Before Oedipus became king of the city Thebes, Thebes was controlled by the Sphinx. The only way the Sphinx will leave is if someone solved the riddle, but if they incorrectly answered, they were killed. Oedipus saved Thebes by solving the riddle and was honored to be king.
During Oedipus’ ruling, a plague was going around the city and people were getting sick. Oedipus sent Creon, his brother in law, to Apollo for help to end the plague. Apollo said that Oedipus must find King Laius murderer. Oedipus looks for answers and interrogates people. According to a witness, King Laius was killed by a group of thieves. Oedipus gets help from Tiresias, the blind seer. Tiresias accuses Oedipus of killing King Laius himself. Oedipus gets angry and believes Tiresias and Creon are accusing him of killing Laius so Creon could take the throne. Oedipus’ wife, Queen Jocasta, believed Oedipus was not the killer because her prophecy said that her own son would kill him. However, when Queen Jocasta’s son was born, King Laius and Queen Jocasta. In addition, according a witness, King Laius was killed by a group of thieves where the three roads meet.
Oedipus remembers that he killed a group of people in the same location King Laius was killed. Oedipus ran away from Corinth to escape his prophecy: he will murder his father and marry his mother. On his way, he encountered a group of people and killed them all.
Soon, a messenger arrives to tell Oedipus that Polybius, his “father”, died from old age. At this point, Oedipus was relieved that his prophecy was proven wrong. However, the messenger reveals that Polybius was not Oedipus biological father. A Shepard gave Oedipus to the messenger, then the messenger gave Oedipus to the King and Queen of Corinth who adapted him. The Shepard who gave Oedipus to the messenger was a servant of King Laius. The Shepard confessed that he did not obey the King and Queen by throwing Oedipus off the slope, but instead gave Oedipus to the messenger. Oedipus realizes he’s the murderer and Tiresias was right.
Queen Jocasta was frantic about the news: Oedipus was his son. Queen Jocasta decided to hang herself and died. When Oedipus saw Queen Jocasta hanged, he stabbed himself in the eye and became blind. Creon became King.
