Oedipus Rex · Character

Oedipus

Thebes's brilliant, beloved king who once outwitted the Sphinx, now vows to hunt his predecessor's killer and save a dying city.

major

Also known as O Oedipus, King Oedipus, The simple Oedipus, Exit Oedipus, Oedipus Madam, Oedipus The knave methinks, Oedipus Monster, Oedipus Merope

First appearance: Dramatis Personae

As a major figure in Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Listed as the central character in the dramatis personae.

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Oedipus rules Thebes as the man who solved the Sphinx's riddle and won both crown and queen, and when plague strikes he takes the suffering of every citizen as his own: 'Your sorrow touches each man severally... but I grieve at once both for the general and myself and you.' His confidence is total — he has already sent Creon to Delphi and boasts he has 'threaded many a maze of weary thought' to catch one clue of hope. That same certainty, and a temper that flares when anyone questions him, will prove as dangerous as the plague he is trying to cure.

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The fuller portrait of Oedipus sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Oedipus in Dramatis Personae

Character Web

9 connections

A slice of how Oedipus sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Family
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Protagonist
Truth Revealers and Seekers
Background and Catalysts

+4 more in the full Character Web

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Relationships

Herdsman
professional · negative
The Herdsman was a servant who once handed the infant Oedipus over to be abandoned, and… How this plays out →
Jocasta
family · ambivalent
Messenger
professional · ambivalent
Creon
family · negative
Teiresias
rivalry · negative
Laius
family · negative
Teiresias
rivalry · negative
Jocasta
family · ambivalent
Messenger
professional · ambivalent
Herdsman
professional · negative
The Herdsman was a servant who once handed the infant Oedipus over to be abandoned, and… How this plays out →

Herdsman
The Herdsman was a servant who once handed the infant Oedipus over to be abandoned, and later reluctantly reveals the truth to Oedipus.
Jocasta
Jocasta is Oedipus's mother and later his unwitting wife, a relationship that becomes the central tragic irony of the play.
Messenger
The Messenger brings news of Polybus's death and inadvertently reveals the truth about Oedipus's adoption, acting as a catalyst for the tragedy.
Creon
Creon is Oedipus's uncle and brother-in-law, but their relationship is strained by Oedipus's accusations of conspiracy and Creon's loyalty to Thebes.
Teiresias
Oedipus and Teiresias are antagonists, with Oedipus angrily rejecting the prophet's accusations and Teiresias stubbornly revealing the painful truth.
Laius
Laius is Oedipus's biological father, but their relationship is defined by Laius's attempt to kill his son and Oedipus's unwitting patricide.
Teiresias
Oedipus and Teiresias are antagonists, with Oedipus angrily rejecting the prophet's accusations and Teiresias stubbornly revealing the painful truth.
Jocasta
Jocasta is Oedipus's mother and later his unwitting wife, a relationship that becomes the central tragic irony of the play.
Messenger
The Messenger brings news of Polybus's death and inadvertently reveals the truth about Oedipus's adoption, acting as a catalyst for the tragedy.
Herdsman
The Herdsman was a servant who once handed the infant Oedipus over to be abandoned, and later reluctantly reveals the truth to Oedipus.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Oedipus in Dramatis Personae

In the story

Oedipus appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Dramatis Personae

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Oedipus unlock in the free preview.

See Oedipus in Dramatis Personae