A young man sits under a tree at night, surrounded by darkness and bathed by moon light. A beam of light cuts through the scene, dividing shadow and light, and guiding the eye toward the figure. This is a moment of realization and truth when Oedipus can clarvoyantly make the right choice or mark his destiny by making the wrong decision.
Like Oedipus facing the Sphinx, he is in a moment of questioning. He reflects. Everything around him seems uncertain, as if the answers are not outside, but within. The Sphynx is hidden in the shadows but Oedipus sees it and talks to it.