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Oedipus was a tragic hero of Greek mythology, a king doomed to a dire fate because he unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. His story is the tale of someone who, because he did not know his true identity, followed the wrong path in life. Once he had set foot on that path, his best qualities could not save him from the results of actions that violated the laws of gods and men. Oedipus represents two enduring themes of Greek myth and drama: the flawed nature of humanity and an individual's powerlessness against the course of destiny in a harsh universe.

The Myth. The story begins with a son born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebesancient Egyptian city on the Nile River. The oraclepriest or priestess or other creature through whom a god is believed to speak; also the location (such as...