Oedipus: An Apparent Hero

1198 Words3 Pages

Greta Oulman
Windish
English II
3 December 2017

Oedipus: An Apparent “Hero” Did you ever think that a man who killed his father and married his mother would ever be considered a hero? NOBODY DID. (Except the Greeks…) The story of our tragic “hero,” Oedipus, depicts him in the midst of his life, just learning about his adoption and, years later, the birth of his four kids (with his mother) that - apparently - inspired so many people.

Oedipus’ Story
Oedipus’ story is about how he became an apparent “hero”. In the beginning, Oedipus’ father, King Laius, and mother, Queen Jocasta of Thebes wanted to know if they would someday have kids. Laius went to the Oracle of Delphi and asked the burning question.
The Oracle replied that their first son would fulfilled the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother. The king went back and told his wife the horrible news. …show more content…

Laius had the baby’s ankles stabbed (plus his name given: Oedipus meaning swollen feet) and to be left in the mountains to die.
The shepherd he was given to, didn’t want to leave him to die. So, he brought to baby to the kingdom of Corinth. King Polybus and Queen Merope were also childless and decided to adopt little Oedipus.
When he was a grown man, someone said that he wasn’t actually the king and queen’s son. He set out on a journey to see the Oracle of Delphi and to find out the truth. When he go there, the Oracle told him he would kill his father and marry his mother. Upon hearing this, Oedipus vowed to never return to Corinth to make sure the prophecy never came true.
Oedipus decided to start his new life in the kingdom of Thebes. On his way there, he met up with a man and his charioteer. Oedipus argued with the man about who had the right of way. Oedipus got so fed up with him, he killed them both. Little did he know, the man he killed was actually his father, and in doing so, fulfilled the first half of the

Open Document