When The Power Of Truth Is Defeating The Power Of The King

The play that is going to be analyzed in this paper is entitled Oedipus The King. The playwright who wrote the play is Sophocles. It was first performed c. 429 BC. Sophocles was born in 497/496 BCE at Colonus. Moreover, he wrote 123 plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form: Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. Oedipus the king was the story that already known by people as a real story in Thebes, where the play setting. The story tells the tragic life story of King Oedipus. It was the second of Sophocles's three Theban plays to be produced and followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone. Then, in 406/405 BCE, aged 90, Sophocles died at Athens. The Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, tells a story about the fate of the king Oedipus. In the play, the audience first can see how the Oedipus becomes the king of Thebes. He answering the riddle from the Spinx (winged female monster at Thebes that ate men who could not answer her riddle). It can be seen from the part of the play below which is said by priest in the first of play.

PRIEST: ... You came and by your coming saved our city, 40 freed us from the tribute which we paid of old to the Sphinx,7 cruel singer. This you did in virtue of no knowledge we could give you, in virtue of no teaching; it was God that aided you, men say, and you are held 45 with God’s assistance to have saved our lives. Now Oedipus, Greatest in all men’s eyes, here falling at your feet we all entreat you, find us some strength for rescue....

Meanwhile, the king Oedipus tries to find out the Laius murder. Laius is the king before Oedipus who died without somebody knows what happened actually. Oedipus actually does not know about Laius before Creon, his brother in law, tell him.

CREON: My lord, before you piloted the state we had a king called Laius.
OEDIPUS: I know of him by hearsay. I have not seen him.

Furthermore,