The city, which was recently missing a king, made Oedipus the king since he saved them from the plague. As it was accustomed, Oedipus married the widow queen, Iocaste, who was his own mother.
There was nothing happened, and no one bother to know Oedipus's origin until another plague infected the city of Thebes. Oedipus asked the suppliants what their problem was. They explain to Oedipus that the plague was attacking Thebes. They asked for his help since he was the king who saved Thebes from the Sphinx and restored the city. Oedipus said that he had sent Creon, his wife's brother to find out how to solve the problem. Creon brought news that Thebes suffers because the former king Laios's murder has not been avenged. Oedipus decided to seek this murderer, not only for the purpose of avenged but also the fear that murder might also be a threat to his own life. This is the exposition of the dramatic conflict of finding out the mystery of king Laios's murderer.
The rising action was this search of the murder. It started with Oedipus promising that the person responsible for Laios death will be driven out of Thebes. Oedipus sent for Teiresias, the blind seer. Teiresias at first did not want to tell Oedipus about the murder, and told Oedipus to leave things as they were. However, Oedipus's ignorance forced Teiresias to tell the truth that Oedipus's fate was to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus was in shock and could not accept this. He chased his origin and sent for the shepherd and the herdsman in the past to find out who he really was. This is the climax of the drama.
After all the proofs from the messenger, the shepherd and the herdsman, it proved Oedipus was the child of King Laios and Queen Iocaste. The falling action begins with Iocaste's death because she could not handle the truth that she married her own son. Oedipus then took her golden broach and gouged his eyes because he could no longer bear to see his shame.
