Oedipus and The Sphinx
Gustave Moreau
Paris, France 1864
The Classical Era gave rise to the revitalization of many ancient Greek and Roman works, including the Greek story of Oedipus The King. The story of Oedipus in summary is a tale of a young boy, who after being orphaned by his parents after a grave fortune telling, was adopted off a mountainside, rose to be quite powerful, and in the end unintentionally made the telling true and ended up killing his father for a throne and marrying his mother. The influence of this work at the time, was a portrayal of the controversial moral dilemma that Oedipus faces within his tragedy. Many saw the “apparent” immoral acts (copulation with thy mother, slaying of thy father), but even throughout much of this controversy there is still sense of sorrow reflected to the reader as Oedipus faces each of these trials. It can be extrapolated that this sense of remorse is not from the neglect to acknowledge a seemingly bad deed, but rather the character that Sophocles builds around Oedipus that makes his moral and intellectual qualities appear admirable for change (Lawrence,Pg 139, 2013). Although he may falter many times, he has the intention to right his wrongs and make the “best” decision.
Moreau’s choice to depict this scene as Oedipus solves the riddle from the Sphinx, after which he travels to the town of Thebes and becomes king, is a key point in which Oedipus is challenged by the identity of self as well his fate.
He is asked by the Sphinx,
“What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night?”
To which Oedipus replies,
“Man: as an infant, he crawls on all fours; as an adult, he walks on two legs and; in old age, he uses a walking stick”
After solving this riddle correctly, the Sphinx is astonished and chooses to kill herself, and ends up freeing the Thebians.
The connection the audience creates with Oedipus, is not one surrounding a fatal flaw as so common in many Greek tragedies, but rather Oedipus’ lack of one. He “need not be morally immaculate for the spectators to feel sorry for his downfall. If a character is too perfect, the audience reacts to its downfall with shock, rather than pity and terror” (Carel, 2006). I feel that Moreau choses to use this relatability in his depiction of Oedipus, as he lacks many of the strong, courageous conquering leadership characteristics often found on men in his position. The gracefulness that is bestowed upon both Oedipus and the Sphinx creates an interesting dynamic as it is apparent that she is attempting a unfocused and unentranced temptation for Oedipus as his piercing gaze seeks to discover the answers that lay beneath. Moreau’s choice of a bare breasted woman gently clawing at Oedipus’ loins creates an in-dismissible sexual tension that may or may not have been present in the Sophocles original work, but further enforces the questionable morality of Oedipus’ choices. Mangled decaying bodies of previous challengers to the Sphinx’s riddle lay inches before Oedipus’ feet, one of which appears to have the crown of his deceased father, adding to the challenge presented before him.
I enjoy Moreau’s work for the delicate intricacies he provides, in the intense gazes, vast oblivious canyon beyond, to the individual feathers gracefully outlined on the wings of the Sphinx. He has chosen a very interesting perspective to outline and embody the famous Greek work of Sophocles, keeping a tension alive as moral ambiguity thrives on.
Carel, Havi. “Moral and Epistemic Ambiguity in Oedipus Rex”. 2006. Web. http://www.janushead.org/9-1/carel.pdf
Lawrence, Stuart. “Moral Awareness In Greek Tragedy”. 2013. Web. https://books.google.com/books?id=bjwfAQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Moral+Awareness+in+Greek+Tragedy&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eUWSVfyICci0oQTj1Y2wCA&ved=0CB8Q6wEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
so much depends 
Annyssa,
If Oedipus and The Sphinx isn’t a strange piece of work, I don’t know what is! I thought I’d seen some pretty weird and unusual art throughout the semester, but this one really takes the cake. The first thing I immediately notice is that the woman has a dog-like body, with bird wings. The woman also looks to be royalty since she’s wearing a crown. I notice how she’s staring up at the man with the sphere, like she wants something from him. Since his proportions are so much bigger than hers, it looks like he is looking down on the woman, and almost pity’s her. It also seems a little strange that there is a random hand and foot at the bottom, almost like a dead body. I also notice the snake on the right hand side of the picture on what looks to be a gauntlet (or something of that nature.) If there’s anything I’ve learned in this class, it’s that artists sure do have a wild imagination. When I read the description of most art, I think to myself “well if that’s what they were trying to convey, they could have painted something less complicated that was easier to dissect.”
With the description you wrote, does that mean the woman in the picture is actually his mother? And that the man on the ground is his dead father?
Very strange story! Thank you for picking this piece, it was definitely interesting to read about!
Bethany
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