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Oedipus: King Of Riddles? - Online Term Papers

Oedipus: King Of Riddles?

In Greek mythology the oracles or gods are rarely wrong in their
predictions of the future. Yet the characters still try to fight the
predictions. Do their personalities and traits decide their future, or does
fate take its course no matter what? Oedipus was a shrewd man furnished
with wit and intellect, yet his lack of insight (the ability to see and
understand clearly the inner nature of himself) and his arrogance led to
his demise, not fate.

Oedipus's aret‚ (an exceptional ability or gift) was unravelling
riddles, and solving any puzzles with ease. He had a surplus of the
aptitude to look outward, but unfortunately he had a deficiency of the
ability to look inward. This talent ...

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King Laius is, even though the riddle is
obvious. Oliver 2 Oedipus has the ability to comprehend the riddles, but
he won't allow himself to accept the truth. When Oedipus saved Thebes from
The Sphinx, he answered this difficult puzzle. The Sphinx demanded, What
creature is it that walks on four feet in the morning, on two at noon, and
on three in the evening? With his eminent mastery of riddles and having an
open mind, Oedipus replied, It is Man. As a child he crawls on four. When
he grows up he walks upright on his two feet, and in old age he leans on a
staff.1 This puzzle is far more complex than Tiresias's rudimentary riddles,
so Oedipus has the ability to solve the riddles but cannot let himself do
so, because of his pomposity. Oedipus is so arrogant that he can't believe
that he could possibly have done anything wrong. He suffered from the sin
of hubris. That is, he was very vain, and conceited. No matter how
straightforward Tiresias's riddles were, Oedipus's pride wouldn't ...

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Oedipus: King Of Riddles?. (2005, December 19). Retrieved January 11, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Oedipus-King-Of-Riddles/38223

"Oedipus: King Of Riddles?." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 19 Dec. 2005. Web. 11 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Oedipus-King-Of-Riddles/38223>

"Oedipus: King Of Riddles?." Essayworld.com. December 19, 2005. Accessed January 11, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Oedipus-King-Of-Riddles/38223.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 12/19/2005 04:59:42 AM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 671
Pages: 3

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