King Oedipus

Oedipus is greeted by many priests, who is also surrounded by the citizens of Thebes. The city of Thebes has been struck by a plague and many people are dying and nobody knows how to stop it or how to cure it. Oedipus asks the preist why everyone is at the palace and he says that the people come to the palace to ask the king to save Thebes. Odepius sees how bad the town is and how many people are dying so he sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to Delphic orcale to see if he knows how to stop the plague. Just then, Creon comes back and Oedipus asks what oracle has told him. Creon asked if he wanted to hear it in private but Oedipus says that he wants all of the poeple to hear the news. He found out the the murderer of Laius, who once ruled Thebes before Oedipus did, is back in Thebes and he must be run out for the plague to come to an end. Creon then tells them of the past story of Laius's murder. How they were on their way to talk to an oracle, Laius and all of his men were all killed but one. Oedipus asks if anyone knew who the murderers were and why no Thebans tried to find them. Creon tells him that the people were more afraid with the curse of the Sphinx. Oedipus gets very angry and tells the Chorus that he will end the plague himself. He asks the people if anyone, just anyone knows who killed Laius, giving a reward to anyone that informs him about the murderer and will recieve no furter punishment but will have to leave the country. No one says anything and right then Oedipus goes out on an uproar and swears Laius's murderer and anyone who is trying to protect him. Oedipus curses himself saything that he should discover the murderer to be an own family member. Even it is one of his family members, they would still suffer the same punishment. The Chorus then calls for the great prophet, Tiresia, but Oeidpus says that he has already called for him. When Tiresias arrives Oedipus begs him to reveal who killed Laius, but he answers only that he knows who the murderer is, but he'd we he didn't. Oedipus isn't sure what to say, but then gets very angry and insists that Tiresias tell the town of Thebes what he knows. Tiresias gets affended by Oedipus's anger and when Oedipus calls Tiresias the murderer, Tiresias tells Oedipus that Oedipus is the curse, he is the one who killed Laius. He doesn't believe what he is hearing and soon he is furious and makes up a story that Creon and Tiresias are trying to overthrow him. The Chorus asks Oedipus to try and be calm but he can't when Tiresias keeps going on the Oedipus doesn't even know who his parents are. When he said that, he made Oedipus very furious but he also is wondering how true it actually is. Tiresias is saying that the killer will be the son and husband to his mother and the brother and father to his children. The Chorus is very confused and doesn't know what to think or who to believe so they won't believe anything until they are shown proof. Creon enters and Oedipus accuses Creon of trying to overthrow him since he had Tiresias come. Creon wants to talk it out but Oedipus wants Creon dead. Right then, Oedipus's wife, Jocasta comes and tells Oedipus that he shouldn't kill Creon. Jocasta tells him that all of the prophets are false. She tells him that the oracle said that their son was supposed to kill his father and marry his mother but the son was put to death and Laius was killed by thieves. All sounding very familar to Oedipus tells Jocasta that he might be the one who killed Laius. He told her that a very long time ago when he was prince of Corinth, he heard he wasn't the son the the king and queen so he went to the oracle of Delphi. The oracle didn't tell him anything but they did tell him he would kill his father and sleep with his mother. Getting told that he ran away from home and that led him to Thebes. He said that he was attacked by a group of travelers which he killed in his own defense, and it was at the very same place where Laius was murdered. Oedipus then sends for the shepherd who was the only surviving man of the attack. A messenger then comes looking for Oedipus. He tells Jocasta to tell Oedipus that his father, Polybus, is dead and the city of Corinth wants Oedpius to come and rule. They are glad to hear this because then they know that the prophecy is wrong. But Oedipus is worried that the part of the prophecy that said he would sleep with his mother. The messenger informs him not to worry because Polybus and his wife Merope are not actually Oedipus's actual parents. The messenger says that he used to be a shepherd long ago and one day found a baby on a mountain near Thebes. That baby was Oedipus. Oedipus wants to know who left him on the mountains and he says that it was another shepherd, one of Laius's servant who gave him baby Oedipus and was meaning to kill it. Oedipus wants to try and find this shepherd but Jocasta begs him to stop but he doesn't want to. He needs to find the shepherd. Oedipus comes upon the shepherb and asks who gave him the baby but the shepherd refuses to talk. Oedipus threatens him with tourture and then he finally answers that the baby came from the house of Laius. He says that it was Laius's child and Jocasta gave it to him to kill because of the prophecy saying that the child would kill his parents. But instead of killing the baby the shepherd gave him to another shepherd so that he could be raised as the prince of Corinth. After realizing who he acutally is and who is real parents are, he lets out a long scream. The messenger comes back and tells the chorus that he has more bad news. Jocasta has hung herself in her room. She has cried for Laius and for her bad fate. Oedipus walks into Jocasta's room and when he sees her hanging he takes her gold broaches from her clothes and repeatedly gouges out his eyes. Oedipus walks onto the stage and is covered in blood and moaning about his bad fate and the horrible life he has. He says he must be banished from Thebes at once for he cannot bear his life anymore. Creon comes in and agrees to banish him from the town only if the Gods agree with everything that has happened. He tells Creon that his sons will be fine and act like men but he asks for Creon to take care of his girls and if he could see them one more time. His daughters, Antigone and Ismene, come onto the stage crying and Oedipus prays that their life will be better than his. Creon takes the girls away and Oedipus is taken down from the throne. The chorus comes in and says that one of the greatest men has fallen and that means that all life is miserable and the only way to feel better is to die.

quotes.
Fear? What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark. Better to live at random, best we can. And as for this marriage with your mother—have no fear. Many a man before you, in his dreams, has shared his mother’s bed. Take such things for shadows, nothing at all— Live, Oedipus, as if there’s no tomorrow! (Oedipus the King, 1068–1078)

People of Thebes, my countrymen, look on Oedipus. He solved the famous riddle with his brilliance, he rose to power, a man beyond all power. Who could behold his greatness without envy? Now what a black sea of terror has overwhelmed him. Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day, count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last. (Oedipus the King, 1678–1684)