Genre: Tragedy
First Performed: 429BC
Second in order of Sophocles’s composition of his three plays dealing with Oedipus.
Themes: Fate, Tragical Flaw
Oedipus, a man becomes King of Thebes, whilst fulfilling unwillingly a prophecy that he would kill his father Laius and marry his mother Jocasta.
Oedipus’s own faults contribute to his downfall.
Plot:
A priest & The chorus of Thebans arrive at the palace to inform the King that the plague has hit Thebes.
Oedipus sends brother-in-law Creon to ask the help of the oracle at Delphi.
Crean says that the plague has occurred due to the unsolved murder of the previous King, Laius.
Oedipus does to find the murderer.
Oedipus summons the blind prophet Tiresias for help.
Tiresias informs Oedipus he himself is the murderer.
Oedipus rejects the prophet, Tiresias hints a future of incest and blindness.
His wife, Jocasta encourages him to ignore these prophecies.
Oedipus is distressed as he remembers killing a man when he first came to Themes at a crossroads, Oedipus then sends for the only witness, a shepherd.
Oedipus is also worried as as a young man he learnt from an oracle that his fate was to kill his father and marry his mother.
Fear of the prophecy drove him from his home in Corinth and brought him to Thebes.
Oedipus then finds out from the shepherd his parents are in fact King Laius and Jocasta.
Oedipus is agonised by his fate.
Then to find out Jocasta has killed herself.
Oedipus then takes pins from her gown and rakes out his eyes, blinded he then exiles himself.
Where does Oedipus have scars ? On his feet.
Oedipus gets angry at those who are reluctant to give him information for his own good.
How old was Oedipus when his parents received a prophecy and tried to have him killed? 3 days old.
Where was Laius killed? At A crossroads.
Which God's oracle does Oedipus go to for advice about the trouble of Thebes? Apollo.
Creon is...? Oedipus's Uncle and Brother-in-law.
What will cause the curse to be lifted from Thebes? Laius's murdered being found.
What did an old man tell Oedipus when he was a child? That he was adopted.
What does Oedipus beg for at the end of the play? To be exiled.
Where does Oedipus have scars ? On his feet.
Oedipus gets angry at those who are reluctant to give him information for his own good.
How old was Oedipus when his parents received a prophecy and tried to have him killed? 3 days old.
Where was Laius killed? At A crossroads.
Which God's oracle does Oedipus go to for advice about the trouble of Thebes? Apollo.
Creon is...? Oedipus's Uncle and Brother-in-law.
What will cause the curse to be lifted from Thebes? Laius's murdered being found.
What did an old man tell Oedipus when he was a child? That he was adopted.
What does Oedipus beg for at the end of the play? To be exiled.
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