How Does Oedipus Finally Discover the Real Identity of the Killer of Laius?

Answer

How does Oedipus finally discover the real identity of the killer of Laius in Oedipus Rex?

Sophocles’ (c. 496 BCE-406 BCE) “Oedipus Rex” (c. 429 BCE) is a classic Greek tragedy. Oedipus, the King of Thebes, is the protagonist of this play.  The play focuses on his quest to discover the truth about King Laius’s murder. Oedipus vows to reveal the identity of the murderer to save his land from a deadly plague. Through a series of revelations, Oedipus finally learns that he himself is the killer. The truth unfolds step by step as Oedipus pieces together his past.

Oedipus’s Determination to Find the Killer: At the beginning of the play, Thebes is suffering from a plague. The Delphic Oracle declares the solution—the plague will end only when the murderer of King Laius is found and punished. Oedipus vows to save Thebes and curses the killer, saying:

Upon the murderer I invoke this curse… may he wear out his life in misery to miserable doom!

He does not know that he is cursing himself. This determination to uncover the truth leads him to discover the murderer of the late king.

Teiresias Discloses the Truth: Teiresias is the blind prophet in this play. Oedipus calls him to help in the investigation. Teiresias initially refuses to speak. The king presses him, and he says:

You yourself are the pollution of this land.

Oedipus does not believe him and accuses Teiresias of lying. This moment marks the first hint that Oedipus might be the killer. However, his pride and anger close his eyes to the truth.

Jocasta’s Story About Laius’ Death: Jocasta (Oedipus’ wife and the queen) tries to calm Oedipus. She tells him not to trust prophecies:

No human being has skill in prophecy.

To prove her point, Jocasta says—long ago, a prophecy said Laius would be killed by his son; but Laius was murdered by strangers at a crossroads, and their baby died in the mountains.

This catches Oedipus’ attention. Oedipus remembers killing a man at a crossroads years earlier. Moreover, Jocasta reveals Laius was an old man traveling with four servants when he was killed at the crossroads. Oedipus starts to panic—because this matches his memory of the fight.

The Messenger from Corinth: A messenger arrives from Corinth, the place where Oedipus was raised. The messenger says Oedipus’ father, King Polybus (King of Corinth), has died. Oedipus feels relieved because he thinks the prophecy (killing his father) is now false. But the messenger adds that Polybus was not his real father. He was adopted and raised by the king and queen of Corinth. This messenger brought Oedipus as a baby to Corinth.

Oedipus realizes he might be the son of Laius and Jocasta. The messenger says a shepherd from Thebes handed him the baby.

The Shepherd’s Confession: Oedipus sends for the shepherd. The shepherd admits that Queen Jocasta gave him the baby. Jocasta wanted to leave the baby on the mountain to die—to avoid the prophecy. However, the shepherd felt sorry for the baby and gave him to the Corinthian messenger.

Oedipus Connects the Dots: Oedipus now understands that he is the baby Jocasta and Laius abandoned. He killed Laius at the crossroads (not knowing it was his father). He married his mother, Jocasta, after becoming king of Thebes.

Jocasta realizes the truth first. She runs into the palace and hangs herself. Oedipus finds her body. He cannot tolerate and blinds himself, saying:

Why should I have eyes when there was nothing sweet for me to see?

In conclusion, Oedipus learns the real identity of the killer of Laius from his investigation—to save Thebes from the plague. He learns that he himself is the killer. Oedipus spent his whole life trying to escape the prophecy, but his actions only made it come true. The play shows that fate is stronger than human plans.