The Curse of Thebes and the Making of a King

The story of Oedipus stands as one of the most profound tragedies from ancient Greek mythology, embodying timeless questions about fate, free will, and human suffering. Born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, Oedipus entered a world already shadowed by prophecy. The Delphic Oracle had warned Laius that any son born to him would kill his father and marry his mother. In desperate attempt to thwart destiny, the royal couple ordered their newborn exposed on Mount Cithareon with his ankles pinned together – the origin of his name meaning “swollen foot.”

Yet fate proved inescapable. A shepherd rescued the infant, delivering him to childless King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth, who raised Oedipus as their own. Years later, when a drunken companion revealed his adopted status, the young prince sought truth from the Oracle, receiving instead the same horrifying prophecy that had terrified his biological parents. Believing Polybus and Merope were his true parents, Oedipus fled Corinth to prevent the prediction’s fulfillment – setting in motion the very events he sought to avoid.

The Road to Thebes and the Fulfillment of Prophecy

On the road to Thebes, Oedipus encountered an arrogant older man (his true father Laius) and killed him in a dispute over right-of-way, unknowingly fulfilling the first part of the prophecy. Continuing his journey, he solved the Sphinx’s riddle that had terrorized Thebes, freeing the city from its curse. As reward, the grateful Thebans offered him their vacant throne and the hand of their widowed queen Jocasta – his biological mother. For years, Oedipus ruled wisely, fathering four children with Jocasta until a devastating plague struck Thebes, prompting his desperate search for its cause.

Through relentless investigation led by the blind prophet Tiresias, the horrifying truth emerged piece by agonizing piece. Oedipus discovered he had indeed killed his father and married his mother, fulfilling the prophecy in its entirety. The revelation shattered his world – Jocasta hanged herself in shame, and in a moment of unbearable anguish, Oedipus took the brooches from her gown and plunged them into his eyes, blinding himself physically as he had been blind metaphorically to the truth.

The Blinding and Its Aftermath

The scene where Oedipus emerges from the palace, newly blinded and bloodied, stands as one of the most powerful moments in Greek tragedy. The chorus of Theban elders recoils in horror at the sight, their voices rising in a lament that questions divine justice. Oedipus, now physically blind but spiritually awakened, gropes forward, extending his hands in desperate need of human connection despite his self-imposed exile from humanity.

His dialogue with the elders reveals profound psychological torment. He justifies his self-mutilation, arguing that sight would only bring more pain – how could he look upon his parents in the afterlife, or face his children knowing their true nature? His speech alternates between self-loathing and moments of startling clarity about his cosmic position as one cursed by the gods. The once-proud king now sees himself as pollution that must be cast out to cleanse Thebes.

The Arrival of Creon and Final Partings

Creon’s entrance marks a turning point in the drama. Despite Oedipus’s previous mistreatment of him (including accusations of conspiracy), Creon shows remarkable compassion, ordering the blinded king be taken inside and his wounds tended. This moment reveals Greek cultural values about proper treatment of family, even disgraced members, and the importance of maintaining dignity in suffering.

The most heart-wrenching scene follows as Oedipus begs to hold his daughters Antigone and Ismene one last time. His lament over their future – the social stigma they’ll endure, their likely spinsterhood – shows his first clear thinking about consequences beyond his own suffering. This paternal concern, juxtaposed with his earlier self-absorption, marks the beginning of his tragic wisdom. Creon’s promise to care for the girls offers slight comfort as Oedipus is led away to begin his exile.

Cultural and Philosophical Significance

The Oedipus myth resonated deeply with ancient Greek audiences because it engaged their fundamental concerns about the relationship between humans and gods. The story explores several key themes:

The limits of human knowledge: Oedipus’s intelligence (demonstrated by solving the Sphinx’s riddle) proves useless against divine will. His journey represents every person’s struggle against forces beyond their comprehension or control.

The nature of guilt: Though Oedipus commits horrific acts, his lack of intentionality raises profound questions about moral responsibility that still trouble philosophers today.

Sight versus blindness: The recurring imagery contrasts physical and metaphorical vision. Tiresias, physically blind but spiritually sighted, serves as foil to Oedipus, whose physical sight returns only after he blinds himself.

The Enduring Legacy

Sophocles’s dramatization of the Oedipus myth in “Oedipus Rex” (c. 429 BCE) established narrative techniques and psychological depth that would influence Western literature for millennia. Freud’s famous “Oedipus complex” theory, though controversial, demonstrates the myth’s penetration into modern psychology. The play’s structure – with its gradual revelation of terrible truths – became model for detective stories and psychological dramas.

Modern adaptations continue to reinterpret the story. Jean Cocteau’s “The Infernal Machine,” Igor Stravinsky’s opera-oratorio “Oedipus Rex,” and Rita Dove’s poem “The Darker Face of the Earth” all explore different facets of this ancient tale. The character’s journey from arrogant ruler to humbled exile speaks to contemporary concerns about power, identity, and the search for truth in an uncertain world.

The final image of the broken king being led away reminds us of the chorus’s warning about counting no mortal happy until his life ends without suffering. This sobering perspective on human fragility and the capriciousness of fate continues to haunt audiences, making Oedipus’s tragedy as compelling today as it was in fifth-century Athens.