1. Oedipus: Act I Summary
A priest arrives with a group of suppliants and appeal to Oedipus to save them from the plague in Thebes. (He saved them years before from The Sphinx.)
Oedipus tells them that he is aware of their suffering. He tells them Creon has been sent to the Oracle at Delphi (who communicates with the god Apollo).
When Creon returns, he shares with Oedipus the cause of the plague: the murder of King Laius has gone unsolved and the murderer still lives—in Thebes! In order to save Thebes, the murderer/s must be punished!
Creon fills Oedipus in on the murder of King Laius. The story goes that King Laius was killed by a band of thieves while traveling . Oedipus doesn’t think this makes sense and believes that the thieves may be part of a larger conspiracy.

2. Act I Summary Continued…
Oedipus vows to find the murderers and punish them.
Creon encourages Oedipus to send for Tiresias, a trusted prophet. The hope is that Tiresias will shed some light on the murder of King Laius.
When Tiresias arrives, he is very reluctant to reveal what he knows. The conversation turns into an argument as Oedipus angrily attacks Tiresias for not sharing the truth. Finally, Tiresias reveals that Oedipus in the murderer he seeks.
Oedipus is furious after this confrontation and refuses to believe the accusation . He believes that Creon is out to usurp the throne and is working with Tiresias.
Act I ends with the Chorus in a state of confusion. They believe Tiresias and trust in his gift of prophecy, but cannot wrap their heads around the horror of his claims. They decide to stick by Oedipus until the proof is definitive.