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King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth were the married couple whose child Theban King Oedipus believed himself to be. As far back as he could remember, he had been raised as the only child and heir apparent to the Corinthian couple. But then as an adult, he heard a rumor that the monarchs actually were his foster parents.

So Oedipus went to see what the Delphic Oracle had to say about this unexpected twist to life. The Oracle said that Oedipus was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus forgot about the rumor, and decided to get as far away from Corinth as possible.

It was towards Thebes that Oedipus headed. Between Delphi and Thebes, he killed a stranger who was old enough to be his father and whom he resembled. At Thebes, he married a woman who was old enough to be his mother.

Years later, at the time of the action of the play 'Oedipus Rex', Oedipus realized that it was the rumor that he should have listened to and looked into. The Corinthian couple indeed were none other than his foster parents. His biological parents were none other than Theban King Laius, whom he killed; and Theban Queen Jocasta, whom he wedded and bedded.

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Q: Whom did Oedipus believe his parents to be?
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Who were Oedipus' parents?

Biologically, Oedipus real parents are King Laius and Queen Jocasta. Non-biologically, King Polybus and his wife raised Oedipus in the city of Corinth. Luv April4Rain ♥ PS ~ Oedipus was unaware of whom his real parents were, creating the central subject of the story.


Whom does Oedipus believe his mother to be in 'Oedipus Rex'?

It is Merope that Oedipus believes to be his mother in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban King Oedipus does not remember anything about growing up other than the years spent in Corinth. But he hears a rumor that he is not the biological son of his presumed parents, the monarchs of Corinth. He is upset by that rumor, but seems to continue to believe that Corinthian Queen Merope is his mother.


Whom does the chorus suggest Oedipus' possible parents to be in 'Oedipus Rex'?

A god and a nymph are the possible parents that the chorus suggests for Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban King Oedipus finds out that he is native to Thebes instead of to Corinth. He is in the process of finding out who are his biological parents instead of the Corinthian monarchs assumed to be his father and mother. In honor of Oedipus' reputation as the heroic savior and beloved ruler of Thebes, the chorus suggests that Oedipus well may be the son of Hermes the messenger or Dionysos the wine god.


Who are Oedipus' foster parents in 'Oedipus Rex'?

Polybus and Merope are Oedipus' foster parents in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Polybus and Merope are the couple who head the Corinthian royal house. They are childless and therefore overjoyed when presented with an infant abandoned outside the city of Thebes. They never speak of the true identity of their foster son Oedipus, whom they love as their own and raise as their heir apparent.


Whom does Oedipus believe to be his parents?

King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth are those whom subsequent Theban King Oedipus believes to be his parents. But they actually are his adoptive, foster parents. They're childless, and desperately want an heir.One of the Corinthian royal couple's shepherds works in Thebes. He's given the infant Oedipus by a fellow shepherd who can't bring himself to carry out a royal order. By that order, the three day old Oedipus is to be left on a hill to die from exposure to the weather and wildlife.Oedipus is given his death sentence because of a prophecy that he'll grow up to kill his own father. In ancient Greece, it's seen as far more heinous to kill one's father and sovereign than to kill a child. So the Theban and Corinthian shepherds believe that such a fate is outsmarted by removing Oedipus from the scene instead of killing him. But little do they realize how the free will choices and actions of the grown up Oedipus will lead to the very fulfillment of hs horrendous fate.

Related questions

Who were Oedipus' parents?

Biologically, Oedipus real parents are King Laius and Queen Jocasta. Non-biologically, King Polybus and his wife raised Oedipus in the city of Corinth. Luv April4Rain ♥ PS ~ Oedipus was unaware of whom his real parents were, creating the central subject of the story.


Whom does Oedipus assume his parents to be in 'Oedipus Rex'?

Polybus and Merope are the couple whom Oedipus assumes his parents to be in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Oedipus is raised as the only child and heir apparent of Corinthian monarchs Polybus and Merope. He feels confident of their love for him and believes that they have his best interests at heart. That the couple's love is strong makes it all the more shocking when Oedipus hears a rumor that Polybus and Merope are not his biological parents.


Whom does Oedipus believe his mother to be in 'Oedipus Rex'?

It is Merope that Oedipus believes to be his mother in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban King Oedipus does not remember anything about growing up other than the years spent in Corinth. But he hears a rumor that he is not the biological son of his presumed parents, the monarchs of Corinth. He is upset by that rumor, but seems to continue to believe that Corinthian Queen Merope is his mother.


Whom does the chorus suggest Oedipus' possible parents to be in 'Oedipus Rex'?

A god and a nymph are the possible parents that the chorus suggests for Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban King Oedipus finds out that he is native to Thebes instead of to Corinth. He is in the process of finding out who are his biological parents instead of the Corinthian monarchs assumed to be his father and mother. In honor of Oedipus' reputation as the heroic savior and beloved ruler of Thebes, the chorus suggests that Oedipus well may be the son of Hermes the messenger or Dionysos the wine god.


Who are Oedipus' foster parents in 'Oedipus Rex'?

Polybus and Merope are Oedipus' foster parents in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Polybus and Merope are the couple who head the Corinthian royal house. They are childless and therefore overjoyed when presented with an infant abandoned outside the city of Thebes. They never speak of the true identity of their foster son Oedipus, whom they love as their own and raise as their heir apparent.


Whom does Oedipus believe to be his parents?

King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth are those whom subsequent Theban King Oedipus believes to be his parents. But they actually are his adoptive, foster parents. They're childless, and desperately want an heir.One of the Corinthian royal couple's shepherds works in Thebes. He's given the infant Oedipus by a fellow shepherd who can't bring himself to carry out a royal order. By that order, the three day old Oedipus is to be left on a hill to die from exposure to the weather and wildlife.Oedipus is given his death sentence because of a prophecy that he'll grow up to kill his own father. In ancient Greece, it's seen as far more heinous to kill one's father and sovereign than to kill a child. So the Theban and Corinthian shepherds believe that such a fate is outsmarted by removing Oedipus from the scene instead of killing him. But little do they realize how the free will choices and actions of the grown up Oedipus will lead to the very fulfillment of hs horrendous fate.


Whom does Oedipus send and where before the beginning of 'Oedipus Rex'?

Creon; the Delphic oracle


Whom does Oedipus charge with treason?

Teiresias


Who is the true father of Oedipus whom he kills?

Theban King Laius is the true, biological father of the son, Theban King Oedipus, who ends up killing him.Specifically, as a young man, Oedipus hears a rumor that King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth are his foster or adoptive parents instead of the biological parents that he believes them to be. The Delphic Oracle depresses and scares Oedipus even further by predicting his fate to kill his father and marry his mother.In reponse, Oedipus decides not to return home to Corinth. Instead, he decides to flee to Thebes, his real hometown. On the way there, Oedipus kills a man who is old enough to be his father and whom he somewhat resembles. Once in Thebes, Oedipus soon marries the beautiful, recently widowed Theban Queen Jocasta, who is old enough to be his mother.Ironically, the stranger that Oedipus kills and the stranger that Oedipus marries indeed are his respective father and mother.


Where are Oedipus' parents from in 'Oedipus Rex'?

Thebes is the hometown of Oedipus' parents in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Oedipus is a native son of Thebes, the hometown of his biological parents. But he does not know that. He thinks of Thebes as a fresh start and as protection from a horrendous prophecy concerning his presumed hometown of Corinth and his presumed parents, Corinthian monarchs Polybus and Merope.


Who was Oedipus raised by?

Oedipus was raised by the King and Queen of Corinth...those were his "adoptive parents." His actual parents were King Laios and Queen Jocaste of Thebes. His original parents "executed" him after hearing the fate of their son Oedipus.


Where is Oedipus sent in the beginning of the play?

In the beginning of the play Oedipus lives in Corinth with his adopted parents, of whom he believes to be his real parents. After a man from the city brings up the subject of King Polybus and his wife not being his real parents Oedipus sends himself to the Oracle at Delphi to learn of his past. However once there, he learns that he will kill his mother and marry his father. From their Oedipus sends himself away from Corinth, because he believes that they are his real parents. On his journey away from Corinth he ends up in the city of Thebes. Luv April4Rain ♥ PS. ~ The Oracle at Delphi never did tell Oedipus exactly what he wanted to know.