Critical Casebook: Sophocles!!

Honestly, I didn’t bother about this book when I get it for the first time. The language itself had made me felt very lazy to read it. But, I had to force myself to read it for my drama’s class. I had to do it so..huuuuuu...Since Dr. Edwin was the one who reading together with us through the lines in class, it had made our days more easier in order to understand the story line. Then, I started to enjoy my drama class and tried to get into the text. Hopefully, by the end of this semester, all of us will be able to answer the final and here I would like to retell the story based on my understanding with you guys. Laius and Jocasta were king and queen of Thebes, a town in Greece. One day, they had a baby boy. An oracle prophesied that the boy would grow up and kill his father and marry his mother. To thwart the prophecy, Laius and Jocasta decided to kill their baby. In those days, it was usual to leave an unwanted or defective baby in the wilderness. Laius and Jocasta did this. To be extra-sure, they pierced his little feet and tied them together. A kindly shepherd found the baby. He gave the baby to a friend, who took it to Corinth, another town. The king and queen of Corinth couldn't have a baby of their own. So they adopted the foundling. Nobody ever told little Oedipus that his mother was never pregnant. One day, after he had grown up, a drunk mentioned his being adopted. Oedipus questioned his parents, but they denied it. Oedipus visited various oracles to find out whether he was really adopted. All the oracles told him instead that he would kill his father and marry his mother. To thwart the oracles, Oedipus left Corinth permanently. Travelling the roads, Oedipus got into a traffic squabble and killed a stranger who (unknown to him) was King Laius. In one version, there was a dispute over right-of-way on a bridge. In those days, high rank got to go first, Oedipus identified himself as heir to the throne of Corinth, and for some reason Laius's people simply attacked instead of explaining that he was king of Thebes. Some versions say that the rude Laius drove over Oedipus's sore foot, making him lose his temper. Soon Oedipus's smarts saved the town of Thebes, and he was made king. Oedipus married Laius's widow, Queen Jocasta. He ruled well, and they had four children. Eventually, Oedipus and Jocasta found out what had really happened. Here, you must assume that accidentally killing your father and marrying your mother is a disaster. Jocasta committed suicide, and Oedipus blinded himself and became a wandering beggar. From this story, Dr. Edwin had asked us to pay close attention to the aspects of dramatic irony, elements of fate (moira), the riddle and how Oedipus solves it and its far reaching consequences, the prophesies and how they are fulfilled, the tragic flow in Oedipus and some other aspects. From this time, I will try to find out all these aspects and will use all the information about Oedipus Rex that I have gained from Dr. Edwin’s class for my final exam preparation.