Oedipus Rex

by

Sophocles

Triple crossroad Symbol Analysis

Triple crossroad Symbol Icon
Oedipus killed King Laius at a place "where three roads meet," or a triple crossroad. Typically, crossroads symbolize a choice to be made. Yet because the murder of Laius occurred in the distant past. Oedipus's choice has already been made, and so the triple crossroads becomes a symbol not of choice but of fate.
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Triple crossroad Symbol Timeline in Oedipus Rex

The timeline below shows where the symbol Triple crossroad appears in Oedipus Rex. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Lines 709-997
Fate vs. Free Will Theme Icon
Sight vs. Blindness Theme Icon
Finding Out the Truth Theme Icon
...Laius was not killed by his son, but instead by strangers, at a place where three roads meet . So, Jocasta concludes, seers don't know what they're talking about. (full context)