"Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles

Oedipus has copious positive personality traits that serve him well throughout his life: intelligence, bravery, curiosity, and a desire for knowledge. However, Oedipus's desire for knowledge turned into a tragic flaw when it pushed him past his limits.

Oedipus was always very intelligent and constantly thirsted for more and more knowledge. This lead Oedipus through the domination of the Sphinx and onto leading a town as a King. However, his desire for knowledge eventually became too much for him to handle as he acquired too much knowledge on some difficult topics. Oedipus soon learned the horrors of his life as he had murdered his father and married his mother. This crushing blow of terrible news sent Oedipus into a state of absolute horror, leading to the event of blinding himself.

 

But when did this positive personality trait of a desire for knowledge become a tragic flaw? Oedipus's desire for knowledge usually came from a place inside of him that truly thirsted for knowledge for the sake of knowledge. However, his desire for knowledge suffered a shift from "for the good of intelligence," to his own personal gain. He suddenly wanted to know everything about himself and his past. That was the point when his positive personality trait became a tragic flaw. It changed from the good of knowledge to the good of himself, and that selfish aspect became the driving force behind the flaw in it. It encompassed every aspect of his being and pushed his desire for knowledge away from its previous positive notion, to a negative flaw in his personality.