In an attempt to avoid the fulfillment of the prophecy, Oedipus’ parents, Laius and Jocasta, give Oedipus to a shephered to take him to Mount Cithaeron and leave him there. A spike is driven through the child’s feet to prevent him from crawling or moving away. However, a shepherd finds the infant and brings him to Polybus and Merope, King and Queen of Cornish. Being childless, they adopt this child as their own son and name him Oedipus, which in Greek means “swollen foot”, due to the deformity in his feet.
Now when the play opens, men of all kind from Thebes are standing in front of his place and they are their to present their grieves to Kind Oedipus. He ask them what’s the matter is. In his final wanderings, Oedipus is accompanied by his faithful daughter, AntigAn old man from the crowed told that the City of Thebes is suffering from a plague. Oedipus reassures them, saying that he has already sent his brother-in-law Creon to Delphi to inquire of the oracle what the cause and remedy of this plague is.
At this moment, Creon returns with the news that the gods are angry with Thebes as the murderer of Laius, the previous king of Thebes, is still free and has not been punished for his crime. When Oedipus questions the Thebans about the details of the murder, they tell him that the former ruler, Laius was murdered on a journey robbers. Oedipus swears to find the murderer in his kingdom and prosecute him.
He asks the Thebes that, the murderer may come out of the crowd and he will only punished with exile. But no one comes out. He sends Creon to bring an old blind sees whos name is Tiresias. He comes in with his servant.Oedipus asks him to reveal the name of the person in question. When Tiresias refuses to do so, Oedipus begins to insult him and accuses him that he must be involved in the crime. Tiresias continues to be silent and Oedipus becomes increasingly angry until finally Tiresias says that the murderer is none other than Oedipus himself.
Oedipus does not believe him and accuses Tiresias of conspiring against him, in association with his brother-in-law, Creon. He constantly insults Tiresias, claiming that the wise man had not been able to answer the Sphinx, whereas he had accomplished this task. He threatens him and says that only his age has prevented him from being punished. Angry Oedipus throws Teresias out of the palace.
Now Oedipus starts quarreling with Creon his brother in law. He asks Jocasta the details of the murder and she answers his questions, saying that one servant who survived the attack lives outside the city as a shepherd. Jocasta reassures him by saying that he could summon this witness. This information manages to calm Oedipus and he awaits the arrival of this sole witness.
When Jocasta finds that Oedipus is still a little agitated, she asks what is still troubling him. He in turn relates his own story, telling her that he was born in Corinth and grew up as a prince of the kingdom. On learning that he was not truly the son of the king of Corinth, he decided to consult the oracle. Then he was told that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Therefore, he had left his home in Corinth and approached Thebes. On his way he had met an old man with his servants and after an argument, he had killed them all in self-defense. He expresses his suspicion of having murdered the king of Thebes and is concerned about the consequences. Jocasta again reassures him that it is a known fact that the old king had been attacked by a band of robbers and not a single person. Therefore, the cases do not coincide and Oedipus could not have been the murderer.
In the mean while a shephered from Corinth comes and tells Oedipus that his father Polybus has died and now Oedipus is the Kind of Corinth. Oedipus asks him wether Polybus was his real father. Then, shephered tells how he found him on the mount Cithaeron and he handed him over to King Polybus and Queen Merope. Listening this Queen Jacosta recognizes that Oedipus was his real son and he has killed King Liaus. Learning this she commits suicide, when Oedipus comes to know this he too harms his eyes with barouche of Jacosta and he is exiled out of Thebes. Creon is crowned as new king.
