Sophocles: Oedipus the King

THEA 1301-

Decatur Campus

September 15, 2014

                                        Sophocles: Oedipus the King

                Oedipus the king was written by Sophocles, however, this play was translated by Stephen Berg and Diskin Clay.  It was written in 430 B.C. and took place in Thebes during the ancient Greece period.  The genre of this play is a tragedy because of Oedipus’ terrible unspoken past. The Theme is that one can’t run away from fate nor the truth. Jocasta and Lauis, Oedipus’ mother and father, received a message from the God Apollo that their own son would murder his own father. So they tried to prevent that by giving their baby, Oedipus, away.  This action only planted the seed for that curse to happen. When Lauis died Oedipus wanted to know so badly who murdered Lauis so that Thebes will be free from misery by finding the murderer. Finding the murderer and either killing him or placing him in exile would set Thebes free. When Teiresias, the prophet and servant to Apollo, told Oedipus that he was the murderer, he did not want to hear that.  Oedipus found out later after accusing some of his good people that it was true.

         Apollo is the God of prophecy, light, healing, and the source of the prophecies. Jocasta was Lauis’ wife until he was murdered.  Soon afterward, she became the wife of Oedipus only to find out later she is the mother of Oedipus.  Oedipus was so eager and revengeful and had not a clue what he was about to get himself into. Later he finds out that his wife Jocasta is his mother and he killed his own father Lauis not knowing they were his biological parents. Kreon is Jocasta’s brother and Oedipus’ brother-in-law who rules the kingdom with equal power. He is also one of the people Oedipus accused along with Teiresias of killing Lauis.  Teiresias is the blind Theban prophet tells Oedipus the truth about who killed Lauis, however, Oedipus did not want to accept the truth.      

          A plague has hit Thebes and the citizens gather around asking Oedipus to help them. Oedipus sends Kreon to the Oracle at Delphi to learn what to do to help Thebes. When Kreon comes back he reveals a message that in order for Thebes to get better the murderer of Lauis must be either killed or exiled. Oedipus promises to solve the mystery and promises that when the murderer is caught he will curse him. Oedipus sends out for Teiresias, the blind prophet, and asks him who the murderer was. Teiresias would not tell him at first, he says the truth will be reveal on its own. Oedipus insults him and Teiresias reveals that it’s him, Oedipus. Oedipus did not want to hear that so he starts to accuse Teiresias as the murderer. Oedipus gets so mad that he comes up with a conclusion that Kreon and Teiresias murdered Lauis and was going to set him up and kill him. Jocasta calmed Oedipus down. When Oedipus was calm he remembered a situation where he had been in a fight and killed some men. Jocasta told him what the oracle said about how Lauis was supposed to be killed by his own son, and that his son would sleep in the same bed with his mother. Oedipus has been trying to find the one person left from the scene of the crime. Then he ask to have the Shepard that was on the mountain to come to talk to him. The Shepard admitted that a baby was given to him by Lauis.  Because of the revelation of who Oedipus is and what he had done, Jacasta hung herself in sorrow. Oedipus gouged his eyes out and became blind wanting to be lead out of Thebes.  Kreon was nice enough to let him stay with no power until they find out what the Gods want.