Oedipus
Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" is a tragic play which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. The story of Oedipus was well known to the athenian's. Oedipus is the embodiement of the perfect Athenian. He is self-confident, intelligent, and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gained the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of Sphinx. Sophocles used the riddle of the sphinx as a metaphor for the 3 phases of Oedipus' life and to futher characterized him as a tragic man. The Sphinx posed the following riddle to all who came to obtain the rule of thebes: "What is it that walks on 4 feet and 2 feet and 3 feet and has only one voice, when it walks on most feet it is the weakest?" Oedipus correctly answered "Man" and became the king of Thebes. This riddle is a metaphor for the life of Oedipus. As a child man crawls on his hands and knees this is the four feet to which the Sphinx refers. Also man is at his weakest as a small child. He depends solely on others for his nourishment and well being. Oedipus was the child
By becoming king of Thebes he marries Jocasta the Queen of thebes and his own mother. Thus even though he had killed his father he would have never become king of Thebes and laid with his mother. Also in answering the riddle Oedipus inevitable brought about his own tragic ending by a horrible discovery. Oedipus then answers the riddle of the sphinx and becomes king of Thebes. of Jocasta and King Laius who was taken to the mountain by a shepard to be killed so the omen of the god apollo that Laius' son would kill him and lay with Jocasta would not come true. He does not give up his search even when Jocasta warns him to stop and let the matter rest. Many years later after bearing children with Jocasta a plague kills many of the inhabitants of Thebes. Also, the god apollo did not predestine that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother by the oracle, he only stated what he knew was inevitable because of who Oedipus was. Oedipus traits which gave him riches and power ultimately led to his tragic ending. He calls the shepard and interrogates him till he discovers the horrifying truth that he is the killer. Oedipus was the weakest of his life at this point. This is a metaphor for Oedipus when he reaches adulthood and leaves Corinth to escape the oracle. If it has not been for the shepard spairing his life and giving him to Polybus to raise as his own Oedipus would have died. The riddle describes the 3 stages which Oedipus went through in his life. Oedipus is told by the gods to find the killer of Laius.
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