Oedipus The King
The kingdom of Thebes was going through a plague and as the ruler of Thebes, Oedipus was anxious to find out how to end it. He found out from the Pythian oracle of Apollo that the plague on Thebes was caused by the murder of Laius, the previous king of Thebes. The oracle told him that the murderer was born in Thebes and still lives there, and if they can find him and banish him, the plague can be ended. Oedipus from then on was determined to find the former king's murder in fear that Laius's killer might attack him next. Oedipus called a meeting with the townspeople and asked them if they knew anything about Laius's killer. No one answered and Oedipus decided to consult with Teiresias, the blind prophet. Teiresias, in regre
When he found her, she had hung herself in shame of her fate. Hoping that he wasn't Laius's murderer, Oedipus sent for the shepherd who was the only witness to survive the attack. Oedipus then pierced his eyes until they were dripping with blood. He then stormed into his palace looking for Jocasta. Admitting that he didn't have the heart to kill the baby, the shepherd instead gave the baby to a messenger so that he could be raised by another couple. She told him that never happened because Laius was killed by robbers at the meeting of three roads. As Oedipus questioned the shepherd, he answered about the baby who he later on found out was Laius's child. Jocasta, the wife of Oedipus and queen of Thebes, told him to ignore what Teiresias said because all prophecies weren't true. She also told him that as an infant, the son of Laius was exposed on a hillside with a pin through his ankles to prevent the prophecy that was predicted from coming true. Oedipus then told her that it was then, on his journey from Cornith to Thebes, that he was confronted and harassed by a group of travelers, who he killed in self-defense, at the same crossroads where Laius was killed. Jocasta's story, however, sounds extremely familiar to Oedipus. After figuring out the entire story and then realizing who he was and who his parents were, Oedipus was shocked and ashamed. She then told Oedipus about the prophecy an oracle once made about Laius, stating that he would be killed by his own son and that his wife would marry the killer. He then got ready to flee Thebes, keeping his promise to his people of ending the plague in Thebes.
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Acceptance Essays
