AS A TRAGEDY
"Oedipus the King," also known as
"Oedipus Rex," is a famous Greek tragedy
wri en by the ancient playwright
Sophocles. This story is about a man
named Oedipus who tries to avoid a
terrible prophecy, only to fulfill it in the
end.
The story begins in the city of Thebes,
which is suffering from a plague. The
people of Thebes are desperate for help,
so they go to their king, Oedipus. Oedipus
is known as a great and wise leader
because he saved Thebes before by
solving the riddle of the Sphinx. The
Sphinx was a monster that was causing
trouble, and Oedipus's intelligence saved
the city.
To find out how to stop the plague,
Oedipus sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to
the oracle at Delphi. Oracles were special
places where people believed they could
receive messages from the gods. The
oracle tells Creon that the plague will end
only when the murderer of the previous
king, Laius, is found and punished.
Oedipus vows to find the murderer and
save Thebes again. He curses the killer and
promises to bring him to justice. Oedipus
doesn't know that he himself is the
murderer he is looking for.
To solve the mystery, Oedipus calls for a
blind prophet named Tiresias. Tiresias is
wise and knows the truth, but he hesitates
to tell Oedipus. When Oedipus pressures
him, Tiresias finally says that Oedipus
himself is the killer. Oedipus becomes very
angry and accuses Tiresias of lying. He
even thinks that Creon is plo ing against
him to take over the throne.
As Oedipus continues to investigate, he
speaks with his wife, Jocasta. Jocasta tries
to comfo him and tells him not to worry
about prophecies. She says that long ago,
an oracle told King Laius that he would be
killed by his own son, but Laius was killed
by robbers at a crossroads, not by his son.
She believes that prophecies are not
always true.
This information makes Oedipus
remember a time when he killed a man at
a crossroads. He sta s to fear that he
might be the murderer of Laius. To
understand more, Oedipus calls for the
shepherd who witnessed Laius's murder.
The shepherd reveals that Laius and
Jocasta's baby was prophesied to kill his
father and marry his mother, so they tried
to avoid this fate by giving the baby away.
The baby was supposed to be le to die,
but the shepherd gave him to another
shepherd who then took the baby to
Corinth.
Oedipus realizes that he is that baby. He
was raised by the king and queen of
Corinth, thinking they were his real
parents. When he heard a prophecy that
he would kill his father and marry his
mother, he le Corinth to avoid this fate,
not knowing that his real parents were
Laius and Jocasta. In trying to escape his
destiny, he walked right into it.
The truth is finally out: Oedipus killed his
real father, Laius, and married his real
mother, Jocasta. Jocasta is so devastated
by the truth that she hangs herself.
Oedipus, in his horror and guilt, blinds
himself with Jocasta’s brooches. He
cannot bear to see the reality he created
and punishes himself by living in darkness.
In the end, Oedipus decides to leave
Thebes. He asks Creon to take care of his
daughters and lead the city. Blinded and
broken, Oedipus goes into exile, accepting
his fate.
"Oedipus the King" is a powe ul story
because it shows how people can be
trapped by fate. Even though Oedipus
tried his best to avoid his destiny, he
couldn't escape it. His intelligence and
determination, which once saved him, also
led him to his downfall. The play also
explores themes like blindness and sight.
Oedipus is physically able to see but is
blind to the truth about his life, while
Tiresias is physically blind but can see the
truth clearly.
The tragedy of Oedipus lies in his journey
from being a revered king to a man broken
by the truth. It makes us think about fate,
free will, and the human condition. Despite
his effo s to change his destiny, Oedipus
ends up fulfilling the prophecy, showing
that some things in life are beyond our
control.
Sophocles' play remains a classic because
it touches on these universal themes and
reminds us of the limitations of human
understanding and power. "Oedipus the
King" teaches us about the tragic potential
of human life and the inevitable
consequences of our actions.
