As in any great tragedy, the story of Oedipus is rife with heartbreaking irony. In "Oedipus the King," Sophocles provides the reader with an interesting contrast between the truth as defined by the gods and their oracles and the truth as defined by Oedipus himself. It is Oedipus' interpretation of the "truth," as seen through the lens of human knowledge, that sends his life careening wildly to its unfortunate end, where he finally acknowledges that his downfall was due to a combination of the will of the gods and the actions fueled by his own pride.
Oedipus is a complex individual whose decisions illuminate his world view, providing the reader with insight into why Oedipus behaves the way he does. From the beginning of the story, it is evident that Oedipus believes himself to be wise and firmly in control of himself and his surroundings. Oedipus' faith in himself is reflected in how he addresses the people when they ask for his assistance in petitioning the gods to remove the horrible plague from the city. "Yet, sick as you are, not one of you suffers a sickness like mine.I've set in motion the only cure I could find: I've sent Kreon, my wife's brother, to Phoibos at Delphi, to hear what action or what word of mine will save this town" (709-710). An interesting contrast between the attitude of the people and the attitude of Oedipus can be seen here. The people describe themselves as "too feeble" to survive much longer and "beg" Oedipus to fix the situation. Oedipus clearly does not suffer from this feeling of weakness or helplessness. While he sends someone to seek instructions from the gods, Oedipus clearly believes that it will be his wisdom and actions that will once again make him the savior of the city. .
Oedipus' belief in himself as the savior of the city and the defender of truth is further reinforced when Kreon returns with instructions from Apollo to drive out the former king's murder.