Table of Contents
- 1 What was the riddle that Oedipus had solved before he entered the city?
- 2 How did Oedipus solve the problem?
- 3 What is the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx given by Oedipus when he defeated her before becoming king of Thebes?
- 4 What is the main problem of Oedipus?
- 5 Why Oedipus killed his father?
- 6 What walks on 4 legs in the morning?
- 7 How does Oedipus embody the riddle of the Sphinx?
- 8 What was the riddle that Oedipus had to solve for the Sphinx?
- 9 How did Oedipus get the hand of the Princess?
- 10 What was the opening scene of Oedipus Rex?
What was the riddle that Oedipus had solved before he entered the city?
The riddle is, “Which animal has one voice, but two, three, or four feet being slowest on three?” Oedipus answered correctly with the answer, “Man.”
How did Oedipus solve the problem?
However, after he angrily banishes Kreon from Thebes, his wife Jocasta, who is so distraught over the enmity between her brother and her husband, tries to help Oedipus solve the mystery of the plague by telling him that an oracle told King Laius, her husband, that he would be killed by his own child.
What is Oedipus reward for solving the riddle?
Oedipus solved the riddle, and the Sphinx killed herself. In reward, he received the throne of Thebes and the hand of the widowed queen, his mother, Jocasta. They had four children: Eteocles, Polyneices, Antigone, and Ismene.
What is the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx given by Oedipus when he defeated her before becoming king of Thebes?
The Sphinx devours all those who pass by and cannot answer the riddle: What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs at night? Oedipus gives the correct answer—a human being, who crawls on all fours when young, then walks upright as a youth, then in old age uses a cane.
What is the main problem of Oedipus?
The major conflict of Oedipus at Colonus is between Oedipus and Creon. Creon has been told by the oracle that only Oedipus’s return can bring an end to the civil strife in Thebes—Oedipus’s two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, are at war over the throne. Oedipus, furious at Thebes for exiling him, has no desire to return.
Why is Oedipus who solved the riddle of the Sphinx so slow to solve the riddle of his own identity?
(line 413) Why is Oedipus, the man who solved the riddle of the Sphinx, so slow to solve the riddle of his own identity? Oedipus is a hubristic character, he was able to solve the riddle of the Sphinx out of wanting to be king, but he ignored the facts of his past and present for this would bring shame to his life.
Why Oedipus killed his father?
Oedipus killed his father because Laius tried to run him down with his chariot. The two were approaching a crossroads at the same time.
What walks on 4 legs in the morning?
baby crawling
The answer is a human. 4 legs in the morning is a baby crawling. 2 legs in the afternoon is an older child or adult that walks using its legs. 3 legs in the evening is an elderly person who uses a cane or walking stick to help them walk.
What goes on 4 feet in the morning?
This was the Sphinx’s riddle: What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening? (Answer: a person: A person as a baby in the morning of their life crawls on four feet (hands and knees). As an adult in the noon of their life, they walk on two feet.
How does Oedipus embody the riddle of the Sphinx?
Oedipus, the embodiment of such perfection, and his tragedy are common place to Athenians. Sophocles uses the riddle of the Sphinx as a metaphor for the three phases of Oedipus’ entangled life, the three phases of human life, and to describe how every life-changing action or decision can influence other lives.
What was the riddle that Oedipus had to solve for the Sphinx?
The riddle that the Sphinx posed to Oedipus in Oedipus Rex is this: What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening? The answer to the riddle is “a human being.” Hover for more information. Who are the experts?
Is there a second riddle in the Oedipus story?
Yes and no. In Sophocles’ play, probably the most famous retelling of the story, it certainly is. But some versions of the Oedipus story have a second riddle for him to solve.
How did Oedipus get the hand of the Princess?
Oedipus was promised the hand of the princess should he interpret the riddle correctly. As he was famous for his wisdom, Oedipus found the answer to the riddle with ease, replying: “ Man, who as a baby crawls on four legs, then walks on two legs as an adult and in old age walks with a cane as his third leg…”
What was the opening scene of Oedipus Rex?
In the opening scene of Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles in about 429 BCE, the people of Thebes go to Oedipus, their king, to appeal to him to end the famine and plague afflicting the people of Thebes. A Priest, as spokesperson for the people of Thebes, tells Oedipus about the plague and famine. PRIEST. A blight is on our harvest in the ear,