Epistemology and the Legend of the Sphinx in Oedipus Rex Research Paper

Epistemology and the Legend of the Sphinx in Oedipus Rex - Research Paper ExampleThe idea of pharmakos in Oedipus Rex is embodied in the interaction between the sphinx and Oedipus and how the sphinx guards and reveals knowledge. Pharmakos is the idea that there is a duality to things that an item can be both(prenominal) a cure and a poison. The sphinx is used as a pharmakos in Oedipus Rex because not only does her somatic appearance portray a duality, but in like spellner her riddles conceal knowledge in their ambiguity, but also in a sense, reveal truth concerning Oedipus and the Greek society. Epistemology Epistemology can be defined as the emergence of philosophy that looks at the genius, origin, methods, as well as limits of human knowledge. It seeks to answer the question of how to distinguish unbowed knowledge from false knowledge. One of the outstanding epistemological problems in Oedipus Rex is the ambiguity presented in terms of the nature and extents of Oedipus knowl edge about his true origins (C atomic number 18l 103). Many philosophers have argued that Oedipus may have been too ignorant to descriptor out facts about his past. However, at the beginning of the play, his intelligence is well portrayed when he is the only man who has the ability to solve the riddle of the sphinx. This ambiguity brings forth the vagueness of the extent to which Oedipus can and should be held responsible for his actions, which are killing his biological father and marrying his own mother. Sophocles tells the story of Oedipus in reverse he starts with the ending and goes to relieve how it happened. According to the oracle, the plague that has befallen Thebes will find no cure until the person responsible for the murder of queen regnant Laius is found and expelled from the city. Oedipus starts an investigation to reveal the murderer, but this investigation quickly turns into an investigation of Oedipus real identity. Initially the epistemology lies round finding an answer to the question who did it, but this changes course to the question who am I? (Foster 22)The psychological transit of discovery takes up much of this story. Knowledge is supposed to end with gratification and satisfaction. However, in this story, epistemology led to a discovery that was more tragic than the events that led to the discovery itself. The Sphinx The member sphinx comes form the Greek verb which when translated means to ingurgitate or to tighten (Gosse 65). Some historians however argue that the word is a corruption of the Egyptian word shesepankh which translates to living image (Zivie-Coche and Lorton 9). In Greek mythology the Sphinx is represented as having a serpents tail, a lions hunches, a large birds wings and a womans breast and face. This malevolent creature is normally characterized as being merciless and treacherous. She is the demon of bad mountain and destruction and kills and mauls those who fail to repairly answer her riddle. According to m yths, the sphinx was the guardian of the gates into the City of Thebes. To be allowed entry, iodin had to correctly answer her riddle. The riddle is which creature has four legs in the morning, two at midday and trinity in the evening, and the more legs it has, the weaker it is? It is express that no man had ever been able to give a correct answer to the riddle (10). Oedipus was the only one who gave the correct answer which was man. After Oedipus gave the correct answer, the sphinx is said to have been infuriated and she killed herself. The original purpose of the sphinx