Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

Perhaps the oldest and most famous murder mystery of all times? Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Recently, I had been drawn back to some ancient Greek literature (which I originally studied in college as a dodge from taking more foreign language courses), and that led me back to Sophocles whose story was an inspiration to Freud whose theories continue to impact our society. Oedipus Rex is a short and powerful read.

The King and Queen of Thebes received a horrible prophesy about their newly born son, Oedipus, that he would kill his father and marry his mother. King Lauis and Queen Jocasta  sent their baby boy at three days of age into the hills with a shepherd where he should have died. But, the shepherd who knew nothing of the prophesy passed him on to another, who took Oedipus to another kingdom where he was raised as the son of Polybus, the king of Corinth. Polybus never told Oedipus that he was an orphan, but Oedipus also received the prophesy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. In order to avoid his fate, he fled Corinth, and in the course of his travels, he encountered a group of men who were traveling. A dispute arose among them, and the powerful Oedipus killed four of the five men, one of them escaping to carry the news of Lauis’ death back to the Royal Palace of Thebes. Soon, Oedipus arrived there and in fact became the new king and wedded the former Queen, not knowing he had fulfilled the prophesy.

It was only many years later when Polybus died and Corinth sent a messenger to Thebes to retrieve Oedipus that the real fate of Oedipus, Laius and Jocasta came to light. Oedipus and Jocasta put the facts together and realized that it was Oedipus who had killed Lauis, his biological father, and then wedded his biological mother. Unable to live with this news, Jocasta hung herself. Guilt stricken to have fallen into the horrible ending he had sought to avoid, Oedipus blinded himself and was sent into exile to live out his days.

This play ends with the Chorus:

Dwellers in Thebes, behold this Oedipus,

The man who solved the riddle marvelous,

A prince of men,

Whose lot what citizen

Did not with envy see,

How deep the billows of calamity

Above him role.

Watch therefore and regard that supreme day;

And of no mortal say

“That man is happy,’ till

Vexed by no grievous ill

He pass Life’s goal.

Maybe you’re not ready to dive into ancient Greek literature, but it is the beginning of so much that we read today.