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Oedipus Rex Question 10
The answer to the Sphinx’s riddle is indeed Oedipus himself. After Oedipus solved the riddle of the sphinx, the sphinx destroyed itself, but the riddle was still not fullyanswered because Oedipus was actually solving the riddle that described his life as we see on Page 1312. In the beginning of the story, Oedipus is an infant; he is unaware of what he has done andhe has much to learn. He is the son of Laios waiting to take his throne. Even at the beginning of his reign, he is unaware that he killed his own father. He had no idea that Laios has tried toeliminate Oedipus and prevent the oracle from coming true. Oedipus had been walking on four legs near the beginning of his life—he did not know that his reign as a king was fulfilling theprophecy. No matter how hard he tried to avoid his fate, he continuously collided with it. Near the middle and the heart of the story, Oedipus stands strong as a king with Iokaste as his wife. He is theking of Thebes and he is at the strongest point of his loyal life. People view him as Oedipus, the great king, the Tyrant. But his falls as a true tragic hero is beginning. Oedipus is informedthat he is not the son of Polybus, but son of Laios. Oedipus begins to realize that he had killed Laios and had fulfilled the prophesy that he had tried so hard to prevent. This horrible fate isshown on line 965. The news spreads to Oedipus that he has fulfilled the oracle by sleeping with his mother and killing his father. Oedipus is so ashamed of himself that he gashes his eyes outshortly after his wife kills herself as seen in lines 1217-1220. For now, it is evening, Oedipus walks on three legs. He is blind and needs assistance to walk. He is injured and wounded and uses a“cane” to walk. He has committed the worst sin of all. So, what walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon and three legs at night? It is not just man, but truly Oedipus himself.