What is forshadowing?

Foreshadowing is when the author of a piece of writing hints at or suggests an event that will develop later on in the plot of the story. An example of foreshadowing in a story is the use of prophecy or omens. One famous literary piece that makes use of foreshadowing through prophecy is Oedipus Rex. An oracle tells the King of Thebes that he will have a son who will later kill him and marry his wife, Jocasta. This foreshadowed the actual events that later came to pass.