Oedipus the King/Definition

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Oedipus the King [r]: A drama by the Greek playwright Sophocles which became the inspiration for Sigmund Freud to develop his theory of the Oedipus complex. The story is about a baby who has been prophesized to grow up to murder his father and marry his mother; in a flawed effort to prevent this horrific fate, steps are taken which, unfortunately have the effect of bringing about this dreaded series of events. By growing up in another place, Oedipus doesn't know who his real father is, and kills a man along a road not realizing that the stranger is, indeed, his real father. Oedipus marries the man's wife, Jocasta, who is really his mother. Since the natural order has been disturbed, crops won't grow, and Oedipus, obstinately pursues the truth which, he learns to his dismay, causes him to poke out his eyes. The irony is that the blind man can now see the truth.