This three page undergraduate essay examines the ancient Greek play, Oedipus the King, which provides an excellent example of how Greek theatre influenced other ancient Western cultures. The terrible discovery by Oedipus that he has murdered his own father and married his mother had universal plot appeal in the ancient Western world, for it reflected prevailing cultural preoccupations about morality, society, and family. These three elements are vital to the theme of Oedipus the King, for they reveal SophoclesÂ’ philosophy regarding the moral issues examined in the play.