Just as Oedipus’ actions made a vast impact on his own character throughout the play, they also influenced most, if not all, of the other characters. The plague terrorizing Corinth, Laios’ and Jocasta’s death, and the demise of the sphinx were all caused by Oedipus’ actions and decisions. Not to mention how his children were affected.
The ironic thing about this play is that many of Oedipus’ choices were intended to prevent suffering and were intended to protect those he cared about. Just about all of them backfired, though, and caused even more anguish. From the beginning,