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Oedipus Facts & Worksheets

Oedipus was the King of Thebes who unwittingly murdered his father and married his mother.

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In Greek mythology, Oedipus was the King of Thebes who unwittingly murdered his father and married his mother. He correctly answered the Sphinx’s riddle, gaining the now-vacant kingdom of Thebes and marrying his mother, the widowed Queen Jocasta. Years later, they discovered the truth about their relationship, leading Jocasta to commit suicide and Oedipus to go blind.

See the fact file below for more information on Oedipus, or you can download our 29-page Oedipus worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ETYMOLOGY

  • The name derives from the Latinized form of the Greek ‘oidipous,’ meaning “swollen foot,” from ‘oideo’ “to swell” and ‘pous’ “foot.” 
  • In Greek mythology, Oedipus was the son of Theban king Laius and his wife, Jocasta, who unintentionally fulfilled a prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother.

MYTHOLOGY

  • The childless King of Thebes, Laius, wanted to consult the Oracle of Delphi to find out if he and his wife would ever have children. To his chagrin, the oracle advised him that it would be best for him if they didn’t. 
  • Any boy produced from their marriage would be destined to murder him. 
  • Laius tried to avoid his wife’s bed as much as he could, but a night of revelry and sweet-tasting wine undid all his efforts. 
  • Jocasta became pregnant and eventually gave birth to a son.

OEDIPUS, THE ABANDONED PRINCE

  • To counter the prophecy, Laius ordered his servants to break the baby’s ankles, preventing it from even crawling, which would cause him to be weak. 
  • To be even safer, he entrusted his son to one of Thebes’ shepherds, instructing him to abandon the baby in the mountains to die. 
  • Because the shepherd could not do so, he gave the infant to a second shepherd who happened to pasture his flocks on the same mountain.

OEDIPUS ADOPTED

  • This second shepherd, a Corinthian, took pity on the boy and carried him to the court of King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth. 
  • The royal couple, who were also childless, chose to adopt and raise the poor baby as their own. They named the boy Oedipus, which means “swollen foot,” after his ankle scars. 
  • When Oedipus was older, a drunkard told him that Polybus and Merope were not his birth parents. 
  • Oedipus decided to explore this revelation and traveled to Delphi to obtain the truth from the Oracle. 
  • Instead of seeking the answer, the oracle told him he would kill his father and marry his mother.
  • When he heard this, Oedipus planned to leave Corinth as soon as possible and travel as far north as possible, in the fated direction of his birth town, Thebes.

DEATH OF LAIUS

  • On his way, he came across a chariot bearing King Laius, his biological father, at a tiny three-way crossroads at Daulis. 
  • The charioteers of Oedipus and Laius began arguing about who had the right of way. 
  • Oedipus killed the charioteer and his father due to the quarrel, unintentionally completing the first half of his prophecy. Only one of Laius’ attendants escaped from Oedipus’ anger.

THE SPHINX

  • Soon after, Oedipus encountered the monstrous Sphinx, who had terrorized Thebes for some time, destroying crops and destroying travelers who had either refused to answer her riddle or had responded to it incorrectly. 
  • The Sphinx posed the same question to Oedipus as she had to the previous unfortunates: “What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night?” 
  • No one had ever gotten the question right before. But, after careful consideration, Oedipus solved the riddle. 
  • The answer goes, “Man – who crawls on all fours as a baby, then on two legs as an adult, and then with a walking stick in old age.”
  • The Sphinx, unable to endure that someone had accurately answered her riddle, threw herself off the rock she was seated on and died.

OEDIPUS THE KING

  • Creon, the widowed Jocasta’s brother and Oedipus’ uncle, was the temporary ruler of Thebes at the time. 
  • Even before Oedipus arrived, Creon vowed that whoever killed the Sphinx would be rewarded with the queen’s hand and the reign of Thebes. 
  • As a result, unknown to him or anyone else, Oedipus’ reward for freeing Thebes from the Sphinx was cruel, which was his father’s crown and marriage to his mother. 
  • Oedipus and Jocasta had four children, none of whom recognized the other: Eteocles, Polynices, Antigone, and Ismene.

THE PLAGUE

  • Years later, Thebes was ravaged by a devastating disease. Oedipus, determined to cure his city, did everything he could to discover what caused the plague. 
  • When Creon returned from a consultation with the Oracle at Delphi, he spread the news that the plague was divine retribution for the killer of Laius, who still hadn’t received his justice. 
  • Oedipus swore a solemn oath to find him and punish him severely,  having no idea that the killer was, in fact, him. 
  • Oedipus confronted the prophet Tiresias, who, despite his blindness, was wiser and more perceptive than his interrogator.
  • Tiresias, forced to explain everything he knew, pointed the finger of blame at the Theban king. 
  • On the other hand, Oedipus refused to think that he had anything to do with Laius’ death and instead blamed Tiresias for conspiring with Creon to remove him.

THE TRUTH

  • Jocasta attempted to console Oedipus while informing him of the events that led to her husband’s death. 
  • They sounded suspiciously similar to his unexpected encounter with the unknown charioteer at Daulis, and Oedipus, visibly concerned, sent for Laius’ servant, who survived the tragedy. 
  • However, before the servant arrived, a messenger from Corinth entered the palace and notified everyone that Polybus had died.
  • Oedipus, who believed Polybus is his birth father, was happy to hear this but fearful that the second part of the prophecy would come true and refused to attend the funeral to avoid meeting his mother. 
  • The messenger assured Oedipus that he need not be concerned because he knew that Polybus and Merope were not his parents. 
  • He is, after all, the shepherd who delivered them the ankle-pierced Oedipus when he was only a baby.

SELF-BLINDING

  • Jocasta required no further proof. She departed the scene in anguish and hanged herself in her chamber. 
  • Still skeptical, Oedipus awaited the lone eyewitness to Laius’ murder, only to discover that the worst is true. He had murdered his father years before marrying his mother. 
  • Oedipus searched for Jocasta and, discovering her lifeless body, removed two golden pins from her gown and pricked his eyes. 
  • He banished himself from the city, as he had promised the killer of Laius; accompanied by his daughter and sister Antigone, Oedipus arrived at the court of King Theseus of Athens, where they were enthusiastically received.
  • Years later, after cursing his disobedient sons, Oedipus is suddenly kidnapped by the gods at a location known only to his host Theseus.

THE AFTERMATH

  • Following Oedipus’ death, his sons Polynices and Eteocles resolved to share the reign of Thebes; however, when Eteocles refused to relinquish the throne once his time was up, Polynices fled Thebes and returned with an army. 
  • The assault of the Seven Against Thebes ends in the deaths of both brothers on the battlefield, and the burial conditions become a source of disagreement between Antigone and the once-again Theban king, Creon.

FAMILY

  • Laius and Jocasta’s biological son is Oedipus.
  • The royal couple, King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth, who is childless, chose to adopt and raise the baby and named it Oedipus. 
  • Oedipus marries his mother, who bears his two sons (Polynices and Eteocles) and two daughters (Ismene and Antigone).
  • Because they are the offspring of a mother and a son, these four children are both Jocasta’s children and grandkids, as well as Oedipus’ children and siblings.

SYMBOLISM

Swollen Foot

  • Oedipus’ wounded ankle represents how fate has marked and distinguished him. It also describes how Apollo‘s prophecy to Laius has limited and constrained his movements from birth.

The Three-Way Crossroads

  • A crossroads is a site where someone must make a decision. Hence crossroads typically represent occasions when decisions have significant effects, but different options are still available. The crossroads represent fate and the immense power of prophecy rather than freedom and choice. 

OEDIPUS REX IN POPULAR CULTURE

  • Oedipus Rex tells the story of King Oedipus of Thebes, who realizes that he killed his biological father, Laius, and unintentionally married his mother, Jocasta. Many consider it the epitome of Greek tragedy and, without a doubt, the pinnacle of Sophocles’ accomplishments.
  • Oedipus Rex was written and performed initially between 430 and 426 BCE. Despite its age, many of the play’s primary themes remain pertinent in today’s world. Its themes are fate, ignoring the truth, and the notion that blindness permits one to see the truth appropriately.

Perseus Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Oedipus across 29 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Oedipus, who was the King of Thebes who unwittingly murdered his father and married his mother.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Oedipus Facts
  2. Fact Check
  3. Mortal Book
  4. Characters of Tragedy
  5. Oedipus Rex
  6. Riddle Me This!
  7. A Terrible Prophecy
  8. Wordscape
  9. The Aftermath
  10. Symbol Reflection
  11. Editorial Cartoon

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Oedipus known for?

In Greek mythology, Oedipus killed his father and married his mother without knowing they were related. Sophocles told the story of Oedipus in a famous tragedy.

Why did Oedipus marry his mother?

A prophet told Oedipus that, when he grew up, he would kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus left home to prevent himself from doing these terrible things. He did not know that his adoptive parents were Jocasta and Laius.

Why did Oedipus cut his eyes out?

When Oedipus learned that he had unwittingly killed his father Laius and married his mother Jocasta, he was horrified. As a result, he gouged out his own eyes and exiled himself from Thebes.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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