What is the meaning of the plague in Oedipus Rex? What is its symbolism? Also, do you consider the plague picturesque?

At
the opening of , the Kingdom of Thebes is in a drought. The people of
Thebes are likely suffering famine as a result of the drought, their farm animals are dying, and
they're also suffering from a plague:

PRIEST:
A
blight is on our harvest in the ear,
A blight upon the grazing flocks and
herds,
A blight on wives in travail; and withal
Armed with his blazing torch
the God of Plague
Hath swooped upon our city emptying
The house of Cadmus, and
the murky realm
Of Pluto is full fed with groans and tears.

Cadmus was the founder of Thebes, and this reference to Cadmus
means that the city he founded is being emptied of its people and that the people are dying and
going to the god Pluto in the underworld.

chose these kinds of disasters
because they affected and afflicted the entire population of Thebes. The drought and plague also
symbolizes the effect that's defiance of the will of the gods (although not entirely his own
fault)patricide (killing his father) and incest...