Even though Oedipus is a hero, he should not be admired, because the intentions of his actions are self-centered. This distinction is necessary to help us better understand the difference between being a hero and a hero worthy of admiration. It's important to know that someone's admiration should ultimately stem from the intentions of their actions rather than just the results of their actions, so that we can act accordingly in the future. Oedipus is a hero, as defined by Johnston. According to Johnston, “a hero is someone who confronts fate in a very personal way and whose response to that encounter serves to illuminate our own particular condition” (Johnston, Part 2). Oedipus definitely faces fate in a personal way. Among other things, he defies the mysterious qualities of fate by pursuing the Shepherd despite Jocasta's warnings (Sophocles, 71). Oedipus continues to face fate with his individual approach of perseverance and uncompromising integrity (Johnston, Part 3). Even at the end of his fall, Oedipus maintains that Creon must banish him and that he must obey the curses he himself ordered against the murderer of King Laius (Sophocles, 89-90). Despite being so broken and publicly humiliated, Oedipus still persists with his old way of interacting with fate: noble defiance (Johnston, Part 3). Although this quality in itself is admirable, Oedipus takes intransigence to the extreme, losing sight of everything else. Oedipus becomes ignorant of his surroundings, which leads to his downfall (Johnston, part 3). The story of Oedipus also challenges the fundamental belief that life should be rational and just. (Johnston, Part 3) Her story shows that fate is arbitrarily cruel and sometimes chooses middle of paper...... kind, she did not let this deter her, but rather became the motivation to launch the campaign One million signatures, demanding an end to legal discrimination against women in Iranian law. As a result of her work, Ebadi received death threats against herself and her family and had to seek refuge in Canada as the current regime intensified its prosecution of “political dissidents.” Although Ebadi, like Oedipus, ultimately had to live outside of her community to live entirely on her own terms, she was motivated by her intention to improve the lives of others living in a similar situation to the one she once had known. On the other hand, Oedipus, although concerned for the well-being of Thebes, is certainly more motivated to realize his greatness and self-esteem than to rid Thebes of its worries. The difference in intentions makes Ebadi an admirable hero and Oedipus a simple heroic man..