In Sopohocles' tragedy "Oedipus the King", Oedipus proclaims " it was I who have pronounced these curses on myself" (Madden 37). With this announcement, Oedipus is aware that his pursuit for order has led to a life of chaos. The central thesis is that the presumption of order establishes physical, intellectual, and spiritual chaos. The text's reference to the sphinx, Oedipus, and Tiresias creates this notion. These three literal signifiers are the metaphoric symbolizers of physical, intellectual, …showed first 75 words of 785 total…

…showed last 75 words of 785 total…since you have thrown my blindness at me: Your eyes can't see the evil to which you've come" (Madden 27). This incident depicts how Tiresias' order establishes chaos for Oedipus. Acquiring order cannot exist without the concept of chaos. The realization that order leads to chaos manifests man's pursuit for an unreachable end. The challenge to accomplish a life of order involves smart decision making, and this process is essential for physical, intellectual and spiritual chaos.