Oedipus Rex

            The drama Oedipus Rex starts off with the plague, which is happening in the city of Thebes. As Thebes's King, Oedipus has to solve this plague. However, by soling this plague, Oedipus finds his origin and his background of where he came from. And here it comes the plot of the dramatic conflicts of the drama. Oedipus was the only child of Laios and Iocaste, king and queen of Thebes. They took Oedipus to the oracle at Delphi to have his prophecy read. The oracle prophesized that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. In order to prevent this from happening, Laios and Iocaste pierced Oedipus's foot and ordered a shepherd to abandon him on a mountainside. The shepherd pitied the child and gave him to a herdsman from Corinth. The herdsman then gave the child to Polybus and Merope, the childless king and queen of Corinth. They adopted him and raised him as their own. Oedipus grew up thinking he was the prince of Corinth. He heard rumors that he was not the natural son of Polybus and Merope, so he went to consult the oracle of Delphi to find the truth. The oracle repeated the same prophecy that was told to Laios and Iocaste. Thinking that Polybus and Merope were his parents, Oedipus left Corinth to avoid his foretold fate. He went to Thebes. On his way to Thebes, Oedipus met an old man accompanied by several servants at the three crossroads. The old man was Laios, who was Oedipus's father, on his way to Delphi. Since both men were proud, they refused to step aside so the other could pass. Laios attacked Oedipus. As a result, Oedipus killed them all, excepted on of the servant. .
             After Oedipus finished killing his own father, he continued on his journey to the city of Thebes. When he arrived at Thebes there was a widespread plague in the city. In order to free the city of this plague you had to solve the riddle that came with it, the riddle of the Sphinx. Oedipus was clever enough to solve the riddle, which in turn cured the city of the plague.