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The relevance of the sphinx's riddle in Oedipus the king
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The relevance of the sphinx's riddle in Oedipus the king
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Critical Lens As said by Benjamin Disraeli in Contarini Fleming, “Circumstances are beyond the control of man; but his conduct is in his own power.” Although this quote originates from 1832, centuries before Oedipus the King was published, its logic can still be applied to Sophocles’ play. Disraeli is saying that no one can help the circumstances they are born in, but everyone has the capability to live how they want. At face-value, this may seem true; in the end everyone has the ability to make a decision. Yet, it is their circumstances that drive the choices people make.
Oedipus discovers the body and is in so much grief he uses the golden pins that held Jocasta’s dress and “spears the pupils of his eyes” (93). This unbearable mishap is the last article of the proclamation that Oedipus carries out. Furthermore, in an attempt to keep his children, Creon advises him to “not be the master in everything. What you once won and held did not stay with you all your lifelong” (107). Oedipus was once a man that was not physically blind but in truth he was.
Everyone tries to convince themselves that it is all lies when you receive bad news about anything that you don’t believe in. In the play Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 BC, Oedipus is in denial about who killed the previous king, Laius. The town has asked Oedipus to save them from the disease that has spread killing all the life in town by finding the person who killed Lauis. Oedipus tells the people he will find the culprit and do whatever he needs to do to punish them. When he is given the truth, he is unwilling to accept the truth.
With the realization of his demise, Oedipus tries to protect himself from punishment and shame by gouging out his own eyes and exiling himself out to die in the place destiny prevented him from dying originally. After many years of luxurious living, Oedipus’s predestined fate tears his life apart and returns him to the place he should have died as an infant, the mountain. Through the use of, departure, initiation, and return, Sophocles displays the journey of Oedipus. Not only is Oedipus the King evidence of the use of the hero’s journey throughout many famous plays, movies, and books across all cultures and time periods, but it also seen as a perfect tragedy, in which the audience experiences both pity and fear for the main
(Sophocles 6). After Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx, he was crowned king, and the city was joyful. Certainly, Oedipus was proud of his new position and his wife, Jocasta. Life could not possibly become better, so he enjoyed it, without wasting time searching for the truth. He was not even aware about his ignorance to the truth.
Oedipus ended up killing the charioteer and his father, thus fulfilling the first half of the prophecy. On the path to Thebes, he came across the Sphinx, a head of a human and the body of a
While traveling, he clashes with a stranger, in a fit of rage, he kills the stranger and all but one who accompanied him. After this, Oedipus realizes he has come to a three-way crossroad. Sophocles tries to make it clear to the reader
Not knowing who the men were he killed both the charioteer and his father thus fulfilling the first half of his prophecy. He continues on his way to Thebe when he was stopped by a Sphinx that told him to answer it’s riddle or die. So he asked the Sphinx for the riddle and the Sphinx replied with “Who crawls on all fours as a baby; he walks on two legs as an adult; and needs a walking stick when old.”. Oedipus had to think long and hard about his answer for his life depended on it, and finally he gave his answer to the beast Oedipus answer was “Man, who crawls on all fours as a baby; he walks on two legs as an adult; and needs a walking stick when old.”. Oedipus gave the correct answer and after that the Sphinx fell over and killed itself.
The theme of knowledge is one that is seen throughout Oedipus Rex, The Bacchae, and Thyestes. These Greek plays use epistemology as a sounding board for each protagonist in their own way. In Greek mythology Apollo and Dionysus are both sons of Zeus. Apollo is the god of many things including light and knowledge, he appeals to purity and logic. Dionysus is the god of intoxication and madness, he appeals to instinct and emotion.
Throughout the tragedy of Oedipus the King, Oedipus displays his imperfectly noble being for all to see. While Oedipus had saved the Thebans from the Sphinx’s riddle, Oedipus’s nobel pride and anger lead to his destruction as he attempted to find Laios’s murderer. In his mistreatment of Teiresias, and his false allegations towards Creon being a usurper, Oedipus shows his imperfectly noble character as he foolishly attempts to fight fate and the gods will. Oedipus and his imperfectly noble nature appear again and again as he attempts to solve the murder of the previous King.
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.
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.
Oedipus solved the riddle of the sphinx which ultimately saved the Kingdom of Thebes from the plague. This made Oedipus a respected ruler that was well liked in Thebes. His time as ruler eventually came to an unexpected end. Although Oedipus could not control his fate, his confidence in himself, determination and stubbornness to find out who killed Laius led to his downfall. Throughout the play Oedipus struggles with not being able to solve this murder.
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.
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.
