The underlying theme in the play, Oedipus the King, is that knowledge is more powerful than action, and it is the knowledge of Oedipus' inhuman deeds, rather than any immediate action, that lead to his demise.

Before the story begins, the reader is given the "knowledge" that the characters are searching for throughout the story. By creating this dramatic irony, Sophocles allows the reader to understand the potency of knowledge, and observe Oedipus diminish as he becomes more informed. Oedipus' search for the truth behind his heritage and the death of King Laius is the only action performed in destroying Oedipus, and although Oedipus has already committed these inhuman acts, they do not have any great significance until the truth is revealed. In the play, Tiresias, the oracle, also understands the power of knowledge, and tries to prevent the downfall of Oedipus by not telling Oedipus the truth...