The Riddle of Doom 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 embodiment 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 …showed first 75 words of 937 total…

…showed last 75 words of 937 total…actually predestine that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother, 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 inevitably brought about his own tragic ending threw a horrible discovery.