Quadrupede, bipede, tri-pede: Edipo come uomo imperfetto

Abstract

Cognitive poetics arose at the crossroads between cognitive science and literature. We try here to deal with the myth of Oedipus which has been analyzed over the centuries from many points of view utilizing the means developed by cognitivism. Beyond the different versions of this myth, one of the most important features of it is the importance attributed to deambulation. The feet have in fact a central role both in the etymology of the name of Oedipus and in the riddle of the Sphinx. Two scenes from Sophocles' Oedipus Rex were discussed in their linguistic and metaphorical aspects. So in closing, we propose a new explanation for the action of his father Laius yoking the feet of Oedipus.