Oracle #1: Recipient: Laius
Time of Delivery: Unspecified, before the piercing of baby Oedipus’ ankles
Content: “If you have a son with Jocasta, he will kill his father.”
Fallout: Laius has Oedipus exposed on Mount Cithaeron in an attempt to rid himself of his murderous progeny.
Oracle #2: Recipient: Oedipus
Time of Delivery: After Oedipus has come into manhood, before his return to Thebes
Content: “You will kill your father and marry your mother.”
Fallout: Oedipus flees Corinth to put distance between himself and his (unbeknownst to him) adoptive parents.
Oracle #3: Recipient: Creon
Time of Delivery: After the plague has ravaged Thebes, when Creon has been sent to Delphi to ask for aid and guidance.
Content: “In order to free the city from plague, the killer of Laius must be found and brought to justice.”
Fallout: Oedipus pronounces his edict and curse upon Laius’ killer.
It is worth observing that all of the three prophecies listed above dictate events that happen before the beginning of the play. From the moment the Priest of Zeus invokes Oedipus on the steps of the Kadmea, all actions taken by characters are their own, ungoverned by prophecy. Delphi does not foresee Oedipus’ search for the killer, nor Jocasta’s suicide, nor the self-blinding for which Oedipus is so renowned.
-Emma