The document provides background information on the characters and plot of the Greek tragedy Oedipus the King by Sophocles. It summarizes that Oedipus becomes king by solving the riddle of the Sphinx but is blind to the truth about his past, having unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. When a plague strikes Thebes, Oedipus seeks to uncover the murderer of the previous king and eventually discovers through prophecies and witnesses that he himself is the killer he seeks. Upon this revelation, Jocasta commits suicide and Oedipus blinds himself in horror and grief over his unwitting acts of patricide and incest.

1. Oedipus the King By: Teresa Yuh-yi 談玉儀 From: SparkNotes 談玉儀