“My parents are really well meaning and I think their way of dealing with things is denial and guilt. Nobody wanted to talk about it. But all I did was blame myself. This quote, said by actress Teri Hatcher about her childhood, refers to the situation of Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Sophocles' Oedipus Rex tells the story of a monarch named Oedipus who becomes the unfortunate victim of circumstances beyond his control. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus' downfall is not the result of excessive arrogance or his own actions, but rather of his parents' shameful actions and uncontrollable aspects of fate. The actions and decisions of Oedipus' parents are an important element in Oedipus's tragic downfall. Before the birth of Oedipus, Laius and Jocasta, the rulers of Thebes, go to the Oracle at Delphi and the seer tells them that their; “…the newborn son would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother” (Oedipus 1). Laius and Jocasta, troubled by this news and determined to prevent the prophecy from coming true, order their son, who will become known as Oedipus, to be killed in an inhumane way; “A nail was driven into the ankles of little Oedipus and he was left on the side of Mount Cithaeron to die” (Oedipus 1). Although Jocasta and Laius believed that Oedipus was dead, he was raised by Polybus, the ruler of Corinth, and his wife Merope. Later in his life, Oedipus has doubts about his true identity and goes to the Oracle at Delphi, which was a sanctuary where many Greeks would go to learn about the future. The Oracle of Delphi does not directly answer his question but instead recounts the prediction previously made to Laius and Jocasta. Oedipus, shocked by the idea that he can kill Polybus, leaves Corinth, goes to Thebes (the place where he was born) ...... middle of paper ...... ipus to save his birthplace, Thebes, from the tyranny of the Sphinx, kill his father and finally marry his mother. Oedipus deeply regrets that he killed his father, even though he did not know that the traveler was his Laius, and that he married his mother, even though he did not know that Jocasta was his mother. It was fate that made these events happen to Oedipus. Oedipus had the courage to atone for actions for which he was not responsible by banishing himself and making himself blind. Sometimes tragic figures become tragic figures without any fault. Works cited "Oedipus - Ancient Greece". Ancient Greece – History, mythology, art, war, culture, society and architecture. Np, nd Web. 20 September 2011..Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. 1906. Reprint. New York: Dover, 1991. Print.