Detective Work

          A man entered my palace, stating that he was a messenger from Corinth. I was hesitant to listen to the words he tells me, perhaps my parents would have liked me to come back to their great city. If so, the prophecy would come true. But no, the messenger had shocking news. The first, that my father, Polybus, King of Corinth, is dead of natural causes. I can finally rest with both eyes closed, knowing that I could never kill my father. I felt a wave of confidence wash over me, there was no way the prophecy would come true, I was golden.
           But no, the messenger had more to tell me. After I rejoiced that the prophecies were fake, he revealed to me that Polybus and Merope, the“parents” I grew up to love are not in fact my real parents. I was enraged by this, how could this be? The people I’d grown up with my whole life were not my own blood? The drunk man at the banquet was right, I’m nothing but an orphan.
          After further investigation, my dear Jocasta begged me to stop persueng the matter. After telling her I would not simply end the investigation, she fled into the palace, screaming. She must have been feeling heavy emotional stress because of everything that was going on. I must admit,my head was in a bit of a swirl as well.
          Further on, I learn the fate of Jocasta’s child. Laius’shepherd could not be brought to killing the child, so he unbound its feet.Soon, another shepherd would be given the child. That shepherd decided not to slay it as well, so he took it to Corinth. The child was adopted by Polybus and Merope, so to be king of Corinth one day.

           That child is me.

          I had fled Corinth to get away from who I thought to be my parents, and on the road away from Corinth, I had murdered my real father. How had I not seen this before? Was my mind within a fog, or was I not meant to know this? I may not really be who I think I am.