Oedipus the King Summary

Oedipus the King

There is a plague in Thebes. Oedipus has sent Creon to find out news from the gods how they can get rid of the plague. When Creon returns, he tells them that Apollo told them to get rid of the murderers of Laius, their first king. Oedipus wants to find out who killed him so they call on the prophet Tiresias. He tells them that Oedipus is the murderer. Oedipus is offended by this nonsense, and after intense arguing, he sends the prophet home. Oedipus then starts arguing with Creon, because he blames him for what has happened. Jocasta enters the room and stops them from arguing. Jocasta tells Oedipus that the prophets told her that her husband would be killed by their child, and the slave told them this did not happen either because he was killed by thieves. Jocasta said her son was only a child, like three years old. While Jocasta is praying, a messenger from Corinth comes and tells her that Oedipus’ father, Polybus, is dead. They first rejoice at this news because it appears that the prophets did not know what they were talking about, because this meant that Oedipus could not be his father’s murderer. Later, the messenger informs Oedipus, that Polybus was no more a father to him than he was. They learn that this man had received Oedipus as a child, from a Shepard. He was a Shepard of Laius. He had been given to him by the queen (Oedipus’s wife; mother) to go and have killed, because the prophets had told her that her child would kill his parents. The Shepard didn’t have the heart to kill a baby, so that’s how Oedipus ended up in Corinth. Oedipus trying to keep from fulfilling the prophecy of killing his parents, left Corinth and ran into Laius on the triple road, and killed him not knowing that this was really his father.

Jocasta began to put the pieces of the puzzle together, and ran off to her room telling Oedipus he should just let it die. Leave it alone. But Oedipus was determined to find out his birthright. Jocasta hung herself, while Oedipus was learning of his cursed destiny, and he took the brooches from her dress and gouged his eyes out. After being blinded, he faced his people and told them to get Creon so that he could be put to death. Oedipus asks Creon to take care of his daughters because he knows that no man would want to marry them. He asks to see his daughters one last time, and then Creon separates them and takes Oedipus to be executed.