King Laius of Thebes had a son with his wife Queen Jocasta. However Laius was cursed due to a crime he committed in his youth and he learned from an oracle that his son will murder him and marry Jocasta. Laius bound the child's feet together and ordered his wife to kill their only child. Jocasta - despite knowing the prophecy - couldn't kill her son so she ordered a servant to do it. The servant took pity on the child and that servant left him on a mountain top to leave the child to die from exposure. A nomadic Sheppard and his wife came across the child and rescued him, named him Oedipus and taken to the childless king and queen of Corrinth, Polybus and Merope. As a young man, he heard a rumour that he was not the true son of the king and queen as he was never informed of his adoption and went to the oracle to know the truth. It was here he was told the prophecy. Still believing he was the son of his (adopted) parents by blood he left the city immediately as he loved his family and would never do anything to hurt them.
On his way to another city, he came across an arrogant wealthy man on the road where they argued over who had right of way. After the wealthy man attempted to run him over with his chariot, Oedipus threw the man from his chariot and killed him, continuing on his way. He then came across a divine beast - the sphinx that guarded the gates of the city, refusing to allow entry. The sphinx riddle asked a riddle. If the traveller could not answer it, they would be eaten.
"What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?"
Due to Oedipus' circumstances with his disfigurement and walking staff, he managed to come across the answer. "Man". Man crawled on all fours at birth, walked on two feet as an adult and used a cane in old age. The sphinx acknowledged defeat and then jumped off a cliff, killing itself. Hailed as the saviour of the city, he was made the new king as the last one recently died in a bandit attack. He married the queen, who despite being old enough to be his mother, retained her good looks and their marriage was 'Fruitful', having four children in quick succession.
However a plague struck the city and Oedipus was told by the prophet Tiresias it was because the murderer of the past king was not avenged and the murderer "shall be a native citizen of Thebes, brother and father to his own children, and son and husband to his own mother." and that Oedipus himself was the murder. Oedipus' wife comforted him by saying the old king was killed by a group of bandits and as such the prophecy that he would be killed by his own son never came true. An accusation came that Oedipus was one of those men so he brought in a Sheppard to give evidence. The Sheppard said he rescued a baby and gave him to king Polybus he also gave a message that Polybus has died, Merope was never his mother and he witnessed the kings murder. The queen has put the truth together at this point. Everyone did but Oedipus. After the queen walked out, Oedpius threatened the shepard who revealed child he gave away was "Laius's own son, and that Jocasta had given the baby to the shepherd to secretly be exposed upon the mountainside. This was done in fear of the prophecy that Jocasta said had never come true: that the child would kill his father. Oedipus realised the truth. His mother was queen Jocasta who he wedded and bedded and had murdered his father. After Jocasta hung herself, he took her broach and blinded himself in despair before being exiled. Tada. Everyone is super miserable forever the end.
Originally Posted by RoydGolden
Done.
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