Many years after Oedipus famously solved the riddle of the Sphinx and ascended to the throne, a curse descends upon Thebes in the form of a terrible plague. This persistent blight ravages the land: crops wither in the fields, livestock succumbs to sickness, and families lose women and children. In this dire time, Creon, Oedipus’s brother, returns from the Oracle of Delphi. He brings news of a cure: the plague will lift once the murderer of the late King Laius is identified and banished from the city. To save his people, Oedipus embarks on a quest to uncover the killer’s identity. However, as he delves deeper into his investigation, he begins to unearth shocking revelations about his own origins, and of the prophetic actions that brought the curse.

Oedipus Rex was written for a festival competition, and is thought to have been first performed around 467 BC. While it didn’t win the competition, Aristotle considered it to be the play that best followed his outline for how drama should be composed. Today, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest plays—and perhaps stories—ever written.