How Does Oedipus Save Himself

At the beginning of the play Oedipus is so focused on what he can see that he has no insight. Oedipus hears the news that the one who poisons and tortures Thebes is the one who killed Laius. Oedipus is asking many questions of who the murderer is, and urging Creon to tell of all he knows as he declares, “As Apollo's oracle has declared, he is the wound in our city's soul. Such an ally I am to Apollo and to Laius!”(4)This statement explains Oedipus thinking. He is the good guy in this predicament and he will indeed find the murderer of Laius, since he is such a great ally to him and Apollo. Turns out he isn't such an ally to Apollo or Laius, he is the enemy. A little later in the story Oedipus is still trying to find clues of who the murderer

Oedipus is in the middle of a conversation with Apollo’s Seer, Tiresias, asking him to find knowledge of who killed Laius. He says, “Save us, save Thebes, save the Thebans, save me, and save yourself! Rid us of this shame, born by the murder of a king.”(6) He is begging Tiresias to find needed answers, fast. But what Oedipus does not know is that he isn't the one who needs to be saved from this shame, he is the shame. Tiresias also realizes this undeniable truth that Oedipus is still blind to the truth. As Oedipus starts talking more with Tiresias, he becomes mad at him for not providing the answers he wants and needs. He questions, “ What? You know something and yet you remain silent? Do you want to send us and our innocent people to absolute destruction?”(6) He wants answers and is pretty much blaming Tiresia for contributing to the fact Thebes is dying. He just wants answers, and wants them now. This accusation that Tiresias is hurting Thebes is false and Oedipus is still blind to the facts, he the one who is killing the city of Thebes. Tiresias even tells Oedipus, he is the wound in the city's soul but immediately without thought’ Oedipus denies