Many great thinkers, philosophers, artists, and scientists have made a single work of Greek tragedy a centerpiece or pillar of their theories. Oedipus Rex is the center of a trilogy of plays written by Sophocles, which includes Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone. Oedipus the King surpassed these other works for several reasons, probably because of the three it constitutes the clearest example of a classical tragedy. In this article we will first describe the part itself. We will then examine the play as it relates to performance work, which will involve a brief examination of the conventions of theater in ancient Greece. We will then discuss philosophical examinations of the work through the eyes of Plato and Aristotle. Finally, we will place the play in a modern context and show how it ultimately influenced Freud in his work to understand the human mind. To understand Oedipus Rex, we must understand the story itself. The story of Oedipus really begins with his father, Laius. When Laius was young, he was asked to teach the son of a king how to ride a chariot. Laius breaks the rules of hospitality and kidnaps and rapes the young prince, who later commits suicide out of shame. Much later, Laius became king of Thebes with his wife Jocasta. Laius receives a prophecy from an oracle that he will be killed by his son. In return for this, Laius binds the child's feet and orders his wife to kill him. She cannot do it personally and so orders a servant to do it. The servant is reluctant to kill the child, but takes him into the mountains and abandons him to freeze to death. A passing shepherd finds the child with his bandaged feet and welcomes him. He names the child Oedipus, which means “swollen feet.” When the child is...... in the middle of paper...... because it offers us a glimpse into the heart of the ancient world, as well as a unique story that helped define and give rise to modern Western society. Sources: Goldhill, Simon (1987). “The Great Dionysia and Civic Ideology”. Journal of Hellenistic Studies 107 (1): p. 58.Thomas, JE and Osborne, E. (2004). Oedipus Rex: Touchstone Literary Edition. Maison Prestwick Inc. p. 69. Plato, The Republic, Book X. “catharsis”, Merriam-Webster Literary Encyclopedia, Merriam-Webster, 1995, p. 217.Charles Rycroft A Critical Dictionary of Psychoanalysis (London, 2nd ed. 1995) p.52.Sigmund Freud, “Civilization and Its Discontents” (1930) in the standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud – The Future of 'an Illusion, civilization and its discontents, and other works, trans. by James Strachey (Hogarth Press; London, 1961), vol. XXI, 79-80 p... 33.