Oedipus was once an extraordinary king but did not know himself. He didn't know about his childhood, where he came from or even his parents. If he had known about his horrible childhood or maybe even who his parents were, his life would have been dramatically different. He would never know about the prophecy and no one would try to hide what he had done to save his dignity. Throughout the play Oedipus tries to find himself, to solve the lies of the murder and to know his fate. Oedipus' parents try to kill him when he is three days old. Before Oedipus is born, his parents receive a prophecy from the gods. The prophecy states that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. Then they try to prevent its fulfillment by putting a stake between the son's feet and placing him in the middle of a field on the hillside. They hoped that the animals would get to him and tear him apart piece by piece or that the weather that night would be disastrous and they would kill him. They see it as if they were right because they wouldn't kill him, animals or time would. That night, however, exactly the opposite happens; a shepherd saves the child and names him Oedipus. The shepherd takes the child back to the city of Corinth and hands him over to King Polybus. He tells the king where he found him and what condition he was in. The king welcomes him and raises Oedipus as if he were his own son. As Oedipus grows up, he hears rumors around the city that he is not the biological son of King Polybus. He doesn't believe the rumors but goes to the king for answers. King Polibi confirms the rumors and Oedipus becomes angry. He wants to find answers about his origins and why his parents didn't want him. Looking for this gets... half the paper... should have been fiercely changed. He would not have known about the prophecy and no one would have tried to hide what he had done. Throughout the play we see Oedipus discover who he really is and watch him mature. He struggles with the truth throughout the play, but that's what makes it worth it. In the end he may not have made the smartest decision, but he did what he felt was right through what he knew was his destiny. Works Cited Dodds, ER “On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex” Greece and Rome, 13.1. 1966, 37-49: JSTOR. Network. October 13, 2013.Harshbarger, Kari. Sophocles' Oedipus. Washington, DC: of America, 1979. Print.Homer. Oedipus the King. The Norton Anthology: World Literature. vol. A. 3rd ed. New York. London: Norton, 2012.707-747. Print.Johnson, Ian. Sophocles: Oedipus the King. Arlington, VA: Richer, 2007. Print.