Discuss the theme of suffering in the play Oedipus Rex.

's suffering
is mostly due to his discovery that he has been married to his mother and killed his father.
This is a particularly shocking example of the idea that self-discovery, while necessary, also
carries with it certain difficulties. The curse that has befallen his land represents the
pressures to discover oneself, and the ways that it can ultimately become necessary to go on a
journey of self-discovery. This journey, however, leads Kind Oedipus down a path that he is not
prepared to handle. When Oedipus first learns that he was the one who killed Laius, his
suffering is so great that he denies it. Still, when someone suggests that he stop trying to
discovering his past, he refuses. Oedipus eventually gouges his eyes out in response to the
shame at what he has done, but the curse is lifted and he can life a life free of the weight of
not knowing his true self.