Oedipus The King
The Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles, entitled “Oedipus Rex”, had its first performance in the year 429 BC. It was the second play out of the three Theban that were produced. Oedipus is the son of Laius and Jocasta, the king and queen of Thebes. Before the birth of his son, Lauis visited an oracle to find very disturbing news. The oracle told him that his son would grow up to kill his father and be wed with his mother. His mother could not bear to kill her own child, so he was left on a mountain top where he was found by a shepherd. The shepherd took him in and was raised by the Kong of Corinth, Polybus, as his own. The story gets more dramatic in Oedipus’ adolescence when he starts to hear rumors about not being the biological son of his father. He seeks an oracle who then tells him that his father will perish at his hands and he will mate with his own mother. Not wanting this fate, he runs away, thinking that Polybus is his real father. On the road he meets his real father, Laius, where they quarrel. Oedipus throws Laius off his chariot and kills him. Shortly after this, he meets a Sphinx, which ruled Thebes, who kills herself after Oedipus solves her riddle. His reward for breaking the curse was the hand of Jocasta, his biological mother. This is where the action starts, and things get even messier. None of the characters know their relationship with each other. The prophesy at the beginning of the play was fulfilled. Oedipus was king for many years and he fathered four children from Jocastas womb. A great plague had befallen Thebes, and in order to appease Apollo, Oedipus seeks another prophet. The prophet did not want to tell him about what polluted the city because the truth would hurt all of Oedipus’ family, so he becomes enraged. Finally, the prophet tells him everything. When Jocasta finds out the Oedipus was her son, she hangs herself. Oedipus follows her inside and takes the dress pins off her dead body, he uses these to gouge his eyes out. He was then sent out of Thebes in exile, blind and bloody.
