Oedipus the King

Synopsis

Oedipus the King written by Sophocles is the first of The Oedipus Trilogy which portrays the tragic hero Oedipus’s birth to blinding his eyes with pins removed from his mother’s dress.

Oedipus was born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta in the kingdom of Thebes. The infamous prophecy said, on attaining the adulthood Oedipus will kill his father, marry his own mother and will bring disasters to the kingdom. To avoid the inevitable, Laius fastened the baby with a large pin and left him in a mountain. The baby about to die in the mountain was rescued and raised by King Polybus and Queen Merope in the city of Corinth.

Oedipus after grownup as adult learns about the prophecy and falsely understanding he will kill King Polybus. To avoid the prophecy, he travels to the Thebes. On his way he encounters with a old stranger in a narrow path and kills him in a fight to who will give way. After killing the stranger, he reaches Thebes and found the kingdom is in disaster as the king was killed and being ruled now by the Sphinx (a mythical creature). Oedipus kills the Sphinx and wins the throne of the kings and marries Queen Jocasta. Their marriage brings them two sons and two daughters.

The shocking truth is revealed later that Oedipus has fulfilled the prophecy unknowingly, killing his father and marrying his own mother. Jocasta hangs herself after knowing she has married her son and given birth to four children through his son. Oedipus seized two pins from her dress and blinded himself with them.

Similar Bookshelves