In the mythological world of Oedipus the King, the truth is rarely pure and never simple. The truth motif is accelerated by the theme of ignoring the truth throughout the drama, through characters trying to uncover the truth about Laius' murder. At the beginning of the drama of King Oedipus, the city of Thebes is faced with an unsolved murder case without any evidence. Oedipus sets out in search of the truth after discovering the murder of the previous king, Laius. Believing himself capable of controlling all the situations he encounters, Oedipus emphasizes: “I heard that too, but no one saw the killer” (319). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Oedipus doubts the identity of the murderer. As a result, Sophocles successfully validates human beings' lack of power to control every situation and their inability to hide the truth. Later in the drama, when Oedipus and Jocasta begin to get closer to the truth about the murder of Laius, in Oedipus the King. , Oedipus clings to a detail in the hope of exonerating himself. Jocasta says that she was told that Laius was killed by "strangers", while Oedipus knows that he acted alone when he killed a man in similar circumstances. This is an extraordinary moment because it calls into question the entire process of searching for the truth that Oedipus believes he is undertaking. Oedipus and Jocasta act as if the story of the servant, once told, was an irrefutable story. Neither can contemplate what it would mean if the servant was wrong. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Perhaps this is why Jocasta thinks she can tell Oedipus about the prophecy that her son would kill his father, and Oedipus can tell her about the similar prophecy given to him by an oracle (867-875) , and neither feels compelled to notice the coincidence; or why Oedipus can hear the story of Jocasta tying her child's ankles (780-781) and not think of his own swollen feet. While much of the information in these speeches is intended to make the audience aware of the tragic irony, it also highlights the extent to which Oedipus and Jocasta desperately refuse to tell the obvious truth: they look at the circumstances and details of life daily and pretend not to see them.