Oedipus Rex, written by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles, is a timeless classic of tragedy and one of the most well-known works of Western literature. It tells the story of Oedipus, King of Thebes, who unknowingly murders his father and marries his mother, fulfilling a prophecy that he had desperately attempted to avoid. The story is one of fate and its unavoidable power, as Oedipus’s life is predetermined despite his efforts to change it.