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His own evasive actions against a horrible fate cause Theban King Oedipus' misery. Specifically, Oedipus grows up considering himself the much beloved only son of King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth. Then he's hears the rumor that he isn't the biological son of his parents. He's confused further by his parents' lack of cooperation in answering his understandable questions.

So Oedipus tries to find out the truth from the Delphic Oracle. But his reactions quickly go from confusion to Horror. The Oracle tells him of his unenviable fate to kill his father and marry his mother.

Oedipus tries to avoid the playing out of such a ghastly fate by running away from home. But he isn't thinking straight. He visits the Oracle because of his questions over adoptive versus biological parents. Yet when he learns about the prophecy, he forgets about his questions and just accepts the fate as applicable to the Corinthian monarchs.

He runs off to Thebes. But there's a crossroads between Delphi and Thebes. At the crossroads, he allows himself to be drawn into a fatal street brawl with a man who's old enough to be his father and whom he resembles. Once in Thebes, he allows himself to marry, and have children with, a grieving royal widow who's old enough to be his mother and whom he may or may not resemble in certain features or mannerisms.

It's a nightmarish example of the playing out of fate despite, and most ironically because of, the free will actions of the affected individual.

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Q: What causes Oedipus' misery?
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