In the play Oedipus by Sophocles the main character Oedipus suffers from a terrible fate. The play starts with Oedipus who is doomed to the fate that was foretold by the Oracle at Delphi before his birth. The king and queen of Thebes had an unnamed son. Upon the arrival of their son the king, Laios, and the queen, Jocasta went to see the Oracle at Delphi who foretold the fate of Laios, Jocasta, and the day old baby. The Oracle told Laios and Jocasta that their son was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. The actions Oedipus’s parents Jocasta and Laius took actually fulfilled the prophecy the Oracle had told them. The couple made a decision to leave the baby on a mountainside with his legs or feet bound so that he would die. This action increases the chances of having the prophecy fulfilled because they can no longer keep an eye on him, but the parents are oblivious to this fact because they believe he will die. The problem with that plan is that the shepherd that was supposed to leave him to die actually took him to his home city to be raised by King Polybos and Queen Merope later to be named Oedipus meaning swollen foot.
Oedipus grew up never knowing he wasn’t the son of Polybos. He once heard someone say that he wasn’t his father’s son this is what happened “A man at a banquet table, who had too much to drink, told me, over his wine, that I am not the true son of my father. I was furious, but, hard thought it was, I controlled my feelings, for that day at least.”(Oedipus Page 45) so after hearing this Oedipus basically tells his parents what happened and they got mad “On the next day I went to my parents and questioned them. They were enraged against the man who ha taunted me. So I took comfort from their attitude, but still the thing tormented me—for the story spread far and wide.” (Oedipus page 45) so Oedipus explains how his curiosity gets the better of him and he ends up finding out his horrible future. “Without telling my parents, I set off...