The Relevance of the Riddle of the Sphinx in Oedipus Rex Essay

Oedipus gained the rule of Thebes by answeringthe riddle of The Sphinx. Sophocles used the riddle of The Sphinx as ametaphor for the 3 phases of Oedipus' life and to further characterized him asa tragic hero. The Sphinx posed the following riddle to all who came toobtain the rule over Thebes "What is it that walks on 4 feet and 2 feet and 3feet 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. Thisriddle is a metaphor for the life of Oedipus. As a child he crawls on his handsand knees this is the first stage of Oedipus' life to which the Sphinx refers.Also man is at his weakest as a small child. He depends solely on others forhis nourishment and well being. Oedipus was the child of Jocasta and KingLaius who was taken to the mountain by a shepherd to be killed so the omenof the god Apollo that Laius' son would kill him and lay with Jocasta wouldnot come true. Oedipus was at the weakest point in his life. If it has not beenfor the shepherd sparing his life and giving him to Polybus to raise as his ownOedipus would have be killed. Man walks on 2 feet shows the next stage ofhis life, when he has matured. This is a metaphor for Oedipus when hereaches adulthood and leaves Corinth to escape the oracle. Oedipus meetsup with a band of travelers and in a rage kills them. Inadvertently Oedipushas killed his own father. Oedipus then answers the riddle of The Sphinx andbecomes king of Thebes. By becoming king of Thebes he marries Jocasta theQueen of Thebes and his own mother. Many years later after bearing childrenwith Jocasta a plague kills many of the inhabitants of Thebes. Oedipus is toldby the gods to find the killer of Laius. He is very diligent in the inquiry andfinally comes to the...

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