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Saving his life, not telling and thereby giving a dreadful prophecy a chance to come true is the role that the herdsman plays in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, there are two herdsmen in the play. The Theban herdsman gives the three-day-old infant Oedipus to a Corinthian herdsman who in turn gives him to Polybus and Merope, the childless royal couple of Corinth. Years later, the Theban herdsman sees Oedipus killing Theban King Laius and four others. He then witnesses Oedipus' marriage to Laius' widow, Queen Jocasta.

In both incidents, the Theban herdsman recognizes Oedipus as the abandoned infant whom he gives to his Corinthian colleague. Yet he says nothing and thereby helps Oedipus escape death once again. What is especially problematic is the way in which the herdsman's good deeds make possible the dreadful prophecy that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother, both of which happen because of the sparing of Oedipus' life and because of Oedipus' ignorant choices.

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Q: What role does the herdsman play in Oedipus' past in 'Oedipus Rex'?
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