In pre-war Italy, a young couple have a baby boy. The father, however, is jealous of his son - and the scene moves to antiquity, where the baby is taken into the desert to be killed. He is rescued, given the name Oedipus, and brought up by the King and Queen of Corinth as their son. One day an oracle informs Oedipus that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Horrified, he flees Corinth and his supposed parents - only to get into a fight and kill an older man on the road…
Franco Citti
as Oedipus
Silvana Mangano
as Jocasta, Queen of Thebes (and unnamed Italian young mother)
Alida Valli
as Merope, Queen of Corinth
Carmelo Bene
as Creon
Julian Beck
as Tiresias
Luciano Bartoli
as Laius, King of Thebes (and unnamed Italian young father)
Francesco Leonetti
as Servo di Laio
Ahmed Bellashmi
as Polybus, King of Corinth
Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia
as Sacerdote
Giandomenico Davoli
as Pastore di Polibo
Ninetto Davoli
as Angelo
Laura Betti
as Jocasta's Maid (uncredited)
