Creon explains to Oedipus what is responsible for the plague by saying: “Banish man, or repay blood with blood. The murder unleashes the storm of plague upon the city… 'Repay the murderers, whoever is responsible'” (164). Creon says that the only way to stop the plague is to get rid of the man who killed King Laius. This implies that the plague on the city was caused by the king's murderer, who appears to be Oedipus. In other words, Oedipus is causing illness and death to millions of inhabitants of the very city he wants to save simply by residing there. The entire city suffers due to Oedipus' flaw of not knowing who he is. Once again, this adds to the audience's emotional response as the level of suffering in the play increases tremendously due to the sheer scale of those who are negatively affected by Oedipus' actions. However, Thebes' suffering not only amplifies the weight of the tragedy, but also allows Oedipus' tragic conclusion to materialize, allowing for the suffering of Oedipus, Jocasta, and their children. Without the suffering of the city, Oedipus would never have undertaken his mission to find out who killed King Laius and therefore would never have discovered the horrible acts he committed. His tragedy is entirely based on the premise that he will carry out his actions. Without his epiphany, that's it