![]() His symbolic death as a blind man seems to mirror his life of blindly following the paths of fate. Moreover, the mystery of Oedipus’ life can be explained by the fact that he hoped to avoid his future without knowing his past. 445 BC now in the Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany). Oedipus confronts the Sphinx of Thebes (detail of Athenian vase by the ‘Achilles painter’, c. However Creon wishes to consult the Oracle of Delphi again (4), before making any decisions concerning the fate of Oedipus.After his self-mutilation and the death of his wife, Oedipus wants to head for Cithaeron (2), which he chooses as the place of his death and which is where he was meant to die from the beginning.Sent to consult the oracle, Creon returns from Delphi ( 4).The shepherd arrives from Cithaeron ( 2).The servant arrives from the outskirts of the town ( 1).One may risk an assumption that Laius wants to consult the Oracle to find out whether he is fit to have children. It is unlikely that his inquiry is related to the Sphinx, as the monster makes his appearance on the road after this event. King Laius consults the Oracle of Delphi ( 4) We do not know what bothers the king at this point.The shepherd takes the baby to the palace in Corinth ( 3).The servant takes the infant away onto a hilltop ( 2).The events involving these characters are as follows: ![]() Other characters of the play follow this trajectory too, both in the fictional present and the past. The closed curve of the route is fairly unambiguous. Let us consider the route marked by numbers 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 7 – 8, i.e disregarding Daulis (6). He therefore accidentally becomes the ruler of the land, which he should have inherited as the only rightful son of the king. The words that Oedipus utters when addressing his wife echo the protagonist’s tacit awareness that the throne comes with the dowry see vv. ![]() In return for his achievement, he is awarded the hand of the widowed Queen and the throne of Thebes. Oedipus then basks in glory as the slayer of the monster that has plagued the local inhabitants for some time. Along the way, he comes across the monstrous Sphinx (7), which he vanquishes using the strength of his intellect, and returns to Thebes. Instead, Oedipus chooses his way, determined always to keep right. After all, he might as well have taken the highroad to Daulis (6), which would help him stay away from Corinth, as intended. Note that this event marks the last time that the youth can choose his way. Oedipus then takes the road from which the travellers came and heads for Thebes. Oedipus and the Sphinx, Gustave Moreau, 1864 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA). Note that Oedipus kills his oppressors (at 810ff.) with a staff, as he has no sword to hand. Offended and assaulted by the strangers, Oedipus kills all but one of them. At this point, he travels on foot and encounters a group of travellers at the crossroads (5). This problem seems to pale in comparison with the horrific nature of the prophesy. ![]() After hearing the augury, however, Oedipus is no longer concerned with his origins. It should be noted that Apollo says nothing about Oedipus’ past as a changeling. It is the combination of the oracle’s cryptic presupposition, the young age of Oedipus, and the sense of anxiety about his origins that drives the protagonist far away from the place where he fears he may encounter his parents. about two crimes he is fated to commit: he will kill his father and wed his mother. Instead, he is told (in the form of a refined presupposition) This denotes a situation in which the interlocutor provides answers which do not answer the speaker’s question directly but convey hidden messages. Hoping to learn about his origins, he consults the Oracle of Apollo but is left without a direct answer (vv. He then secretly leaves for Delphi (4), across the sea. At (3) he is told about being a changeling. Saved by a well-meaning servant, he is first taken by a shepherd and later by the king of Corinth (3), Polybius. Burdened with a curse, he is left to die on Mount Cithaeron (2). This route charts the places that mark the most important and dramatic events of Oedipus’s life. ![]()
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