.
After this, Oedipus is determined to find out who he is. Unable to leave things the way they are and by stubbornly investigating his own past, Oedipus becomes his worst own enemy by destroying himself. At this point, a messenger arrives from Oedipus' old home stating that his father Polybus has died. Still thinking that Polybus was his true father, Oedipus rejoices at the fact that the prophecy he would kill his father and marry his mother was not true, but then the messenger also relates the story that Polybus and Merope are not Oedipus' true parents. .
Jocasta, Oedipus' mother and wife, sees that Oedipus is troubled. She tries to stop his misery with what she knows. But everything becomes more complicated. With her knowledge, she knows that there was one eyewitness there that saw Laius' attackers as a band of robbers, she tries to calm Oedipus and tell him he had nothing to do with it, but as their conversation becomes more and more intense, both Oedipus and Jocasta realize they have hit something serious, as the coincidences between Oedipus' past and the way Laius died show that they are inevitably from the same incident-The crossing of three roads, the description of what Laius looked like, his entourage, the time of day, etc. With this realization Jocasta figures out that Oedipus is the culprit. She warns him to drop the subject for his own good, and not to pursue it anymore, but Oedipus wants to learn the entire truth, thinking that Jocasta is just upset at the fact that he might not be of noble blood. .
Of course Oedipus doesnt and continues on his quest for knowledge. Interestingly, one of Socrates quotes can be applied in this context to Oedipus, the fact that the "unexamined life is not worth living." It is hard to argue whether or not in the case of Oedipus it would have been better to be oblivious to the truth and continue living a life in Corinth that was prosperous and fulfilling, or rather to find the truth and face the consequences.