as impulsive and stubborn, his hubris, he would not have taken such grave action for such a petty misdoing. That is, not yielding the right of way. Oedipus's tragic flaw, was his irrationality in dealing with problems and his pride. If not for this, the conflict of the play and the horror stemming from of it may have been radically lessened, if not completely avoided.