A tragedy set in Thebes, where a plague is destroying the city. Its king, Oedipus, who is admired for his intelligence and for once saving Thebes, vows to find the cause and drive out whatever pollution has brought the suffering. He questions prophets, relatives and witnesses, and his determined search begins to reveal uncomfortable truths about the city's past and about himself. The play explores fate, knowledge, pride and responsibility. It is often held up as a model of tragic structure, and it has influenced writers and thinkers for over two thousand years.