Oedipus
Oedipus is a king of Thebes in Greek legend who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. His efforts to escape a prophecy help bring it about, and his later search for truth makes his story central to questions about fate, knowledge, and responsibility.
Key stories of Oedipus
The prophecy and the crossroads
In the most common version, Oedipus is abandoned as a baby because of a prophecy and raised by another royal family. Trying to avoid killing his father, he leaves home and kills his real father, Laius, during a quarrel on the road.
In Oedipus the King, Oedipus tells Jocasta about killing travellers at a place where three roads meet. Details of Laius's death make him fear that he was the killer.
In Oedipus the King by Sophocles
The Sphinx and the throne
Oedipus solves the Sphinx's riddle about a creature that walks on four legs, then two, then three: a human being. He saves Thebes and becomes its king, marrying the widowed queen Jocasta without knowing she is his mother.
In Oedipus the King, the people appeal to Oedipus during a plague because he once freed them from the Sphinx. His earlier success gives them confidence that he can save the city again.
In Oedipus the King by Sophocles
The discovery of his identity
While investigating Laius's murder, Oedipus discovers that he himself is the killer and that Jocasta is his mother. Jocasta takes her own life, and Oedipus blinds himself.
In Oedipus the King, a messenger and a shepherd supply the missing facts about Oedipus's birth. The investigation he began to protect Thebes exposes his own hidden past.
In Oedipus the King by Sophocles
Refuge at Colonus
The blind Oedipus reaches Colonus with his daughter Antigone and seeks protection from Theseus. His final resting place will bring protection to the land that receives him.
In Oedipus at Colonus, Theseus shelters Oedipus despite pressure from Thebes. Near the end, Oedipus leads Theseus towards the secret place where his life will end.
In Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles
How to recognise Oedipus in stories
- Look for a prophecy that attempts at escape help fulfil.
- Notice riddles, crossroads, injured feet, and blindness.
- Watch for a truth-seeker who discovers his own hidden guilt.
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Did Oedipus know he was killing his father and marrying his mother?
No, Oedipus does not know their identities when he kills Laius and marries Jocasta. He believes his adoptive parents are his birth parents. In Oedipus the King, discovering the truth about his birth is what turns his investigation into a personal catastrophe.
Why does Oedipus blind himself?
Oedipus blinds himself after discovering that he has killed his father and married his mother. In Oedipus the King, his action expresses horror and shame, including his inability to face his family. It also sharpens the contrast between physical sight and understanding the truth.
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