It is Oedipus Rex's hubris, or
excessive pride that leads to nemesis, as well as his
ogre, or anger, which is the cause of his reluctant realization of
the truth. In fact, the name Oedipus signifies "I think/know" and
"swollen feet"; Oedipus finally discovers himself once he conquers this
hubris as he realizes that the feet upon which he stands are the
very feet of the murderer.
On the other hand, the
reluctance of Oedipus to accept the truth of Tiresis also points to his wisdom and
honorable search for what is really true as he keeps his vow to the people of Thebes, as
well as his great character. For, in the first scene, the priest tells Oedipus, "You
are not one of the immortal gods, we know" but he possesses the intellectual prowess to
ameliorate Thebes's grave situation. Thus, it is significantly part of the tragic irony
of this play that Oedipus seeks so hard to determine the cause of the plague when this
cause is within himself.
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