Despite the importance of fate in Greek characters, Oedipus is often depicted as stubbornly striving to pursue his own goals. When news spreads that King Laios has died of murder and the only way to solve this scourge is to find his murderer, King Oedipus officially appoints himself as chief investigator. He makes the people of Thebes feel like he is ready to help and further promises to help them in any way he can. Oedipus, as king of Thebes, acknowledges his responsibility and demands that anyone with knowledge of the murder come forward. Oedipus then says: “My spirit is grieved for the city, for me and for all of you” (Sophocles 87). By saying these words, Oedipus fatally condemned himself to the suffering of the future. However, Oedipus fully confirms his lack of determination by viewing all tasks as a puzzle solver. As the man who solved the riddle of the Sphinx, he had a high intelligence and relied on his own powers to find the truth. However, much to the audience's amusement, the oracle's predictions and Oedipus' method of investigation lead to the same result. As Jocasta said: “If you could have remained alone enough, you would never have discovered the horrible workings of fate” (Sophocles