Oedipus Rex Essay, Research Paper

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 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. Oedipus was

the weakest of his life at this point. 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.

Man walks on 2 feet when he has matured. This is a metaphor for

Oedipus when he reaches adulthood and leaves Corinth to escape the

oracle. Oedipus meets up with a band of travelers and in a rage kills

them. Inadvertently Oedipus has killed his own father. Oedipus then

answers the riddle of the sphinx and becomes king of Thebes. By

becoming king of Thebes he marries Jocasta the Queen of thebes and his

own mother. Many years later after bearing children with Jocasta a

plague kills many of the inhabitants of Thebes. Oedipus is told by the

gods to find the killer of Laius. He is very dilligent in the inquiriy

and finally comes to the horrible truth that he himself is the

murderer. Jocasta kills herself at the horrible realization that she

has layed with her son and Oedipus puts out his eyes at finally seeing

the truth. This fulfills the final part of the Sphinx’s riddle for

Oedipus will have to walk with a cane for the rest of his life because

of his blindness, this will give him the 3 feet which man walks with

at the end of his years.

Oedipus used his intellect and diligence to answer the riddle of

the Sphinx. Many of the most intelligent young men of thebes has been

killed attempting to answer the riddle but Oedipus proved his

intelligence superior to theirs. Oedipus uses the same intelligence

and perseverence to find the killer of Laius. He does not give up his

search even when Jocasta warns him to stop and let the matter rest. He

calls the shepard and interrogates him till he discovers the

horrifying truth that he is the killer. Oedipus’ intelligence was

ultimately his flaw. Also, if Oedipus had not had been as coarageous

he would have have never ventured to answer the riddle of the Sphinx.

Thus even though he had killed his father he would have never become

king of Thebes and laid with his mother. In addition, if Oedipus had

had the courage but not the intelligence the Spinx would have killed

him for answering the riddle incorrectly. Sophocles used this to

characterized Oedipus as a tragic man for he came about his tragic

discovery not because of an evil act or an evil trait but because of

the person he was. Oedipus traits which gave him riches and power

ultimately led to his tragic ending. 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.

The sphinx’s riddle was used by Sophocles to characterize Oedipus

as a tragic man and as a parallel to his life. The riddle describes

the 3 stages which Oedipus went through in his life. Also in answering

the riddle Oedipus inevitable brought about his own tragic ending by a

horrible discovery.