Oedipus Tyrannus; or, Swellfoot the Tyrant

Oedipus Tyrannus; or, Swellfoot the Tyrant is a satirical drama by Percy Bysshe Shelley, written in 1820. It is a political allegory that satirizes the trial for adultery of Caroline, the estranged wife of King George IV. The play was published anonymously and quickly suppressed due to its controversial nature. It draws inspiration from the ancient Greek play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, which tells the tragic story of Oedipus, a king who unknowingly fulfills a prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother. Shelley's work uses the ancient myth to critique contemporary political and social issues in England.12