Oedipus Rex
...of a man who tried to escape his fate only to end up doing it unintentionally.
Thebes, Greece about 430 B.C
From birth a Delphi was written stating that the son of Laios and Jocasta, Oedipus, would kill his own father and then bed his mother. To prevent this Jocasta gave Oedipus to a Shepherd to be killed. Being the man that the shepherd was, he could not take such actions, so instead he gave Oedipus to a man who gave Oedipus to a couple, naming Polybus and Merope. Many years later, after hearing many rumors that Polybus and Merope weren’t his biological parents he asked them but they denied it. Oedipus, still being unsure and suspicious, goes to the Delphic Oracle and asks who his real parents are. The Delphic Oracle doesn’t tell him but tells him the Delphi, which is that he would kill his father and bed his mother. Oedipus decides that the best thing to do is leave Corinth to prevent the situation. In efforts of leaving Corinth, Oedipus runs into some men and get into an altercation killing them all. Not far, in the city of Thebes, a Sphinx was attacking the Thebans. Oedipus came to their rescue and successfully killed the Sphinx. To show their gratitude, they made him the new King of Thebes since the former king had been killed. In the process Oedipus married Queen Jocasta.
Thebes began to collapse, a plague had started and they were sick and in desperate need of reassurance. Creon announced to them that the Oracle of Apollo said that all the mishap would end after Laios’ killer was brought to light and exiled from the city. To find the killer, Oedipus sends for Tiresias in hopes of gaining knowledge of who the killer was. After reasoning and talking to Oedipus, Tiresias finally told Oedipus that he killed Laios. In effect, Oedipus became upset and said that Creon planned the accusation in order to take his title. Jocasta comes to settle...
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