The book, ’’Oedipus The King, ’’ or at least the copy that I have, translated by Bernard M. Knox is written in play form, making it slightly confusing to read. My copy is dated 1972.
The story is amazingly lifelike with very high quality and reaches the souls of mankind. This book was written during a time that fate, a preconceived destiny, over rode everything that a person did to escape what was to be their lot in life. The story focuses on how destiny will come to be regardless of the actions taken to prevent the foretold fate.
The story begins with a baby being born to a King and Queen. A prophet of sorts, alludes that one day the child will kill his father. The father then decides to destroy the child. The child is taken to a field by a shepard and is to be left to die.
The shepherd however can not commit such an act and gives the child to someone else. The child comes to the King and Queen of another land and is raised as their own son.
Once the child is grown, he learns of the prophecy that he will one day kill his father and thinking that it refers to the parents he has known, he leaves – in order to avoid his destiny.
On the road he meets a man and because of circumstances (read the book and find out!) he kills the man.
He then meets a widowed woman and marries her.
Later, he finds out that the man he killed was his birth father and the woman he married is his birth mother!
To find out how he deals with this situation and what happens to his life after the truths are uncovered - read the book!
It is a story filled with ancient secrets, a fulfillment of a prophecy and a mans attempt to avoid allowing prophecy to come true – READ Oedipus by Sophocles! The book really is quite amazing and the story line is great!