Illustration: Gunnalug Moen
Prologue
Laius, King of Thebes, has been killed on the open road by an unknown assailant. Shortly afterwards Oedipus arrives in Thebes, which is plagued by the deadly Sphinx. Oedipus saves the city by correctly answering one of the Sphinx's riddles. As a reward, he is appointed as the new King, and he marries Laius's widow, Queen Jocasta.
Act I
In Thebes a virulent plague has broken out. The men of the city go to Oedipus to ask him to save the city. Oedipus is already aware of the problem: he has sent his brother-in-law Creon to see the Oracle at Delphi for advice.
Creon comes back and recites the Oracle's message. The plague is a punishment because the city is harbouring Laius's murderer. The only way to rid the city of the plague is to avenge the murder of Laius.
Oedipus trusts his own wisdom. He promises to discover who the murderer is and prescribe a fitting punishment. Oedipus seeks out the soothsayer Tiresias to hear who the murderer might be, but initially Tiresias refuses to speak. Angry that he won't respond, Oedipus accuses Tiresias himself of being the killer. Provoked into speaking, Tiresias proclaims that the murderer of Laius is himself a King. Oedipus is horrified, and accuses Tiresias of having taken sides with Creon, who he suspects wants the royal throne for himself.
Act II
Queen Jocasta calms their dispute by claiming that Oracles always lie. It was, for example, predicted that her husband, Laius, would be killed by his own son, whilst in reality he was murdered by an unknown man at a crossroads. This further alarms Oedipus, who remembers that 12 years ago he killed an old man at a crossroads before he came to Thebes.
A messenger arrives in the city to announce the death of King Polybus of Corinth, Oedipus's father. However the messenger also reveals that Polybus was not, in fact, Oedipus's real father. An old shepherd arrives; he testifies that he found Oedipus abandoned in the mountains, with his feet pierced and bound. Jocasta realises the connection: when Laius heard the prophecy that he would be murdered by his son, he resolved to kill the child. However Jocasta had shown compassion and instead left the baby in the mountains. Now, she flees the room, and the truth comes out: Oedipus is Laius’s and Jocasta’s son, his father's murderer and his mother's husband.
With this insight Oedipus is crushed. The messenger brings more news: Jocasta is dead; she has hanged herself in her room. Oedipus rushes into their bedchamber and puts out his own eyes. He leaves Thebes forever while the chorus express first anger, then grief over the loss of their beloved queen.