Oedipus the King

The story of Oedipus as told by Sophocles in Oedipus the King is famous for presenting a grim and compelling conflict between free will and fate. When Thebes is threatened by a divinely ordained plague, Oedipus, the king, a great and good man famous for his intelligence and courage, is determined to save the city. He launches his own investigation and pursues it relentlessly to its deeply ironic conclusion, an ending which brings to light the horrific secret of his own identity.