It is set in the kingdom of Thebes in With the deadly plague, which struck one of the most historic Greek cities, on the one hand and the tragic fate of a character who has become among the most recognizable in world theater on the other, Sophocles masterminded a dramatic frame and offered a lyrical, literary description of a lethal disease. Haemon seems at first to side with his father, but gradually admits his opposition to Creons stubbornness and petty vindictiveness. Oedipus asks that this shepherd be brought forth to testify, but Jocasta, beginning to suspect the truth, begs her husband not to seek more information. 20% Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. His primary research interests include history of medicine, medical sociology, and epidemiology. Oedipus was perhaps doomed from birth, for many prophecies were told about Oedipus before and after his birth. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Significant Myths and Structure of the Text. Economopoulos). In other words, he became a hero by figuring out the truth. Oedipus brags that he alone was able to solve the puzzle. (including. Theseus says that he believes Oedipus and asks what to do. When Laius' herald ordered Oedipus to stand aside and make way for the King to pass, Oedipus grew angry and killed both the herald and Laius. Oedipus, king of Thebes, is determined to find out the cause of the plague ravishing the city, little suspecting the cause is him. At the beginning of the play Oedipus Rex, Thebes is being devastated by a city-wide plague. Creon returns to report that the plague is the result of religious pollution, since the murderer of their former king, Laius, has never been caught. Oedipus sends for the man who survived the attack, a shepherd, in the hope that he will not be identified as the murderer. After blinding himself in anguish over what he has done, Oedipus allows himself to be exiled, and the plague ends. Creon threatens to kill anyone who tries to bury Polynices and stations sentries over his body. After an interlude in which Oedipus tells the Chorus who he is, Oedipuss second daughter, Ismene, enters, having gone to learn news from Apollos oracle at Delphi. Oedipus saved Thebes from the Sphinx by answering the Sphinx's riddle. The priest responds that the city is dying and asks the king to save Thebes. A messenger enters and recounts the tragic events: Creon and his entourage first gave proper burial to Polynices, then heard what sounded like Haemons voice wailing from Antigones tomb. At the beginning of the play, Thebes is struck with a terrible plague that ravishes the city, forcing citizens to petition King Oedipus to deliver them from the horrible epidemic. Sophocles, one of the most noted playwrights of the ancient world, wrote the tragedy Oedipus Rex in the first half of the decade 430420 bc. Hearing this, Oedipus fled his home, never to return. You'll also receive an email with the link. Finally, Oedipus is vehement in his promises of dire punishment for Laiuss murderer, even if the murderer turns out to be someone close to Oedipus himself. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Sophocles epidemic seems to have enough strength to appear as a historical base on which the theatrical economy of the play is evolving (12). Blind and frail, he walks with the help of his daughter, Antigone. Creon returns to report that the plague is the result of religious pollution, since the murderer of their former king, Laius, has never been caught. Oedipus zealously takes up the case, and questions the blind prophet Tiresias, only to hear that he, Oedipus, is the canker in the . Oedipus fears mass destruction of the city of Thebes (with the god's good help success is sure; 'tis ruin if we fail, line 146), while the words weltering surge of blood (line 24), fiery plague (line 166), the land is sore distressed (line 685), and wailing on the altar stair, wives and grandams rend the air, long-drawn moans and piercing cries blent with prayers and litanies (lines 184186) (2,3) all illustrate vividly the severity of the situation. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King, is the first play in this trilogy of Athenian Tragedies . Please wait while we process your payment. Regarding the specific clinical features of the disease, it is clear that the causative pathogen leads to miscarriages or stillbirths (a blight on wives in travail, lines 2627, meaning women give birth to dead babies) (2,3). An oracle warned Laius, the king of Thebes prior to Oedipus, that his son would murder him. Creon asks Oedipus if he wants to hear the news in private, but Oedipus insists that all the citizens hear. Despite his anger and harshness, Oedipus is a noble figure because he really does feel the grief of his people and is utterly single-minded in tracking down the source of their distress. The plagues effects are also pointed out by the Chorus: earth her gracious fruits denies and women wail in barren throes (lines 151, 215) (2,3). At the beginning of Sophocles'Oedipus Rex,there issterility and a plague at Thebes. The people of Thebes honored and worshipped the gods, surely there is an easier way to play detective. The references to the decline of land and fields could be an example of poetic exaggeration or a suggestion that the fruits or ears may participate in the transmission route of the plague (a blight is on our harvest in the ear, line 25) (2,3). What is the main idea of Oedipus the King by Sophocles, and what is the play about. He has already anticipated the priests' request for help and has done what a good Greek ruler should doseek advice from an oracle. Yet in saying he would fight for Laius as if he were his own father, Oedipus further displays his own blindness to the truth. Free trial is available to new customers only. Eventually the city was infected by a plague. Oedipus Rex Summary. Creon now rules the city, and he has ordered that Polynices, who brought a foreign army against Thebes, not be allowed proper burial rites. As for the clinical features, although Thucydides does not mention the pregnancy or labor pains as described in Sophocles text, he does refer to abdominal and vulvovaginal symptoms (5). Emerg Infect Dis. This skirmish occurred at the very crossroads where Laius was killed. Subscribe now. The plague results from the shame of not punishing Thebe's former king's murderer. Sophocles lived between 496 and 406 bc; although he seems to have written 123 plays, only 7 have survived in a complete form (1). Oedipus returns and tells the Chorus that he will end the plague himself. As Eteocles' turn came first, Polyneices withdrew to . He tells them they can trust him to help in any way he can. Purchasing The Theban Plays Oedipus the King (or Oedipus Rex) is one of three surviving plays by Sophocles centering on the Greek myth of Oedipus (EHD ih puhs), king of Thebes; the other two are Oedipus at . He ends up blinding himself before being exiled from the city. How does Oedipus Rex by Sophocles follow the unities? Any proposed pathogen should be a highly contagious, zoonotic disease of cattle that causes stillbirth, miscarriages, and infertility, is characterized by high mortality rates, and has the potential to have caused an epidemic in the 5th century bc. Therefore, although the first part of the play is rife with references to the plague and its consequences, in the second part there are only sporadic referrals to the epidemic. Jocasta rejoices, convinced that Polybuss death from natural causes has disproved the prophecy that Oedipus would murder his father. Oedipus curses himself, proclaiming that should he discover the murderer to be a member of his own family, that person should be struck by the same exile and harsh treatment that he has just wished on the murderer. Purchasing Teiresias reluctantly informs Oedipus that he is the murderer and has been living intimately with his mother. Guilt sits with regard to actionin the case of Oedipus, the action of killing his father and marrying his mother. During the time the play is set, Laius is deceased, but he is a critical . The devastating plague that dominates Thebes is presented to the audience through the dialogue between Oedipus and the Priest (lines 167) (2,3). | This assignment asks readers to pick a person to blame for the tragedy of Oedipus. He tells Jocasta that, long ago, when he was the prince of Corinth, he overheard someone mention at a banquet that he was not really the son of the king and queen. . Creon reports that the gods have caused this plague in response to the murder of Laius, the previous king of Thebes, and they demand that the murderer ("the pollution of this land") be killed or exiled. In addition, the realistic descriptions of the historian and the nightmarish lyrical rhymes of the poet, talk about a disease with a high mortality rate (2,10). The priest begs Oedipus to save Thebes, just as Oedipus . Continue to start your free trial. Creon is more pragmatic and less inclined to take action. Tiresias defends his skills as a prophet, noting that Oedipuss parents found him trustworthy. Oedipus, stunned, tells his wife that he may be the one who murdered Laius. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. Skip to document. Oedipus is so competent in the affairs of men that he comes close to dismissing the gods, although he does not actually blaspheme, as Creon does in Antigone. Oedipus asks Theseus to harbor him in Athens until his death, but warns that by doing him this favor, Theseus will incur the wrath of Thebes. According to the Oracle, Apollo regards religious or moral pollution (miasma) resulting from the murder of the former king, Laius,to be the cause of the plague and that the cause of it (i.e. The characteristics of pathogens that might be responsible for the plague on the basis of Sophocles descriptions in Oedipus Rex are summarized in the Technical Appendix. He knows that the city is sick with plague. In their final words, the chorus reminds the audience that it was Oedipus who solved the riddle of the sphinx. Log in here. The following 5 points support this correlation. On the surface, the problem afflicting Thebes is a plague. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. A group of priests comes to the royal palace to ask for help from Oedipus, their king who once saved them from the tyranny of the terrible Sphinx. A. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. SparkNotes PLUS At the start of the play, the city of Thebes is suffering terribly. Lines 179181 turn out to be of high interest: wasted thus by death on death all our city perishes; corpses spread infection round (2,3). March 3, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Photo courtesy Effie Poulakou-Rebelakou. Jocasta rejoices, convinced that Polybus's death from natural causes has disproved the prophecy that Oedipus . Oedipus sends the citizen to fetch Theseus, the king of Athens and its surroundings. Sample A+ Essay: Are Humans Prisoners of Fate in Oedipus the King? (Spoiler alert: It's his own bad leadership.) Struggling with distance learning? However, Thucydides correlation of the plague of Athens with the Peloponnesian War (431404 bc) (5) gives us the opportunity to state that Sophocles connects this epidemic of Thebes with the plague of Athens and attempts to point out the disastrous effects wars always have. for a customized plan. However, with his excavations in Troy, which used the Iliad as a guide, Schlieman provided a perfect example of how literary work can have a factual base (16). Complete your free account to request a guide. Oedipus (UK: / i d p s /, also US: / d -/; Greek: "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes.A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family.. M.A. Much of the fascination of the play comes from watching Oedipus, the remorseless detective, hunt down Oedipus, the unwitting criminal. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Q. Oedipus sends for Tiresias who reveals that Oedipus is the cause of the plague. The Sphinx, in her anger, threw herself off a cliff. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Creon, covetous of royal power, is all too happy to oblige. At this early moment, we see Oedipuss dangerous pride, which explains his willful blindness and, to a certain extent, justifies his downfall. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. A somewhat similar example is that of archeologist Heinrich Schlieman; before Schlieman, the writings of Homer had been considered a collection of mythological poems. Thebes has been struck by a plague, the citizens are dying, and no one knows how to put an end to it. March 3, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 The gods serve punishment for Oedipus's guilt by inflicting a plague on Thebes. In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Oedipus' biological father is Laius, the King of Thebes prior to Oedipus. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Sphinx had been terrorizing Thebes for an undisclosed amount of time before Oedipus was able to defeat it. In Oedipus Rex, why does Oedipus blind himself? When Oedipus discovers the truth of his actions, he is wrought with horror and self-loathing. He accuses Creon and Tiresias of conspiring against his life, and charges Tiresias with insanity. Not knowing where to go now, Antigone says they will have to wander forever alone. 2 (CC) BY-NC-SA, Ian Johnston 2004 1 Cadmus: legendary founder of Thebes. Bust of Sophocles in the Colonnade of the Muses in the Achilleion, Corfu, Greece, July 2011. Realizing who he is and who his parents are, Oedipus screams that he sees the truth and flees back into the palace. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The citizens gather outside the palace of their king, Oedipus, asking him to take action. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. In the historical case (Athens) and the dramatic case (Thebes), the populace turned to the temples looking for a divine solution to the disaster. Instant PDF downloads. Theseus returns to the stage, asking the daughters to stop their weeping. After Tiresias leaves, Oedipus threatens Creon with death or exile for conspiring with the prophet. In Oedipus Rex the plague is a miasma that destroys everything, rather than just a disease. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. PART I: Before Reading STATEMENT RESPONSE (3-5 sentences) It is important to know who we truly are, where we came . All the people were led by an old priest having garlands and flowers. There was an unexpected error. He avidly begins an all-out manhunt. The key word in the definition of shame is "consciousness.". Summary. Many people are falling ill, and Oedipus begins to believe that there is a divine cause for the plague. To know the cause of the plague, Oedipus sent Creon, Jocasta's brother, consult the oracle at Delphi , and learned that the plague would only cease after the murderer of Laius had been punished. The Priest of the land describes the death of young children, even those in the womb, as well as adults. The lethality of this epidemic is particularly terrifying for the protagonists of the play, and the diseases severity is evinced by the first sentences of the tragedy (reek of incense everywhere, line 4). Discount, Discount Code Ace your assignments with our guide to The Oedipus Plays! In this case scenario, we could assume that cattle in Thebes may have been having brucellosis, leptospirosis, or listeriosis, while humans could have been affected by a different pathogen such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (8,9). Oedipus himself is the accursed person who brings the plague to Thebes. His play, Oedipus Rex, tells the sad tale of a king who discovers that he has murdered his father and married his mother. Oedipus replies that he sees and understands the terrible fate of Thebes, and that no one is more sorrowful than he. He sends Creon, his brother-in-law, to the oracle at Athens. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. One day long ago, he was tending his sheep when another shepherd approached him carrying a baby, its ankles pinned together. . on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% If you are present, being an active listener, and taking part in class discussions, you will be able to complete all of this in class. Oedipus responds by sending his brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle of Apollo to discover how to save Thebes. A messenger enters to narrate the mysterious death of Oedipus: his death seemed a disappearance of sorts, the lightless depths of Earth bursting open in kindness to receive him (18861887). Creon was told by Apollo that in order to be free of the plague, they must "Pay the killers back- whoever is responsible" (Sophocles 1430). Wed love to have you back! to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Sophocles, a preeminent ancient Greek tragedian, authored plays that have enthralled audiences for over two thousand years. Finally, we cannot reject the possibility of dealing with a Brucella strain that has evolved to become less deadly than a more lethal ancestor (6). He has the answers Oedipus is looking for, and can help cure the plague, but, rather than . creating and saving your own notes as you read. The reference to the Sphinx reminds the audience that Oedipus is a genuine hero. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. In Oedipus's new kingdom of Thebes, there was a plague that was hurting the kingdom, so Oedipus searched for answers. The Sphinx placed a great plague over Thebes and refused to remove it until someone correctly answered its riddle. Oedipus replies that he is more eager than anyone to find out the cause of the pollution and remove it. In despair Jocasta hanged herself, while Oedipus blinded himself in an agony of remorse. In the first scene of the play, Sophocles presents the basic social and historical axes around which he will unfold the plot. It's actually a case of a pestilence that's wiping out the city's people, livestock and harvests . Just then, Creon arrives, and Oedipus asks what the oracle has said. Wailing on the altar stair, wives and grandams rend the air, long-drawn moans and piercing cries blent with prayers and litaniesSophocles, Oedipus Rex, lines 184186. The play opens in front of Oedipus' palace at Thebes. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. It is not quite clear why Ares is being called responsible for this plague, since there is no other such reference in the play. Oedipus is a vigorous and active leader. He prays for the safety of his sisters and then leaves for Thebes. for a customized plan. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Jocasta tells him that Laius was killed at a three-way crossroads, just before Oedipus arrived in Thebes. Oedipus tells Antigone that, earlier in his life, when Apollo prophesied his doom, the god promised Oedipus that he would come to rest on this ground. Discuss the theme of sight and blindness in Oedipus Rex, how it is important, and how it affects the idea of truth. Answer: Oedipus married his mother. The oracle announces that the plague is a result of religious pollution and that the god Apollo requests that the people of Thebes exile the previously unknown miasma (a word of Greek origin with a sense of moral noxious pollution) away from the town (lines 9698) (2,3). Message not sent. Scene from a National Theatre of Greece production of Oedipus Rex at the Odeon of Herodus Atticus, Athens, Greece January 1995. Oedipus is notable for his compassion, his sense of justice, his swiftness of thought and action, and his candor. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. The Chorus calls on various Olympians to aid Thebes. WebOedipus is the king of Thebes when the action commences, and one facing the crisis of a plague. The story of Oedipus begins in Thebes, the Greek city founded by Cadmus, at a time when Laius had been restored to the throne.Laius would wed Jocasta, sister to Creon, and descendant of one of the Spartoi, but almost immediately a prophecy was made that said that the son of Laius . He inadvertently killed his father, solved the riddle of the Sphinx, and became king of Thebes. He returned with news that the plague was caused by the unpunished murderer who killed Laius. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Having just escaped the Sphinx, searching out Laius's murderer seemed impossible to Creon. eNotes Editorial, 3 Jan. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-reason-plague-thebes-sophocles-oedipus-rex-662761. Oedipus swears he will never give his support to either of his sons, for they did nothing to prevent his exile years ago. The date of the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles. Oedipus interrogates him, asking who gave him the baby. "What is the reason for the plague in Thebes in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex?" We adopted a critical approach to Oedipus Rex in analyzing the literary description of the disease, unraveling its clinical features, and defining a possible underlying cause. Discount, Discount Code Economopoulos, E. Poulakou-Rebelakou, G. Androutsos, S. Tsiodras), Society of Junior Doctors, Athens (A.A. Kousoulis, K.P. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. At that time, a Sphinx held the city captive and refused to leave until someone answered her riddle. He has already sent Creon to ask the Delphic Oracle's advice. In line 28 the word plague () appears for the first time, with the Greek word for disease () being used in lines 150, 217, and 303 (2,3). Hence, the citizens of Thebes were often called children of Cadmus or Cadmeians. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. In his first speech, which he delivers to an old priest whose suffering he seeks to alleviate, he continually voices his concern for the health and well-being of his people. for a group? Seven Against Thebes, in Greek mythology, the seven champions who were killed fighting against Thebes after the fall of Oedipus, the king of that city. It should be noted that exploring the diseases of history requires examining the social, economic, and demographic aspects of each era because this is the only way to better understand how diseases work over centuries (10). For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! Sometimes it can end up there. One such instance of this irony is when Oedipus proclaims proudlybut, for the audience, painfullythat he possesses the bed of the former king, and that marriage might have even created blood-bonds between him and Laius had Laius not been murdered (294300). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Each man in the city grieves for himself, but the king grieves for the city and everyone in it. answer choices . Oedipus steps out of the royal palace of Thebes and is greeted by a procession of priests, who are in turn surrounded by the impoverished and sorrowful citizens of Thebes. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. As the play opens, Oedipus, the king of Thebes, asks from a group of people that why they are gathered there. He thinks he knows what happenedthieves killed Laiusbut is actually blind to the truth. The plague that is described in Oedipus Rex could possibly be related to the plague that struck Athens in 430429 bc (11), the primary source for which is the papers of historian Thucydides (where he refers to an epidemic that has been named the plague of Athens) (5).