Oedipus’ Downfall

In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus’ need for a perfect kingdom, lack of insight, and unwillingness to heed the advice of others leads to his eventual downfall. Almost immediately upon being confronted by the people of Thebes, Oedipus begins to formulate a plan of action for ridding the city of the horrible plague and returning it to prosperity. He then decides to ask help from Apollo’s oracle who tells him that the only way to rid the city of the plague is to uncover the murderer of the former king, Laius. As the story progresses, Oedipus becomes aware that his biological parents are not the king and queen of Corinth, as he previously thought. He then becomes infatuated with uncovering the identities of his true parents. Many people, such as Jocaste, caution him to ignore his past. However, due to his arrogance, Oedipus pursues the answers to his questions. Even after Tiresias’ riddles, Oedipus refuses to accept that he himself is the murderer of Laius. In the end, Oedipus...