Works

Oedipus Rex

Citation Formats

General Reference

Literature Atlas. "Oedipus Rex." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://dev-literature.interactiveatlas.org/works/oedipus-rex.

APA Style

Literature Atlas. (n.d.). Oedipus Rex. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://dev-literature.interactiveatlas.org/works/oedipus-rex

BibTeX

@misc{literatureatlas-oedipus-rex,
  author = {Literature Atlas},
  title = {Oedipus Rex},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://dev-literature.interactiveatlas.org/works/oedipus-rex},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

Oedipus Rex, also known as Oedipus Tyrannus or Oedipus the King, is an Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles, thought to have been first performed around 429 BC, although this is highly uncertain. Although it won only second place at its initial performance, it was later considered by Aristotle one of the greatest Greek tragedies and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest plays of Western literature and the most famous of all Greek tragedies. The play concerns Oedipus, who has become king of Thebes while unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother, searching for the murderer of the previous king in order to end a plague ravaging Thebes, unaware that the killer he seeks is himself.

Facts

Disputed

Composed, From (Year)

429 BCE 1

Wikipedia's lead states the play is thought to have first been performed circa 429 BC, but calls this "highly uncertain".

Cross-Tradition Connections