muses

Oedipus

Long, long ago, there was a king named Laius and a queen named Jocasta. One day this king of Thebes went to the Delphic Oracle for advice about his brand new baby boy, Oedipus. They hoped he would give them very good fortune, but they did not get what they expected. The oracle predicted that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. After hearing this, King Laius tried to kill his son by binding his ankles together and abandoning him upon a mountain to die. By good fortune, the baby was found by a kind shepherd and brought to King Polybus and Queen Merope, rulers of Corinth. They took him in as their own son. After many years, Oedipus grew in to a fine young man. One day,while out exploring, he came to a fork in the road. While he was thinking about which way to go, a very large chariot with five attendants and a strong old man appeared out of nowhere. The old man started yelling at Oedipus to get out of his way and threatening him with his scepter. Oedipus became so angry that he grabbed the scepter and threw the old man off balance, so that he fell from the chariot. He tried to get up but Oedipus hit him again and again until the old man fell to the ground dead. One of the attendants tried to attack, but failed. In his wild rage Oedipus, killed four of the servants. As the one remaining attendant rode away, Oedipus yelled, "Tell your people not to cross me again." He walked for many days until one day he came to a place where there were large gates, a place known as Thebes. A guard told him that the city was closed off, for their king had been murdered. The queen's brother had been ruling the kingdom until someone could pass the test to become king. The test was to kill the Sphinx, a monster with a lion's winged body and the head and torso of a beautiful woman.

The Sphinx and Oedipsus made a bargain that if he correctly guessed her riddle, he could kill her; if he guessed incorrectly, she would get to devour him. The riddle was, " What creature walks first on four legs, then on two, and finally on three?"

Oedipus answered, "MAN, because a baby crawls or walks on four legs, when he's grown, he walks on two. In old age, he uses a cane; that makes three!" That was right! Oedipus walked slowly back to Thebes. Every one had heard about the death of the Sphinx. Oedipus became king and married Queen Jocasta. They had four children, two boys and two girls. Ater many years, a terrible plague came to Thebes. Oedipus went to an oracle to ask how to end the plague.

That oracle told him that he must find the murderer of the old king. Another oracle told Oedipus that he was the murderer; he had killed his own father. Eventually, they discovered the shepherd who had rescued Oediupus as a baby. He said to Oedipus, "You are no more King Polybus' son than I am." He told him that he was found on a mountain and taken to to the city of Corinth where he was given to the king and queen. Oedipus learned that he had married his mother and killed his father. After finding out that horrible news, he ran into Jocasta's room and saw, on the wall, the shadow of his dead mother and wife, for she had hung herself. He pulled the brooches from her hair and stuck them in his eyes. Oedipus had to leave, for he brought shame on the city. He was banished to wander the wide world and his faithful daughter, Antigone, went with him. One day, they stopped at a wooded area called Colonus. The gods told Oedipus that he would soon die and that this is were it would happen. One day his other daughter, Ismene, came and told him that his sons were fighting over Thebes. Eteocles held the throne and Polynices was ready to attack the city. Jocasta's brother Creon wanted Oedipus back to rule the city. Oedipus would not go. That night, a horrible storm came. Polynices came to see Oedipus. He wanted him to attack Thebes with him. Oedipus yelled, "No, I will not go." Polynices left after asking Antigone to make sure he would get a proper burial. The storm came pouring down. Oedipus went to his final resting place. When he got there, he opened his arms to the sky. There came a crash of thunder, followed by silence. The gods had taken away the body of the tragic king.

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