Four

Plague

"and the plague, the fiery god of fever hurls down on the city, his lightning slashing through us- raging plague in all it's vengeance..." (160; 34-36)

"Murder sets the plague-storm on the city." (164; 14)

"Come down, Apollo, save us, stop the plague." (167; 168)

"do what the plague demands:" (171; 246)

These specific quotes come from the beginning of the story. The plague is a common word that Oedipus and the Chorus uses to describe Thebes. Thebes is in a painful and troublesome time and the plague is not an actual sickness that is spreading, just the spreading of killing and hard times (164). The plague is terrible like most plagues are, it is fair for people to complain and wonder about it(160). A plague is unstoppable, and that is why they call to Apollo to help with the plague (167). No one can do anything about the plague, there is not much to do (171). This relates to fate; no one can do anything about fate. People have to accept it and just go with it, like the plague (described on 171). Some fate is terrible news that the only power that can stop it is the gods. Not everyone may accept it, and sometimes it can be painful.