When we look in the mirror, do we see what other people see or do we delude ourselves into believing what we see is the truth? A man has many defining characteristics, some are positive and others are negative. At times, a potentially positive characteristic may cause his eventual downfall. This concept can be directly related to the story of Oedipus Rex, King of Thebes in King Oedipus, The Theban Plays by Sophocles. Born from myth, Sophocles' Oedipus figures a tragic hero who is unintentionally the architect of his own downfall. A victim of fate vilified by all, prophesied to kill his father and marry his mother. Mighty King Oedipus must face the demons of his past as he uncovers the truth behind the murder of King Laius in order to save Thebes. He is notable for his compassion, his sense of justice, his swiftness of thought and action, and for his candor. Although, as the mystery unravels and the truth is revealed, a darker more dangerous side of Oedipus can be seen. Throughout the entire play Oedipus goes through a massive story arc, as he transforms from a heroic king into a tyrant in denial into a condemned man, humbled by his tragic fate. He is a very complex character with many layers in his personality. These "layers" cause him to be unpredictable and because of his unpredictable actions the plot is kept lively and entertaining for the audience. Due to the complexity of his personality, Oedipus shows many character traits through the duration of the play. Although, it is his determination to avenge Laius, his many foolish and rash decisions, and his excessive pride that stand out the most in his character and led to his eventual downfall. The determination of the character Oedipus can be seen many times throughout the play. An example of this in the beginning of the play when Oedipus is speaking with the priest about the problems the people face in Thebes. During this conversation the reader truly sees Oedipus' determination and desire to be a good king. First, Oedipus personally comes to speak with the priest although, he chooses to come himself showing his strong-mindedness on being a good king to his people. This is also prominent during his conversation with Creon, where Oedipus insists upon allowing all his subjects to hear the oracle's words, despite Creon's suggestion that Oedipus should hear the news in private. When Creon retells the story of Laius' murder, Oedipus is shocked and dismayed that the murder investigation of a king was so hastily dropped. Instead Oedipus hatches a plan to find the killer, he states that he would avenge the king, as if Laius were his own father. This statement is very powerful as we see the amount of determination Oedipus possess, since he did not even know Laius and yet he compares him to his father whom Oedipus held in high regard. This trait is again seen when Oedipus asks the killer of Laius or anyone connected to the murder of Laius to come forward. At first Oedipus says “if any man’s conscience is guilty, let him give himself up/ He will suffer the less/ His fate will be nothing worse than banishment,” (31) However, when no one steps forward Oedipus raises the stakes and says “No matter who he may be, he is forbidden/ Shelter or intercourse with any manExpelled from every house, unclean, accursed,” (32) This shows how determined he is to avenge the death of Laius, as he is willing to go to high stakes to find the murderer. Even going as far as offering a r