Oedipus – How he traverses The Hero's Journey

Oedipus Rex of Sophicle's Oedipus the King, is not a traditional hero by any stretch of the imagination. The man fated to kill his father and marry his mother couldn't possibly be a hero, right?
Wrong. He needn't be a hero by any moral sense of the word. Morality and heroism have no correlation except in modern culture, (Hell, Sauron is probably a hero for the Orcs) but, back to the topic. Does Oedipus deserve the ranking of Hero? Does he follow the steps within The Hero's Journey? Well, let's take a look.

1. Departure 
1. The call to adventure – Well, this call to adventure really began when he met the shepherd who informed him that his parents weren't his real parents. This moment really called Oedipus to search for more information.
2. Refusal of the Call – But, of course, he denies it.
3. Supernatural Aid – The supernatural aid to Oedipus would be his meeting with the Oracle. He learns of the full prophecy, and is forever set in motion on his journey.
4. Crossing the Threshold – The threshold was his departure from Corinth to Thebes. As soon as Oedipus leaves his old life, he crosses the threshold to the journey.
5. Belly of the Whale – The "whale" in this instance could be considered Oedipus himself. Angst ridden, he leaves Corinth, he traverses into his own state of consciousness which is a peak of what is to come.
2. Initiation
1. The Road of Trials – The trials is Oedipus' travel to Thebes. He is faced with the trial of killing his own father and his father's guard (without knowing it's his father, of course)
2. The meeting with the Goddess – As far as we know, Oedipus does not meet with any goddess, save for the Sphynx as a goddess. 
3. Woman as Temptress – Although the Sphynx could be the meeting with the goddess (Or the last step and this one could be one in the same) I believe the Temptress is the Sphynx. She tempts Oedipus with this offer of getting past her if he can answer the riddle. 
4. Atonement with the Father – Oedipus' atonement with the father could be the atonement with his heritage, Thebes. He could be silently atoning for the murder of their king, although this is speculation.
5. Apotheosis – The apotheosis of Oedipus is his ascension to the throne. Officially king of Thebes.
6. The Ultimate Boon – The boon for Oedipus is his ascension to the throne, and his marriage to the queen. From this point is where we start the actual play. 
3. Return
1. Refusal of the Return – This happens for Oedipus when the plague strikes his land. He is told that the plague will stop when the killer of Laius is found (That's Oedipus, by the way) And searches relentlessly.
2. The Magic Flight – Sometimes, magic flights aren't all rainbows and fireworks. Sometimes magic is dark and brutal, which is which Oedipus faces. He's forced to face the facts that he has followed his fate.
3. Rescue from the Without – He rescues his city by confessing to his crimes.
4. The Crossing of the Return Threshold – He crosses the return when he goes into exile and shame. He has passed the threshold of royalty that he refused to pass through.
5. Master of the Two Worlds – This is going to get a bit figurative, so bear with me. Oedipus is the master of honor and dishonor. Blinding himself, he atones to the gods. His dishonor comes from his prior actions. 
6. Freedom to Live. – Oedipus is given mercy from the gods and people of the world. He has atoned and paid his price, and is giving the freedom of life for it. 

So, does Oedipus follow through The Hero's Journey? I would argue yes. I believe that Oedipus is a hero, be it moral or immoral, and did follow the journey. There are only a few instances that may or may not add up completely, however, in whole, he does traverse the entire journey which many hero's will also do.