ipl-logo

The Sphinx In Oedipus The King

372 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Greek mythology and greek culture

In the beginning of the tale, Oedipus conquered the Sphinx and liberated the people of

Thebes by solving the riddle that resulted in her death (45-50). Oedipus is well-known for

solving riddles in order to grasp an understanding of his life (138-141) due to uncertainty and

mystery of his past. This relates to the mysterious Sphinx throughout the entire story as he

deciphers the questionable history of his birth, his marriage, and the death of his biological

father.

Oedipus is called upon to once again rescue the suffering citizens of Thebes to resolve the

ongoing famine and plague. It was affecting the city immensely, killing so many people that

there were not enough alive and well to properly bury the dead bodies (184-185).
Show More
Related
954 Words | 4 Pages

Sphinx of Hatshepsut First association with the Egyptian culture for me is related to Sphinx. That’s why first what caught my eyes was Sphinx of Hatshepsut. No, of course, it is not that massive Great Sphinx in Giza, Egypt but his history is also interesting. This item is a sphynx of Pharaoh Hatshepsut with a human head and lion’s body.

Read More
522 Words | 3 Pages

It also caused a long term effect of illness which had claimed 200,000 lives over the next few

Read More
540 Words | 3 Pages

To begin with, In “loves vocabulary” Diane Ackeman uses figurative language to describe her ideas (on love) such as the bad side of love , and the power of love. The bad side of love is a paradox and also personification because the way Diane Ackeman uses the bad side of love is to prove a contradictory statement , an emotion of how love feels. Power of love ( a figurative language) she also uses is a metaphor because, she’s making love sound a certain way but it’s also not literal it’s just an way of explaining love in her meaning.

Read More
697 Words | 3 Pages

He and his family all remained happy in their ignorance of the truth until the plague struck Thebes. The people infer that the God Apollo is punishing the people for not finding the murderer of Laius. Oedipus, as the great ruler he may be, promises to discover the killer and dispel the plague. People try to tell him that it would be better if the past was left alone. But the king was not reluctant and continued.

Read More
614 Words | 3 Pages

From the beginning Oedipus was destined to fulfill a terrible prophecy, but through particular events that follow the steps of the Hero’s Journey, Oedipus becomes a powerful king of Thebes, only to be destroyed by the prophecy that should have ended his life as a child. The Hero’s Journey typically leads to self-confidence and power, however; the Hero’s Journey of Oedipus leads to his tragic demise. The Hero’s Journey lays out the steps of Oedipus’s future actions, which create suspense, fear, pity, and other emotions that captivates the audience. Similar to many famous stories, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., follows the Hero’s Journey path, which is evident in Oedipus’s departure, initiation, and return.

Read More
409 Words | 2 Pages

They ask him to be again the hero he once was when he saved Thebes from the Sphinx, however, in the end, Oedipus finds that he is the cause of this plague set upon his people. Frye’s quote “tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape” justifies the Theban’s acts of looking at Oedipus as the solution to end the plague. Oedipus is the definition of a tragic hero; he saved the city of Thebes, became king, sought to save the city again, but discovered that he was the cause of the city’s suffering and also his

Read More
1055 Words | 5 Pages

Yet that riddle was not for the first-comer to read; it needed the skill of a seer. And none such had you! Neither found by the help of the birds, nor straight from any God. No, I came; I silenced her, I the ignorant Oedipus” (239-244). Oedipus tells him that the murderer could not be him, because it was him that helped Thebes when they most needed him.

Read More
686 Words | 3 Pages

Oedipus the King is a tragedy that was written by Sophocles that emphasizes the irony of an irony of a man who was determined to trace down, expose and punish an assassin who in turn became him. Oedipus the King is also known as Oedipus Rex or Oedipus Tyrannus. The art is an Athenian play that was performed in ages approximated to be 429 BC. Oedipus the King would later in the play fulfill the prophecy that he would kill his father and later on marry his mother. There is a twist of an event in the play where Oedipus is looking for the murderer of his father to bring to a halt the series of plagues that are befalling Thebes but only to find he is in search of himself (Rado, 1956).

Read More
479 Words | 2 Pages

In the beginning Oedipus know very little, he came from corinth to thebes like a stranger he doesn't know the mess he is in and the mess about to occur. Other people know, and hide the truth from oedipus. Oedipus has killed his father, saved thebes from the sphinx and its riddle, and become king. The citizens believe that solving the Sphinx’s riddle makes Oedipus wise.

Read More
760 Words | 4 Pages

In Ancient Greek mythology, fate is the focal point of many plays and is significant in establishing the catharsis that Greek tragedies provide for the audience. The playwrights use the catharsis to allude to the general theme that people cannot escape their fate, and using symbolism is an effective way to emphasize the theme. Sophocles, the Ancient Greek playwright of Oedipus Rex, uses the symbolism of blindness to develop the play’s theme and teach the audience a lesson about fate. Sophocles uses blindness to symbolize to ability to see truth and accept fate.

Read More
825 Words | 4 Pages

Briefly following, Oedipus goes on to explain his perspective of Thebes saying, ‘"for what the light of the day has spared that darkness of night destroys”’ (Sophocles 198). Oedipus knows that the darkness that the city encounters and figures that he could help save it. After defeating the Sphinx and 15 years as being the King, Oedipus faces his first conflict; what man is responsible for the death of Laius? The immense pressure that the King of Thebes faces daily, Oedipus is frantic and reluctant to figure out the murderous man.

Read More
1159 Words | 5 Pages

Introduction The story of Oedipus the king is gloomy, yet captivating. Going from a child bond around the feet and abandon by the mountainside, to marrying his mother, his story is intriguing. In search of the truth about the prophecy and putting an end to a plague Oedipus, search for king Laius’s killer, did somethings inadvertently, making him a tragic hero. His search for truth in the death of Laius the king, as well as his birth led to the ultimate destruction and downfall of his life.

Read More
700 Words | 3 Pages

Oedipus, King of Thebes, has sight but is blind to truth. Since he is born Oedipus was living in the lie. He never knew who were his real parents and what was the real story hidden behind his entire life until it was reavealed to him. Oedipus was born to be a king. Being a king in a certain way helped him discover the truth about his life.

Read More
1874 Words | 8 Pages

Oedipus The King by Sophocles Theme of Blindness Sophocles was a prolific writer and his long life enabled him to have a prodigious literary output. There is always a deep philosophic content at the back of Sophocles’ plays. Men suffer in the tragedies of Sophocles, characterisation always charged with emotion and poetry guesstimates the growth and development of his dramatic genius. One of the main underlying themes in Oedipus Rex is blindness.

Read More
1284 Words | 6 Pages

Oedipus is defined as Latinized form of the Greek Οιδιπους (Oidipous), meaning "swollen foot" from (oideo) "to swell" and πους (pous) "foot". In Greek legend Oedipus was the son of Laius and Jocasta. He unwittingly slew his father and married his mother. Oedipus was a great king but the Sphinx riddle was a perfect analogy of Oedipus’s life and this is evident through the plot events. Firstly there is three parts of the sphinx riddle, and the first part of the riddle was “What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning…” this riddle was first mentioned in the story when Oedipus wanted to pass through the gates of Thebsis but was stopped by the sphinx.

Read More

More about The Sphinx In Oedipus The King

Related Topics

Open Document