How is the opening quotation (in paragraph 1) important to the development of the passage’s theme? Cite evidence from the text in your response. From THE LEGEND OF OEDIPUS
paragraph: “As for this marriage with your mother—have no fear. Many a man before you, in his dreams, has shared his mother’s bed. Take such things for shadows, nothing at all— Live, Oedipus, as if there’s no tomorrow!” (From Oedipus the King, by Sophocles)
whole:
As for this marriage with your mother—have no fear. Many a man before you, in his dreams, has shared his mother’s bed. Take such things for shadows, nothing at all— Live, Oedipus, as if there’s no tomorrow!” (From Oedipus the King, by Sophocles)

Oedipus is a mythical Greek king of Thebes. The story of how he got to be the king was the subject of a set of plays by Sophocles in 430 BC: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. There are many different endings to the legend of Oedipus due to its oral tradition, and most of what we know about Oedipus is based on these plays.

THE LIFE OF OEDIPUS
Oedipus was the son of Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes. After having been married some time without children, his parents consulted the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi about their childlessness. The Oracle prophesied that if Laius should have a son, the son would kill his father and marry his mother, Jocasta. In an attempt to prevent this prophecy’s fulfillment, when Jocasta indeed bore a son, Laius had his ankles pinned together so that he could not crawl, and gave the boy to a servant to abandon on the nearby mountain. However, rather than leave the child to die in the wilderness, as Laius intended, the sympathetic servant passed the baby onto a shepherd from Corinth.

Oedipus, the infant, eventually ends up at the house of Polybus and Merope, king and queen of Corinth, who adopt him as they are without children of their own. Little Oedipus is named in Greek after the swelling from the injuries to his feet and ankles.

Many years later, Oedipus is told by a drunk that Polybus is not his real father, but when he asks his parents if this is true, they deny it. Oedipus, unsure, seeks counsel from the same Delphic Oracle. The Oracle does not tell him the identity of his true parents, but instead tells him that he is destined to couple with his mother and kill his father (though not specifying in which order). In his attempt to avoid the fate predicted by the Oracle, he decides to flee from Corinth to Thebes.

As Oedipus travels he comes to the place where three roads meet, Davlia. Here he encounters a chariot, driven by his (unrecognized) birth-father, King Laius. They fight over who has the right to go first and Oedipus kills Laius in self defense, unwittingly fulfilling part of the prophecy. The only witness to the king’s death was a slave who fled from a caravan of slaves also traveling on the road.

Continuing his journey to Thebes, Oedipus encounters a Sphinx that would stop all those who traveled to Thebes and ask them a riddle. If the travelers were unable to answer correctly, they were eaten by the sphinx; if they were successful, they would be able to continue their journey. The riddle was: “What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night?” Oedipus answers: “Man; as an infant, he crawls on all fours, as an adult, he walks on two legs and, in old age, he relies on a walking stick.” Oedipus was the first to answer the riddle correctly. Having heard Oedipus’ answer, the Sphinx is astounded and inexplicably kills itself, freeing Thebes. Grateful, the people of Thebes appoint Oedipus as their king and give him the recently widowed Queen Jocasta’s hand in marriage. (The people of Thebes believed her husband had been killed while on a search for the answer to the Sphinx’s riddle. They had no idea who the killer was.) The marriage of Oedipus and Jocasta fulfilled the rest of the prophecy. Oedipus and Jocasta have four children: two sons, Polynices and Eteocles, and two daughters, Antigone and Ismene.
OEDIPUS' DOWNFALL
Meanwhile, a messenger reveals that Oedipus was, in fact, adopted. Jocasta, finally realizing Oedipus’ true identity, entreats him to abandon his search for Laius’ murderer. Oedipus misunderstands the motivation of her pleas, thinking that she was ashamed of him because he might have been the son of a slave. She then goes into the palace where she hangs herself. Oedipus seeks verification of the messenger’s story from the very same herdsman who was supposed to have left Oedipus to die as a baby. From the herdsman, Oedipus learns that the infant raised as the adopted son of Polybus and Merope was the son of Laius and Jocasta. Thus, Oedipus finally realizes in great agony that so many years ago, at the place where three roads meet, he had killed his own father, King Laius, and as consequence, married his mother, Jocasta.(limit)