5. Oedipus' attempt to avoid fulfillment of the oracle is an example of his deliberate and thoughtful action. Confronted with Apollo's terrible prophecy, he exiles himself from Corinth forever and later marries Jocasta, thus conclusively nullifying the or

The origins of this play in the Oedipus myth (see 'Oedipus and Myth') create an compelling question about foreknowledge and expectation. The audience who knew the myth would know from the start far more than Oedipus himself - hence a strong example of dramatic irony. Moreover, one of the themes the play considers as a corollary is whether or not you can escape your fate. In trying to murder her son, Jocasta finds him reborn as her husband. Running from Corinth, from his parents, Oedipus murders his father on the way. It seems that running away from one's fate ultimately ensures that one is only running towards it.