Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex

When the play begins play has stricken Thebes. The citizens gather outside the palace of their king, Oedipus asking him to take action. They appreciated him for his act of saving them from sphinx and request to save once again from the problem of pestilence. Oedipus replies that he already sends his brother- in-law, Creon to the Oracle at Delphi to learn how to help the city and citizen. Creon returns with a message from the Oracle that the plague will end when the murderer of Laius, former kings of Thebes is cut and expelled from the city which is living in the city. Oedipus sends Creon to call for Tiresias the blind prophets who can see the past, present and future and asked him what he knows about the murder. Tiresias response critically lamenting his ability to see the truth when the truth brings nothing but pain. At first, he refuses to tell Oedipus what he knows. Oedipus curses in search the old man going so far as to accuse him of the murder. He also insults for his blindness impelling him to speak. These mocking provoke Tiresias into revealing that Oedipus himself is the murderer. Oedipus naturally refuses to believe Tiresias accusation. Oedipus simply regards his expression to be an expression of anger and treachery. At that time a sphinx held the city captive and refused to live until someone answered her riddle. Oedipus brags that he alone was able to solve the puzzle. Tiresias defend his skills as a prophet, nothing that Oedipus parents found him trustworthy. At thing mention of his parents, Oedipus who grew up in the distance city of Corinth asked how Tiresias knew his parents. But Tiresias answers dramatically leaving him confused. Then before leaving the stage Tiresias put forth one last riddle saying that the murderer of Laius will turn out to be both father and brother to his own children and the son of his own wife.

Tiresias leaves Oedipus to threaten Creon with death or exile for conspiring against him with the prophet. Oedipus wife Jocasta enters and asked why the men shout at one another. Oedipus explains to Jocasta that the prophet has charged him with the Laius murder and Jocasta replies that all prophecies are false. As a proof, she notices that the Delphic Oracle once told Laius he would be murdered by his son when in fact his son was cast out of Thebes as a baby and Laius was murdered by a band of thieves. A description of the murder, however, sounds familiar to Oedipus and he asked further questions. Jocasta tells him that Laius was killed at a three-way crossroads, just before Oedipus arrived in Thebes. Oedipus stunned tells his wife that he may be the one who murders Laius. He tells Jocasta that long ago when he was the prince of Corinth he overheard someone mention at a feast that he was not really the son of the king and the queen. He, therefore, travel to the Oracle of Delphi which does not answer him but only told him that he would murder his father and sleep with his mother. This fight occurred at the very crossroads where Laius was killed. Polybus is death and that Corinth has asked Oedipus to come and rule there in his place. Jocasta rejoices, convinces that Polybus death from natural causes has disproved the prophecies that Oedipus would murder his father. When Jocasta cause and inform Oedipus comes outside hears the news and rejoices with her.

The messenger remarks that Oedipus need not worry because Polybus and his wife Merope are not Oedipus biological parents. The messenger a shepherd by profession knows firsthand that Oedipus come of Corinth as an orphan. He began the story that one day long ago he was tending his sheep when another shepherd approaches him carrying a baby, its ankles pinned together. The messenger took the baby to the royal family of Corinth because they were childless and they raised him as their own son. That baby was Oedipus. Oedipus asked who the other shepherd was and the messenger answers that he was a servant of Laius. Oedipus asked to bring the shepherd so that he would be clear about his birth. But Jocasta beginning to suspect the truth, begs her husband not to seek information. She runs back into the palace. The Theban shepherd who had handed the child then enters. Oedipus interrogates him asking who gave him the baby. The shepherd at first refuses to disclose everything and Oedipus threaten him with torture. Finally, he answers that the child came from the house of Laius. Questioned further, he answers that the baby was, in fact, the child of Laius himself and it was Jocasta who gave him the infant ordering him to kill it has been prophesied that the child would kill his parents.

The shepherd and the messenger slowly exit the stage. A second messenger enters and describes the scene of suffering. Jocasta has hanged herself and Oedipus finding her death has pulled the pins from her robe and stabbed out his own eyes. Oedipus now emerges from the palace, bleeding and begging to the exiled. He asked Creon to send him away from Thebes and to look after his daughters. When the discovery about the murder of the late King Laius and the reality of the birth of Oedipus is disclosed, the suffering of Oedipus begins. Oedipus had been a proud king before the revelation of the Laius death but he has discovered that it is he who had brought the disaster in his country. After knowing the reality he curses himself hates his birth and fate. Oedipus shows his anger against the god who made his fate deserted. He comes to know that all prophecies came to be true. He feels that he could not see the world for the last time and breaks his eyes. He thinks that he is damn in his birth, damn in his marriage and damn in his deed. The queen Jocasta requests him not to try to find out any truth because she smells the fact. She tries to save him from the disaster but Oedipus does not believe. Due to the obstinate nature he wants to know the reality about the causes of plague. When he knows the horrible realization that he has killed his father and married his mother then he feels that his life falls under the disaster. This is the climax of the play, Oedipus Rex. Being shattered he hates his fate and curses himself for bringing such disgrace to his country Thebes. Due to his thirst to solve the problem he has brought his distortion.

Reference-

Klaus, C. H. (2013). New York: Oxford University Press.