Complemental....Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex
The story of Oedipus was well-known to the Ancient Greeks, but the particular form in which Sophocles chose to cast the story led Aristotle (and most subsequent critics) to consider it the most perfectly representative of all tragedies in terms of its organisation and design.
The play opens with the High Priest of Thebes beseeching King Oedipus to solve the mystery of the curse that is bringing plagues and disasters on their city. Oedipus is very proud of his ability to solve mysteries. He has freed Thebes from terror once before. The monstrous Sphinx was preying on their city and Oedipus, a stranger travelling in the area, lifted the curse by answering the riddle of the Sphinx ("What goes on four legs at morning, two legs at noon and three legs at evening?" Answer - Man). His reward was to become their King and marry Queen Jocasta, the widow of their previous King Laius (who had been murdered in suspicious circumstances). Oedipus’ and Jocasta’s has been a happy marriage blessed with children. Oedipus says that he has already sent Jocasta’s brother Creon to consult Apollo’s Oracle to find out why the plague has descended. He has also asked him, to be on the safe side, to send for Apollo’s chief prophet, the blind but wise Teiresias.
Creon returns, saying that the city is being punished for an unclean act which has gone unpunished and can only be saved by "the payment of blood for blood" and the banishment of the culprit. Oedipus naturally assumes that this refers to the murder of King Laius by un-named robbers at a cross-roads. The more immediate threat of the Sphinx had prevented a full inquiry into his death ever taking place. Oedipus decides to re-open the case, partly in case the murderers next raise their hand against him.
However, when Teiresias arrives he accuses Oedipus of being the polluter of the land, declaring "Thou art the man!" Oedipus suspects that Creon and Teiresias are plotting together, Teiresias’ accusation providing a pretext for Creon to seize the crown. He confronts Creon with this and a furious argument breaks out, calmed only by the arrival of Jocasta who mediates between her husband and brother.
Jocasta reassures Oedipus that Teiresias’ prophecy is idiotic. She gives an example from her own life of the failures of such fortune-telling. Her former husband Laius had cast out his own son to die when he was told by the oracle that this son would be his murderer, yet, in the end, Laius had been killed by robbers "at a place where three roads meet" thus falsifying the prophecy.
However, the phrase "where three roads meet" stirs a memory in Oedipus. It reminds him of a trivial incident where he had argued with an old man at a cross-roads and knocked him down. He questions Jocasta further and finds that the old man resembled Laius. One witness to the incident survives, an old servant, subsequently pensioned off and now a Shepherd. Oedipus sends for him. He is obviously somewhat worried that it is he, albeit accidentally, who has murdered the King and tells Jocasta why.
He had been brought up in Corinth, the son of King Polybus and Queen Merope. He was becoming a successful young man-about-town when a drunken stranger told him he was adopted. Despite his parents’ reassurances, Oedipus (to get to the bottom of things) consulted the Oracle at Pytho. Although the Oracle did not answer his question it did say that he was doomed to commit incest with his mother, become the parent of a "misbegotten brood" and murder his father. In horror, he left Corinth immediately and while travelling, accidentally killed a man that he confronted at cross-roads in an altercation about the right of way. However, Oedipus clings on to one thing; the witnesses all spoke of "robbers" in the plural, whereas, in the incident he is thinking of, he was very obviously on his own. He tells Jocasta that he has sent for the shepherd to confirm this and thus clear his name.
At this point, a Messenger arrives from Corinth, with the news that Oedipus’ father, King Polybus, has died a natural death. Jocasta is delighted at this further proof of the failure of oracles, but Oedipus, although relieved that he has not killed his father, remains worried so long as his mother is alive. The messenger butts in to reassure him. He tells Oedipus that he was not Merope’s natural son. He himself, before he became a royal servant, was a shepherd. He had been given the baby Oedipus by another shepherd; a servant in Laius’ household. He recognises Oedipus from the marks on his ankles where they were riveted when he was cast away as a baby. Oedipus is now determined to find this shepherd of Laius’ household who gave the messenger his youthful self. The Chorus says that it’s the same shepherd that Oedipus has already sent for; the one who witnessed Laius’ murder. Jocasta is now terrified, although Oedipus still doesn’t put two-and-two together and assumes that she’s frightened in case he proves to be low-born. Jocasta rushes off.
The old Shepherd arrives. He is terrified as soon as he sees the messenger. Oedipus interrogates him brutally and the shepherd reveals that the child was Laius’ own and was given to him by Jocasta herself, justifying her action by the prophecy that the child would kill its father. Oedipus now understands all.
The Chorus reflect on the meaning of all this, when an Attendant arrives and tells them that Jocasta ran to her bridal bed wailing and weeping. Oedipus entered with drawn sword ready to kill her. However, she had pre-empted him by hanging herself. Oedipus pulled out the golden brooches that pinned her dress and put his eyes out with them.
Creon allows the blind Oedipus to see his children, Antigone and Ismene and instructs Oedipus to leave the light of day for the polluted are not allowed to see it. He will not confirm how Jocasta is to be buried, or whether Oedipus is to be banished or put to death as he is awaiting the word of the gods from the oracle. He forces Oedipus to give up his children and walk into the darkness of the palace alone, despite Oedipus’ protests. Creon’s final words are, "Command no more. Obey. Your rule is ended."
The story of Oedipus was well-known to the Ancient Greeks, but the particular form in which Sophocles chose to cast the story led Aristotle (and most subsequent critics) to consider it the most perfectly representative of all tragedies in terms of its organisation and design.
The play opens with the High Priest of Thebes beseeching King Oedipus to solve the mystery of the curse that is bringing plagues and disasters on their city. Oedipus is very proud of his ability to solve mysteries. He has freed Thebes from terror once before. The monstrous Sphinx was preying on their city and Oedipus, a stranger travelling in the area, lifted the curse by answering the riddle of the Sphinx ("What goes on four legs at morning, two legs at noon and three legs at evening?" Answer - Man). His reward was to become their King and marry Queen Jocasta, the widow of their previous King Laius (who had been murdered in suspicious circumstances). Oedipus’ and Jocasta’s has been a happy marriage blessed with children. Oedipus says that he has already sent Jocasta’s brother Creon to consult Apollo’s Oracle to find out why the plague has descended. He has also asked him, to be on the safe side, to send for Apollo’s chief prophet, the blind but wise Teiresias.
Creon returns, saying that the city is being punished for an unclean act which has gone unpunished and can only be saved by "the payment of blood for blood" and the banishment of the culprit. Oedipus naturally assumes that this refers to the murder of King Laius by un-named robbers at a cross-roads. The more immediate threat of the Sphinx had prevented a full inquiry into his death ever taking place. Oedipus decides to re-open the case, partly in case the murderers next raise their hand against him.
However, when Teiresias arrives he accuses Oedipus of being the polluter of the land, declaring "Thou art the man!" Oedipus suspects that Creon and Teiresias are plotting together, Teiresias’ accusation providing a pretext for Creon to seize the crown. He confronts Creon with this and a furious argument breaks out, calmed only by the arrival of Jocasta who mediates between her husband and brother.
Jocasta reassures Oedipus that Teiresias’ prophecy is idiotic. She gives an example from her own life of the failures of such fortune-telling. Her former husband Laius had cast out his own son to die when he was told by the oracle that this son would be his murderer, yet, in the end, Laius had been killed by robbers "at a place where three roads meet" thus falsifying the prophecy.
However, the phrase "where three roads meet" stirs a memory in Oedipus. It reminds him of a trivial incident where he had argued with an old man at a cross-roads and knocked him down. He questions Jocasta further and finds that the old man resembled Laius. One witness to the incident survives, an old servant, subsequently pensioned off and now a Shepherd. Oedipus sends for him. He is obviously somewhat worried that it is he, albeit accidentally, who has murdered the King and tells Jocasta why.
He had been brought up in Corinth, the son of King Polybus and Queen Merope. He was becoming a successful young man-about-town when a drunken stranger told him he was adopted. Despite his parents’ reassurances, Oedipus (to get to the bottom of things) consulted the Oracle at Pytho. Although the Oracle did not answer his question it did say that he was doomed to commit incest with his mother, become the parent of a "misbegotten brood" and murder his father. In horror, he left Corinth immediately and while travelling, accidentally killed a man that he confronted at cross-roads in an altercation about the right of way. However, Oedipus clings on to one thing; the witnesses all spoke of "robbers" in the plural, whereas, in the incident he is thinking of, he was very obviously on his own. He tells Jocasta that he has sent for the shepherd to confirm this and thus clear his name.
At this point, a Messenger arrives from Corinth, with the news that Oedipus’ father, King Polybus, has died a natural death. Jocasta is delighted at this further proof of the failure of oracles, but Oedipus, although relieved that he has not killed his father, remains worried so long as his mother is alive. The messenger butts in to reassure him. He tells Oedipus that he was not Merope’s natural son. He himself, before he became a royal servant, was a shepherd. He had been given the baby Oedipus by another shepherd; a servant in Laius’ household. He recognises Oedipus from the marks on his ankles where they were riveted when he was cast away as a baby. Oedipus is now determined to find this shepherd of Laius’ household who gave the messenger his youthful self. The Chorus says that it’s the same shepherd that Oedipus has already sent for; the one who witnessed Laius’ murder. Jocasta is now terrified, although Oedipus still doesn’t put two-and-two together and assumes that she’s frightened in case he proves to be low-born. Jocasta rushes off.
The old Shepherd arrives. He is terrified as soon as he sees the messenger. Oedipus interrogates him brutally and the shepherd reveals that the child was Laius’ own and was given to him by Jocasta herself, justifying her action by the prophecy that the child would kill its father. Oedipus now understands all.
The Chorus reflect on the meaning of all this, when an Attendant arrives and tells them that Jocasta ran to her bridal bed wailing and weeping. Oedipus entered with drawn sword ready to kill her. However, she had pre-empted him by hanging herself. Oedipus pulled out the golden brooches that pinned her dress and put his eyes out with them.
Creon allows the blind Oedipus to see his children, Antigone and Ismene and instructs Oedipus to leave the light of day for the polluted are not allowed to see it. He will not confirm how Jocasta is to be buried, or whether Oedipus is to be banished or put to death as he is awaiting the word of the gods from the oracle. He forces Oedipus to give up his children and walk into the darkness of the palace alone, despite Oedipus’ protests. Creon’s final words are, "Command no more. Obey. Your rule is ended."
10.27.2005
eddie Q supplement
posted by MRC | 11:59 PM
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