Oedipus Tyrannus, also known as Oedipus the King, is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in the 5th century BC. It tells the story of Oedipus, a man who becomes the king of Thebes after solving the riddle of the Sphinx and freeing the city from her curse. However, unbeknownst to Oedipus, he has actually fulfilled a prophecy that he would marry his mother and kill his father.
The story begins with Thebes being plagued by a mysterious illness that has caused crops to fail and the people to suffer. Oedipus, the newly crowned king, is determined to find the cause of the plague and put an end to it. He sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to consult the Oracle at Delphi, who reveals that the plague will only end when the murderer of the previous king, Laius, is brought to justice.
Oedipus, not knowing that he himself is the murderer, sets out to find the killer. As he investigates, he begins to uncover disturbing truths about his own past. He learns that he was adopted as a baby after being abandoned on the side of a mountain, and that he was given to the king and queen of Corinth, who raised him as their own son.
However, as Oedipus continues to dig deeper, he discovers that the king and queen of Corinth are not his real parents, but rather that he is the son of the former king and queen of Thebes, Laius and Jocasta. He also realizes that he has unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy that he would marry his mother and kill his father, as he has married Jocasta and killed Laius.
Upon realizing the truth, Oedipus is overcome with grief and horror, and he blinds himself as a punishment for his actions. Jocasta, upon learning the truth, hangs herself in despair. Oedipus is left alone, a tragic figure who has brought destruction upon himself and those around him due to his own actions and the fulfillment of a prophecy that he could not avoid.
Oedipus Tyrannus is a powerful tale of fate and the consequences of one's actions. It serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of hubris and the ultimate futility of attempting to defy the will of the gods.