s the horrifying truth that he not only was Laius son, but it was also verified that he was the killer. Oedipus' intelligence was ultimately his flaw. If Oedipus had not had been as courageous as he was he would have never ventured to answer the riddle of the Sphinx. Thus even though he had killed his father he would have never become king of Thebes and laid with his mother. In addition, if Oedipus had had the courage but not the intelligence the Sphinx would have killed him for answering the riddle incorrectly. Sophocles used this to characterize Oedipus as a tragic man for he came about his tragic discovery not because of an evil act or an evil trait but because of the person he was. Oedipus traits which gave him riches and power ultimately led to his tragic ending. Also, the god Apollo himself did not 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....
