Oedipus the King Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Mom Or: The Antigone Prequels…

Prophesy The Delphic Oracle prophesied to Laius, the king of Thebes, that he would be killed by his son and that his son would marry his own mother.

Prophecy The shepherd in charge of abandoning him took pity on the child and took him to Corinth where he was adopted by King Polybus.

The Prophesy Oedipus learns of his own prophesy from the oracle at Delphi, and in an attempt to avoid his fate, he leaves Corinth and decides never to return.

The Road Leaving Delphi, he came upon a man at a crossroads with four attendants who tried to force him from his path. A fight ensued, and Oedipus killed the man and three of the attendants, leaving one surviving attendant.

The Riddle of the Sphinx Then Oedipus came across a sphinx, a monster with the body of a winged lion and the face of a woman. The Sphinx stood on a rock outside the gates and devoured everyone who failed to solve her riddle:

The Riddle of the Sphinx "What creature walks on four feet in the morning, on two at noon and on three in the evening?"

The Answer Man Ahem… Human

And so… Oedipus solved the riddle and the Sphinx hurled herself to her death on the rocks below. Oedipus was welcomed as a savior of the city and was offered the vacant throne, marrying the recently widowed queen, Jocasta.

More trouble in Thebes Years later, the city of Thebes is suffering from a plague. According to the oracle, it is revealed that the city will continue to suffer until the king’s murderer is found. Eager to save the city once again, Oedipus vows to find the killer.

The Blind Prophet He is told by a blind prophet, Tieresias, that he is the killer. Enraged by the idea, and suspicious that Tieresias and Creon, Jocasta’s brother, are plotting against him. He refuses to listen to Tiresias.

The Blind Prophet Oedipus is then comforted by his wife, Jocasta, and told not to mind prophets. The oracle once prophesied that her husband would be killed by their son, but instead he was killed by bandits at a crossroads. Oedipus becomes worried that Tiresias’s accusation may be true.

Don’t shoot the messenger After receiving news that his “father” has died, he rejoices; the prophesy, it seems, has proven to be false. Yet the messenger also reveals to Oedipus that who he thought was his mother is not actually his mother. The messenger tells him a shepherd gave him the child of Laius and Jocasta, and he had taken pity on him.

Oedipus the Detective The shepherd in charge of discarding Oedipus is also the same individual who was witness to the king’s murder. Beginning to realize what this all means, Jocasta begs Oedipus to stop asking questions.

Murderer revealed Everything is at last revealed. Oedipus curses his fate, and the chorus laments how even a great man can be destroyed by fate. A messenger enters and declares that Jocasta has just hanged herself.

Dénouement Oedipus then rushes into the house, takes her down, and removes the long pins that hold her dress together, using them to gouge out his own eyes.

Finale A blind Oedipus exits the palace and pleads to be sent into exile, worrying that he will continue to “pollute” Thebes. His daughters, Ismene and Antigone, are cursed as well. His two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, will later battle each other for power over Thebes.