The Story of King Oedipus, as told by Sophocoles.
Luke Harms

In ancient Greece the land of Thebes was once ruled by King Oedipus.He had come to Thebes at at time when the political structure was in turmoil. The people were at the mercy of a sphinx. Oedipus solved the sphinx's riddle and was made king. 

Oedipus is a tragic victim of prophecy. 

The king of Thebes before Oedipus was Laius. It had been foretold to Laius that he would be killed by his own son. In response to this portend Laius had his newborn son taken to be killed. The servent charged with the task of killing the child took mercy and delivered it onto a servent from another city. The child was Oedipus, he was raised on foriegn soil. 

It was prophecyed to Oedipus that he would kill his father and have children with his mother. He did not know he had been adopted, so Oedipus set forth from the city of his foster parents in order to prevent the terrible fate.

While traveling he was nearly forced off the road by traveling king Laius. In the struggle Oedipus killed Laius (unaware Laius was a king, his father) and some of his men. Oedipus continues on his journey until he reaches Thebes. There he becomes king and, takes Laius' queen (his mother) for a wife. 

The events of the play take place on a day years later. Oedipus has already had two daughters with Jocasta the queen. As the day unfolds he begins to unravel the mystery of Laius' death and his own origens. Though his servents and family try to prevent the truth from emerging, Oedipus (and his mother/wife) fulfill the Oracles' prophecy. 

Jocasta hangs herself when the secrets are revealed. Oedipus gouges his eyes out with needles and after bidding his daughers farwell, he goes into exile.

It is dificult to pinpoint the positive and negative players in Sophocoles' exposition. It might be said Oedipus is the master of his own destiny. Though he went to great effort trying to avoid the curse, it was his hubris- in the face of gods and citezens that wrought destruction.

The ellusive theme in Thebes was a tragic example of a traditional cliche in story. The -tagonist reap what they have sown. A noble hero will typicaly end with honor, and gunman often die in shoot outs. As is the case with Oedipus the circumstances by which fate is revealed are ironic.