Oedipus Rex
A detailed Summary of Oedipus Rex
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

Man walks on 2 feet when he has matured. This is a metaphor for
the 3 stages which Oedipus went through in his life. Also in answering
Oedipus used his intellect and diligence to answer the riddle of
he would have have never ventured to answer the riddle of the Sphinx.
murderer. Jocasta kills herself at the horrible realization that she
had the courage but not the intelligence the Spinx would have killed
Some common words found in the essay are:
Thebes Oedipus, Sphinx Sophocles, King Laius, Oedipus King, Inadvertently Oedipus, Jocasta Queen, riddle sphinx, king thebes, answer riddle, riddle oedipus, tragic discovery, answering riddle, tragic discovery oedipus, god apollo, oedipus child, sphinx's riddle, rule thebes, answer riddle sphinx,
Approximate Word count = 786
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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