What Is Oedipus Rex About?
The premise of Oedipus Rex in 278 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a world that slides between the bleakness of pre‑war Italy and the timeless tableau of ancient Greece, Pasolini paints a landscape of stark, lyrical intensity. Sun‑baked plains and crumbling ruins coexist with the shadows of modern unrest, creating a visual paradox where contemporary anxieties echo the myths of antiquity. The film’s atmosphere is suffused with a haunting beauty, a blend of harsh realism and poetic reverie that invites the viewer to feel the weight of history pressing against every horizon.
At the heart of this uneasy tapestry is a newborn whose first breath is witnessed only by his own mother, while his father—driven by a corrosive jealousy—casts him away into the wilderness. Rescued and raised by the royal couple of Corinth, the child grows up under the watchful eyes of Polybus and Merope, believing them to be his true parents. Named Oedipus, he becomes a charismatic yet restless youth, haunted by whispers of a hidden lineage and by dreams that stir an unquiet soul. An encounter with the oracle delivers a chilling prophecy: a future bound to patricide and matrimony, a fate that threatens to unravel the fragile sense of self he has built.
The film swirls with an undercurrent of inevitability, where destiny and desire clash in muted, luminous scenes. Oedipus’s inner turmoil is mirrored by the barren roads and the ever‑present horizon, suggesting a journey that is as much psychological as it is physical. The tone remains intensely reflective, inviting curiosity about how a man raised in royalty will grapple with a foretelling that seems both absurd and unavoidable, all set against a world where ancient myth breathes through the cracked streets of modern Italy.
What Happens in Oedipus Rex?
The complete story of Oedipus Rex, from the first scene to the last, in 502 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 8 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
A son is born to a young couple in pre-war Italy. The child opens his eyes for the first time to see his loving mother and suckles at her breast. The father is overwhelmed by jealousy, fearing the infant will take away his wife’s love and cast him into the void. In a grim act, the father abandons the baby in the desert, and the film’s setting shifts to the ancient world of Greece. The child is rescued and raised as the son of King Polybus Ahmed Belhachmi and Queen Merope Alida Valli of Corinth, growing up convinced they are his true parents, and he is named Oedipus Franco Citti.
As he grows, a taunt from a classmate about being a foundling unsettles him, fueling inner torment and troubling dreams. He travels to the Oracle of Delphi to seek the god’s guidance, hoping to learn the truth about his identity. The Oracle’s oracle-like message foreshadows a terrible fate: he is destined to kill his father and wed his mother. He leaves Corinth to avoid fulfillment of the prophecy, wandering the desolate road in a bid to outrun what the gods have in store for him.
On a crossroad, a wagon bearing Laius Luciano Bartoli encounters him. Oedipus, treated as a beggar, clashes with the road’s guard, and in the ensuing confrontation he kills Laius and the wounded soldier, while Laius’s servant escapes to tell the tale. Not long after, he meets roving bands of displaced people fleeing a terror in Thebes, where a Sphinx has plagued the land. Oedipus confronts the creature and, by answering its riddle, pounds the mythic threat into the abyss and is hailed as a savior. He is then made king and marries Jocasta, Silvana Mangano Queen of Thebes, who becomes his wife without the knowledge that she is his birth mother.
A new catastrophe follows: a plague grips Thebes. Oedipus sends Creon Carmelo Bene to consult the Oracle for guidance. Creon returns with news that the city’s suffering can only end if Laius’s killer is brought to justice. Oedipus seeks out Tiresias Julian Beck, the blind prophet, to learn the killer’s identity. Tiresias is reluctant, sensing pain for both the speaker and the listener, but Oedipus pressingly pursues the truth, and suspicions rise that the killer is among those close to him. Jocasta reveals that Laius was slain at the crossroads and that the Oracle had warned of a crime tied to their family; she also notes that the prophecies have not always proven true. The old servant who survived the desert journey is summoned and he confirms the terrible truth.
The revelation total. Jocasta hangs herself, and Oedipus blinds himself in a moment of devastating clarity. The film then shifts to modern Italy, where Oedipus and Angelo Ninetto Davoli roam town to town playing the flute, their travels echoing the long, unsettled road of fate. Oedipus returns to the meadow where he first opened his eyes as a child, seeking a quiet end and, somehow, peace.
Oedipus Rex Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Birth in pre-war Italy” to “Return to the meadow of birth”. 14 events name a place, across 9 locations.
- 1
Birth in pre-war Italy
A son is born to a young couple in pre-war Italy. The child opens his eyes and is fed by his loving mother. The father, overwhelmed by jealousy, fears the baby will steal his wife's affection and sets a troubling fate in motion.
When:birth Where:pre-war Italy
- 2
Desert abandonment
The father, consumed by jealousy, decides to abandon the infant in the desert. A wagon and armed men confront the scene, and the baby is left to die. The story then leaps to the ancient world as the setting shifts to Greece.
When:early infancy Where:desert
- 3
Rescued and raised in Corinth
The child is rescued and brought to King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth, who are unable to have children of their own. They raise him as their son and name him Oedipus. He grows up believing Polybus and Merope are his real parents.
When:infancy Where:Corinth
- 4
Oracle of Delphi forewarns fate
As a youth, Oedipus seeks guidance from the Oracle of Delphi. The oracle prophesies that he will kill his father and sleep with his mother. The response is chilling, and the oracle urges him to avoid contaminating others by returning home.
When:youth Where:Delphi
- 5
Oedipus leaves Corinth
Disturbed by the prophecy, Oedipus decides not to return to Corinth. He wanders the desert, choosing directions at random, hoping to escape his supposed fate. The journey marks a turning point as he moves away from his perceived family.
When:on the road Where:desert road
- 6
Confrontation at the crossroads
On the sacred road of Apollo, a wagon blocks the way and Laius is attacked. Oedipus kills Laius and the wounded soldier, leaving the scene in panic. A servant flees, unaware that the fated encounter has just begun.
When:during journey Where:crossroads
- 7
Defeating the Sphinx and becoming king
Oedipus encounters the Sphinx and defeats it by solving its riddle. Grateful Thebans crown him king, and he marries Queen Jocasta, who is unaware that she is his birth mother. The city rejoices as the plague-like terror lifts.
When:after journey Where:Thebes
- 8
Plague and search for the killer
A plague ravages Thebes, prompting Oedipus to seek a remedy. He dispatches his brother-in-law Creon to consult the Oracle for guidance. The council reveals that punishment for Laius' killer will end the plague.
When:plague period Where:Thebes
- 9
Tiresias accuses Oedipus
The blind prophet Tiresias refuses to stay silent and suggests the truth will devastate both Oedipus and the city. Oedipus resents the accusation and banishes Tiresias, suspecting a plot against him by Creon. Tension rises as the investigation deepens.
When:during plague Where:Thebes
- 10
Jocasta's revelations
Jocasta reveals that Laius was killed at the crossroads and implies the Oracle's prophecy may have misled them. She cautions Oedipus to consider alternate explanations and that the god's word may not be literal. Her revelations sow seeds of doubt.
When:revelation moment Where:Thebes
Show the other 4 events of Oedipus Rex Hide the last 4 events
- 11
The truth surfaces
The old shepherd who bore Oedipus to the desert confirms the tragic lineage. Oedipus realizes with horror that Laius and Jocasta are his birth parents. The prophecy he feared has come true in the most devastating way.
When:revelation moment Where:Thebes
- 12
Jocasta's suicide and Oedipus blinds himself
Overcome by grief, Jocasta hangs herself after the truth is spoken aloud. Oedipus, in a crushing act of self-punishment, blinds himself with her brooches. The city mourns as he casts aside his vision for the life he has lived in ignorance.
When:aftermath of truth Where:Thebes
- 13
Exile and wandering with Angelo
The scene shifts to modern Italy, where Oedipus and his companion Angelo roam from town to town playing the flute. They drift across landscapes, carrying the memory of the ancient curse with them. The journey is a search for some quiet meaning after catastrophe.
When:exile Where:modern Italy
- 14
Return to the meadow of birth
Oedipus returns to the meadow where he first opened his eyes, seeking a fragile peace. There, surrounded by memory, he finds a form of rest after a life defined by fate and revelation. The story closes on a moment of threatened tranquility in a world rebuilt from tragedy.
When:ending Where:meadow of birth
Who Are the Main Characters in Oedipus Rex?
6 characters, among them Oedipus (Franco Citti), Merope (Alida Valli) and Jocasta (Silvana Mangano): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- O(
Oedipus (Franco Citti)
Played by Franco Citti
A confident, impulsive wanderer who becomes king after a fateful chain of events. He pursues truth with relentless determination, yet his attempts to master fate lead him toward a devastating self-revelation. He evolves from a self-assured exile to a broken, blinded figure at the story’s core.
- 👑 King
- 🔮 Fated
- 🌍 Wanderer
-
Merope (Alida Valli)
Played by Alida Valli
Queen of Corinth who bears Oedipus’s origin within a web of love and secrecy. Her position and maternal ties illuminate the delicate balance between ancestry and upbringing that threads through the tragedy.
- 👸 Queen
- 🧭 Maternal
- 🗝️ Secrets
- J(
Jocasta (Silvana Mangano)
Played by Silvana Mangano
Queen of Thebes, both mother and unwitting catalyst of the catastrophe. Her resolve to confront the truth falters as the oracle’s prophecy encroaches on her family, culminating in a tragic choice.
- 🏛️ Queen
- 🔍 Truth
- 💔 Tragedy
- LK
Laius, King of Thebes (Luciano Bartoli)
Played by Luciano Bartoli
The former king whose decision at the crossroads ignites the chain of fate. His past act reverberates through generations, driving the prophecy toward its horrific culmination.
- 🏁 King
- ⚖️ Legacy
- 🗺️ Crossroads
- T(
Tiresias (Julian Beck)
Played by Julian Beck
The blind seer who unveils the truth behind the plague and Oedipus's kinship. His reluctant revelation acts as the vital catalyst for the king's downfall.
- 🌀 Seer
- 🕯️ Insight
- 🗝️ Hidden truth
- P(
Polybus (Ahmed Belhachmi)
Played by Ahmed Belhachmi
King of Corinth who raises Oedipus as his own, shaping the boy's belief about his origins. His role underpins the misbelief that fuels the later tragedy.
- 👑 King
- 🧭 Upbringing
- 🪶 False belief
Where and When Is Oedipus Rex Set?
Oedipus Rex is set in Corinth, Thebes, Delphi, Greece and Italy (Ancient Greece and modern Italy). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Ancient Greece and modern Italy
The core events unfold in a mythic ancient Greek setting, featuring oracles, kings and epic journeys. The tale then moves to a contemporary Italian backdrop in its ending, linking ancient fate to a modern locale.
Where
Corinth, Thebes, Delphi, Greece, Italy
The story traverses key ancient Greek locations—Corinth and Thebes—with the Oracle at Delphi shaping Oedipus's fate. A desert road sequence and royal courts populate a mythic landscape of kings, priests and seers. The narrative later shifts to modern Italy, where Oedipus and Angelo roam between towns, creating a stark contrast between mythic past and present.
- 🏛️ Ancient cities
- 🗿 Thebes
- 🗺️ Delphi
- 🧭 Italy
What Are the Themes of Oedipus Rex?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Fate, Identity and Leadership.
-
01
Fate
The Oracle's prophecy drives Oedipus to leave Corinth, wander the world, and confront the killer of Laius and the marriage to Jocasta. Fate is presented as an inescapable force that propels actions, not merely a prediction. Yet the tragedy unfolds through Oedipus's own choices, even as he believes he can outrun destiny.
-
02
Identity
Oedipus grows up believing he is the son of Polybus and Merope, only to discover his true parentage. The reveal shatters his sense of self and catalyzes a cascade of ruin. The pursuit of truth becomes both liberating and catastrophic, redefining who he is.
-
03
Leadership
As king, Oedipus strives to end Thebes's plague, testing his authority and judgment under pressure. His mistrust of Tiresias and Creon reveals fragility when confronted with hard truths. The tragedy recasts leadership as a burden inseparable from fate and culpability.
What Kind of Film Is Oedipus Rex?
Bleak in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Bleak
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Sad
A stark and lyrical tragedy that unfolds with the oppressive inevitability of a curse, leading its protagonist through a mythic landscape toward an inescapable and devastating revelation of his own horrific crimes.
- fatalistic
- oppressive
- tragic
- poetic
- somber
- desolate
- fate vs free will
- tragic prophecy
- incest
- patricide
Content notes: patricide, incest, suicide, child abandonment.
Quiz
How well do you remember Oedipus Rex? Test yourself on the story.
