freed us from the tax we paid
And now, O Oedipus, our peerless king,
All we thy votaries beseech thee, find
Some succor, whether by a voice from heaven
Whispered, or haply known by human wit (lines 35-49).
So it can be seen that Oedipus is a man of high position (king) who is esteemed by his people. He is not only ruler, but also husband and father. Therefore he fits StaggÆs first requirement of being a character of enough stature to ensure that his suffering will be significant.
The gods have decreed that the child of Laius and Jocasta will kill his father and marry his mother. Walton (1995) points out that, although Laius and Jocasta, as well as Oedipus have heard this prophecy, each in their own way chooses to defy the gods somehow. Laius and Jocasta choose to ignore the warning and have a child anyway. The man meant to expose the child has pity on it. The king and queen of Corinth fail to inform Oedipus of his origin. Oedipus, in turn, when he hears the Oracle at Delphi tell him that he will
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