What Makes Oedipus Rex a Tragedy?

Oedipus the King

He kills his father, sleeps with his mother, and then gouges his eyes out. Does that not seem tragic? But seriously, what is tragedy? Let's recap.

1. We need a tragic hero. That, of course, is Oedipus. He is the hero of Thebes, vanquisher of the Sphinx. He certainly acts like he thinks he's a hero. Near the beginning of the play, we see Oedipus viewing himself as someone who can do no wrong; he knows everything (or at least, thinks he does.)

2. We need the tragic mistake. Clearly, a mistake is made somewhere. Oedipus, learning his prophesied fate, took every action he could to live as far away from his 'parents' as he could. This, unfortunately, was his mistake. As Aristotle so eloquently put it,

"The change to bad fortune which he [the tragic hero] undergoes is not due to any moral defect or flaw, but a mistake of some kind."

Oedipus was not flawed in his reasoning; he truly didn't want to marry his parents. However, because of these actions, because of this mistake, he wound up fulfilling the prophecy: killing his father and sleeping with his mother.

3. We need the tragic fortune, possibly including death. Check, check, and check. No disputing this one. First, Laius dies, albeit unknowingly, by the hands of his own son, the very son who he flung off a cliff as a baby with his ankles tied. Second, Oedipus sleeps with his mother, even raising children with her, causing Jocasta to hang herself. Death, what a shocker in a tragic story. Finally, Oedipus drives pins into his eyes, all documented in the most gruesome manner possible.

Pretty tragic stuff.