In running away from his home and family, Oedipus seems to fulfill his sad destiny even as he tries to outwit his fate. .
On his journey away from his childhood home he meets and murders a stranger at a crossroad. When Oedipus arrives in Thebes, he heroically solves the riddle of the sphinx and is made King in honor of saving the city. In becoming King, Oedipus marries the Queen of Thebes, who was recently widowed. The new King and the Queen of Thebes start having children together and years later as plagues begin to terrorize the city, Oedipus vows to save the city yet again. The former King's unnatural end is the reason the city is being plagued by the gods. Oedipus bravely declares to find and destroy the former King's murder. .
The truth that Oedipus so desperately seeks for the good of his kingdom begins to take its toll on his family, his kingdom, and himself. A blind seer warns Oedipus against his search for the truth, saying "Just send me home. You bear your burdens, I'll bear mine. It's better that way, please believe me."" Even being warned against seeking the truth, asking questions he would rather not hear answers too, Oedipus pushes on: "Strange response unlawful, unfriendly to the state that bred and reared you-you withhold the word of god."" Oedipus criticizes the man for trying to persuade Oedipus away from the truth. "I'd rather not cause pain for you or me- Tiresias the seer tells Oedipus. Yet Oedipus, arrogantly, cannot resist solving yet another puzzle for his kingdom. After a long search for the truth, a messenger comes from Corinth, bearing news for Oedipus "The people there, they want to make your Oedipus king of Corinth, so they're saying now."" To which Jocasta, Queen of Thebes who receives this information before her husband, replies, "Polybus, dead? "dead?- This is wonderful news for Oedipus for no longer must he fear killing his father, because Polybus, King of Corinth has died of illness or old age; Sophocles was not specific in his manner of death.
