The gods take revenge on the murderer of King Laius by sending plague and famine to the streets of Thebes. The entire city is being punished for the actions of the murderer. "Thebes is dying, look, her children, stripped of pity... Generations strewn on the ground" (205-207). The only way to end the famine? Murder the murderer, a form of justice deemed righteous by the gods. This is seen as revenge in a more non-traditional sense, from an other-worldly power taking its toll on mortals in Thebes.
The gods are able to exact revenge because, even though they are divine beings, their actions are not perfect, making revenge seem human-like. This form of justice is taken due to the fact that there would be a lack of people wanting to find the murderer if a plague was not cast on Thebes. Oedipus, the merciful King, does not truly want to "find" the murderer of the former king, he only seeks to end the plague that has been exacted on Thebes as a form of revenge by the gods.
The Gods are a recurring point of interest in Greek Tragedies. I like how you noticed the Gods are in control of most things in the play, like the revenge of Lauis' murderer who we know is Oedipus, and the rules of Thebes. The Gods also have a strong hold on Oedipus' fate, as they believe some form of revenge should be taken against him for murdering his father.
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