Oedipus Rex

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of Thebes and his bodyguards. When they almost ran him over Oedipus attacked them killing the bodyguards and his father, thinking that they were highway bandits, and by doing so he unwittingly fulfilled the prophecy. When he realizes this he is devastated. This really contributes to the theme, that you cannot escape your past. The fact that he killed a king and his father no less, is a major factor in his exile later in the story.
When he discovers that King Laios was his real father he sees that by not running away that he could have prevented this whole catastrophe. This just goes to show that hindsight is always 20/20, Oedipus saw this and realized his mistake. Him realizing that he cannot go back and change his past is also a big theme of the story. This fact too. plays a big part in his mental breakdown later in the story.
After he kills his father he is walks further down the road when he is accosted by the Sphinx who tells him that if he cannot answer her riddle correctly ...

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