n to locate the murderer and relieve Thebes of the plague, unaware of his search for himself. At any time Oedipus began to question his prophecy coming true, his fate brought up a new ironic turn that made him unknowingly continue completing his destiny. The fact that Oedipus committed the crimes while not knowing of his execution of the next part of his disgusting destiny clearly shows the influence of fate on the ending of a tragedy. For example, when asked if he knew Laius (his father and the man he had killed in the chariot earlier), Oedipus replied, " I know of him by hearsay. I have not seen him" ( ). When Oedipus has the occasional suspicion of the prophecy coming true, his hopes and the influence of others persuade him otherwise. When he asks Jocasta of Laius, he replies "O God, I think I have called curses on myself in ignorance," (Sophocles 449) and continues to tell of
             ...