0edipus Rex

Classical StudiesOedipus the King

Intermediate 1 and 2

3810

August 1998

Classical StudiesOedipus the KingIntermediate 1 and 2

Support Materials

HIGHER STILL

Classical Studies Support Materials: Oedipus the King 1

CONTENTS

Introduction

1. Background Notes

2. Commentary

3. Notes on Plot and Characters

4. Social Issues


INTRODUCTION

These student support materials for Classical Studies were developed as part of the Higher StillDevelopment Programme in response to needs identified at needs analysis meetings and nationalseminars.

Advice on learning and teaching may be found in Achievement for All, (SOEID 1996) and in theClassical Studies Subject Guide.

This support package provides student notes, questions and activities to support the teaching ofOedipus the King as part of the Intermediate 1 & 2 Classical Drama unit. The background notesprovide information on Greek drama and drama festivals, the theatre and actors, and on the Oedipuslegend itself. These are followed by commentaries on and questions about the main sections of theplay. Notes on plot and characters are accompanied by activities for students to undertake. The finalsection on the social issues raised in the play also has suggested activities/group discussion questionsincluded. The main social issues covered are: men and gods; kings, justice and government; exposureof children; and social attitudes. These activities should help students to understand the customs andattitudes of Athenian society and to make comparisons with modern society.

The material is designed so that students should be able to use it in a supported self-study mode, ifrequired. It contains a variety of questions and activities for students to undertake. Some questionsare straightforward and can be answered directly from the text. Other questions demand moresynthesis and evaluation; these questions contribute to the development by students of the core skillcomponent, Critical Thinking. While students will tackle these questions and activities individuallyfor the most part, there may be opportunities for some collaborative working and staff will wish todiscuss points raised with individuals, groups and the whole class.

The exact way in which this material is used is, of course, at the discretion of the individual teacheror lecturer.


1. BACKGROUND NOTES

Greek Drama

Drama as we know it began in Greece. The Greeks used to hold festivals at different times in the yearto honour and thank their gods. They worshipped these gods who were important in their everydaylife. Drama began with groups of people called a chorus singing and dancing together at thefestivals. The groups had competitions with each other for prizes.

In time, the Chorus, was joined by an actor who talked to them. Next the playwright Aeschylus putin a second actor. This meant the two actors could talk to each other and also to the chorus. Theycould act too which made real plays possible and the audiences liked it.

Sophocles went further than Aeschylus and brought in a third actor. He wrote over a hundred playsand was one of the most popular playwrights in fifth century Athens. His plays are still populartoday, despite the fact they were written well over two thousand years ago because he writes aboutpeople and ideas which do not change with time - only the surroundings are altered. The translationof Oedipus the King you will read can be related to the present as well as the past and you may, likeone of the Greek audience, find out about your own life by looking at the situation in the play.

Sophocles was born around 495/494 BC. In 468 he beat the most popular playwrights of the time in acompetition. Afterwards he was a leading playwright in Athens. He was a skilled musician as wellas playwright. He had been a soldier and was involved in politics. These experiences were veryuseful when he wrote his plays.

The Great Dionysia

This was the chief drama festival held in Athens every year in March in honour of the god Dionysus,god of wine and the theatre. He was worshipped as god of fertility, both of crops and animals.Women followers called Maenads used to sing and dance ecstatically in his honour. It was a time ofthanksgiving and celebration, rather like Christmas today. On the first day the whole of Athens wason holiday. There were processions, prayers, singing and dancing in the streets and the city wasfilled with a party atmosphere. The next three days were for competitions with three serious playscalled tragedies. These happened each morning and, after a short lunch-break, perhaps a comedy inthe afternoon. The Athenian audience had to sit for up to six hours without a break, watching playafter play. Judging by the great popularity of the festival, they didn't seem to mind this at all! Localgroups also put on the old type of singing and dancing. On the fifth day the judges decided on thebest playwright, actor and chorus and awarded prizes.

The Theatre

Greek theatres were in the open air, built into the slope of a hill with tiered seating, rather like anoutdoor modern theatre. This allowed the audience to get a good view and to hear what the actorswere saying from a distance. This semi-circular structure is good for sound or acoustics.


A = Orchestra (circular dancing / performing area)B = Stage BuildingC / D = Parados (entrance ponts for actors )E = Altar to the gods

There were special seats at the front for judges, priests and important visitors. Most of the play wenton in the orchestra and the stage building, a kind of scenery, usually the whole front of a palace.Behind this were dressing rooms and storage rooms etc.

Actors

Greek actors were all male and so women’s parts were played by men. This idea is not so ridiculousas it seems as Greek actors wore masks like the one below.


Wearing a mask made it easier for the audience to see the actor’s face from a distance and recognisewhich character he was playing. Some masks even magnified the actor’s voice, making it louder sothat even those at the back of the theatre could hear easily what was going on. Also an actor only hadto change his mask and costume and he could play another part. In the plays of Sophocles there werenever more than three actors on stage at one time and so it was possible to employ a small group ofactors in addition to the Chorus. This cut down on the cost of wages.

The Chorus in a Greek play did two things. As well as being characters in the play they stand asideand comment on what is happening to the audience. They do this by reciting, singing and dancing.It is through the Chorus that the playwright makes us think about what the play is really about andany lessons we should learn from it.

Greek Actors

The Oedipus Legend

The Greek audience, unlike a modern one, knew the plot of the play before they came to see it. Thisis because dramatists chose to write plays based on popular legends and stories passed down fromfather to son. A Greek audience, therefore, would be fascinated not by what was happening but byhow the playwright showed the story to them. So that you will feel like one of the Greek audience,here are some details of the legend of Oedipus.

The story so far . . .

Laius, king of Thebes, is told by Apollo (god of predicting the future) that his baby son will grow upto kill him. To avoid this happening, he pins his son’s ankles together and gives him to a shepherd toleave on a mountainside to die. This will seem very cruel to a modern reader but leaving babies to diewas quite common in ancient Greece, especially if the baby was a girl or if the baby was disabled inany way. The Theban shepherd feels sorry for the baby and decides to give him to a Corinthianshepherd, who is on his way there. The Corinthian shepherd gives the baby to the king (Polybus) andqueen (Merope) who have no children and who bring him up as their own son. They call himOedipus or ‘swollen foot’ (in Greek) because of the injury to his ankles caused by being pinnedtogether. When Oedipus is a young man he hears rumours which lead him to go and ask Apollo forinformation about his parents. When he is told by the priestess that he his destined to kill his fatherand marry his mother, he leaves Corinth immediately so that he cannot - even accidentally - harm thepeople he thinks are his real parents. On his travels he comes to a crossroads and there meets an oldman and some servants. The old man whips Oedipus and tells him to get out of the way; there is afight and Oedipus angrily kills the old man and all but one of the servants he has with him. He thenmakes his way to Thebes which is terrified because of a monstrous Sphinx (a beast with the head of awoman). She has set a riddle and refuses to leave until someone solves it. Oedipus manages to solveit and the people are so grateful they make him king. He marries queen Jocasta, the widow of kingLaius who was murdered by bandits on the road, and he becomes a new father for her children. He isan intelligent and caring ruler who puts his people first. He is widely respected and Thebes seems to


be doing well until one day a mysterious disease destroys cattle, making crops die, causing pregnantwomen to have babies born dead, spreading a fatal infectious disease all over the city. The people arein a panic and turn to the gods and to Oedipus.


2. COMMENTARY

Scene 1: Oedipus, Priest, Citizens of Thebes

Oedipus asks the citizens why they come to him begging for help. A priest explains that a disastrousdisease is spreading over the city destroying crops and cattle as well as people. Oedipus has sentCreon to ask advice from Apollo and he returns as they speak. He tells them that Thebes is being‘polluted’ (made dirty) by a sinful act because the person who killed king Laius, is still in the city.Until he is found and punished Thebes will continue to suffer.

Cadmus was the person who built Thebes. The Greek audience would know the story and, bymentioning his name so early on, Sophocles tells them that the play is in Thebes and the main storyconcerns the royal descendants of Cadmus; the audience would know that Oedipus was, in fact, theson of Laius and so everyone is very tense as they wait to see how and when Oedipus himself will findout the truth.

The royal family is as follows:

First King Cadmus

Second King Polydorus (son)

Third King Labdacus (son)

Fourth King Laius (son)

Oedipus seems to be a caring king, genuinely concerned for his people. He talks to them as thoughthey were his own children and promises to do everything in his power to find the killer of Laius.The dramatic tension increases for the audience who know that he himself is the man he is seeking.This play is full of dramatic irony and it is important you appreciate what this term means.Dramatic irony happens when the audience know details which the actor does not know; the actorspeaks and his words have two meanings - a simple meaning and a more complicated one known tothe audience and not the speaker. For example, Oedipus says that in taking revenge for Laius’ deathhe is acting in his own interests; he means that he is acting in his own interests because the samekiller may turn on him. The double meaning is that the audience know that he is acting in his owninterests because he is, in fact, the killer.

The Sphinx was a creature which had the body of an animal and face of a woman. It terrorised thecity and gave the people of Thebes a riddle, promising that it would not leave until it was solved. Theriddle was: What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in theevening?

Oedipus had solved it by guessing that it meant a man: who crawls on all fours when he is a baby,walks on two legs when he is a young man, and uses a stick as a third leg when he is old. The peopleof Thebes were so grateful to him for freeing them from the Sphinx they made him the king.

Ismenus is the name of a river near the temple of Apollo.


Creon is the brother of Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife. He has gone to the oracle of Apollo to ask for help.This temple to Apollo at Delphi was famous in the ancient world and many people went there to findout what would happen to them in the future, as Apollo was god of prophecy (predicting the future).We can see from this scene how important is was for the Greeks to have the gods on their side andreligion was important in everyday life with prayer and sacrifice. They feared and respected the godsand felt they controlled the forces of nature. They thought it wrong to compare a person to a god asthis would make the god seek revenge for a human who was arrogant enough to think that he was onthe same level as a god. This is why the priest is careful to tell Oedipus that they think he is a verywise man but not on a par with a god. If a person did directly compare himself to a god this was anact of hubris (extreme arrogance) and resulted eventually in his being punished.

The eye witness to the murder of Laius is introduced in this scene. He will play a key role later onbut for now all we are told is that he said robbers killed Laius.

Questions

1. Who was Cadmus and why is he mentioned so early in the play? 2. What opinion do you get of Oedipus from what he says and does in this scene? 3. Describe in your own words the disaster which has struck the city. 4. The priest says that although Oedipus is an excellent man he is not equal to a god. Explain why

he adds that Oedipus is not equal to a god. 5. Give two reasons why the priest wants Oedipus to help the people. 6. What has Oedipus done about the situation so far? 7. Explain what Creon says is the reason for this disaster. 8. Why had the people not held a public inquiry into Laius’ death at the time?


First Choral Ode

The chorus of old men of Thebes express the feelings of the people and try to encourage the gods tohelp the city against this death-bringing disaster.

1. The Chorus begin by saying how frightened the people are in this situation. They want the godsto help them by telling them what they should do.

2. They ask three gods to act together: Athene as she is known for wisdom (also goddess of war);

Artemis, goddess of the moon and hunting, as she has a statue in the market place of Thebes;Apollo who is god of hunting and healing as well as prophecy.

3. They describe the effect of the destruction on the people and the grief it is causing. 4. They call the destruction Ares ‘god of death’ and they want the other gods to drive this god

away. 5. The three gods should fight, assisted by Bacchus who is said to have given Thebes its name

(‘Bacchea’ was another name for Thebes) and the followers of Bacchus, frenzied women calledMaenads who used to dance and behave savagely under the influence of worship and wine.

Questions

1. What are the main feeling of the Chorus when they begin? 2. To which gods do they appeal particularly and why? 3. The chorus say it is like a battle. What are the two sides?


Scene 2: Oedipus, Chorus, Teiresias

Oedipus announces that he is looking for information about the killer of Laius. He promises that ifthe killer owns up he will only send him away but if he does not, he and anyone trying to protect him,will be driven out of the city. He will not be allowed to have anything to do with anyone; he will bedriven out publicly with no friends or means of support. The Chorus advises Oedipus to listen to thewords of Teiresias, a respected prophet, and Oedipus greets him with courtesy, asking for anyinformation he can give him. When Teiresias seems reluctant to tell what he knows, Oedipus angrilyaccuses him of having something to do with the murder himself. This makes Teiresias openly accuseOedipus. Shocked and enraged, Oedipus goes on to accuse Creon of the murder, accusing him ofplotting with Teiresias and trying to steal his throne. Teiresias seems to Oedipus and to the Chorusto be speaking in riddles when he talks of a son who is also a husband and a father who is also abrother.

Oedipus’ speeches in this scene are full of dramatic irony; he describes himself as an outsider toThebes (the audience know he was born there) and says he will fight to find Laius’ killer as if he weredoing this for his real father (the audience know he is his real father).

The idea of the relationship of men and religion/gods is continued here with purification beingnecessary. The fact that the murderer had not been punished was seen as polluting or putting astain/curse on the city. The only way to clean the city is to find the murderer. People today wouldthink this act was more of a legal than a religious one. This shows how much the Greeks linked theactions of the gods with the actions of people and relied on the gods for making sure evil waspunished. Here, Oedipus shows respect for the gods when he points out that a human being cannotforce a god to give him information.

Teiresias, the blind prophet, is a highly respected character, who knows what the gods want and canpredict what will happen to people. From the entry of Teiresias, Sophocles continually talks aboutseeing and being blind in this play; Teiresias, though physically blind, can see the truth; Oedipusthough physically able to see, is blind to the truth; later on, when Oedipus finds out the truth hechooses to blind himself physically. The speeches here are examples of dramatic irony as theaudience know what he will do from the beginning of the play.

Oedipus thinks that because Teiresias does not want to tell him bad news he is guilty and accuses himof having a hand in the murder. When Teiresias points out he has no real motive for killing Laius,Oedipus jumps to the conclusion that Creon had put him up to it because he was jealous of Oedipusand wanted to steal his throne. He thinks that this was why Creon had asked to go and consultApollo personally. Oedipus loses his temper and insults Teiresias and we see another side of hischaracter. He seems arrogant and cruel, assuming that he is right and he refuses to listen to others.He only stops for a moment when Teiresias mentions his parents. This seems to strike a chord withhim (which he explains later on to Jocasta) and he hesitates, asking Teiresias to tell him more abouthis parents. However, he cannot understand what Teiresias means and the Chorus are unclear too, soTeiresias leaves, with Oedipus convinced that he and Creon are plotting together to get rid of him bymaking up this accusation.

Questions

1. What will happen to the killer of Laius if he confesses quickly? 2. What will happen to him, or anyone shielding him, if he does not come forward of his own

accord? 3. Give an example of dramatic irony from this scene, explaining why it is dramatic irony. 4. Who do the Chorus advise Oedipus to consult and why?


5. On the arrival of Teiresias, would you describe Oedipus’ tone as:(a) flattering(b) rude(c) indifferent?

Give a reason for your answer. 6. Why does Oedipus’ tone towards the prophet change in the course of their conversation? 7. Of what does Oedipus accuse Teiresias? 8. How does Teiresias react to this accusation? 9. Does Oedipus seem to you to behave in the way any ordinary person would in his situation? Give

reasons for your answer. 10. Oedipus’ suspicion now spreads. Who does he accuse next and what motive does he think this

person has for trying to say that he (Oedipus) is the murderer?


Second Choral Ode

The Chorus thinks about what Teiresias has said and say they are still loyal to Oedipus as he hassaved the city of Thebes from the Sphinx.

1. They say that there is an unknown murderer whom Apollo and the Fates are tracking down. TheFates were goddesses who were believed to spin out a picture of a person’s life before he was bornand they made sure that the person lived the life which was set out for him.

2. Parnassus - a mountain where Apollo was worshipped. The voices of the gods go on forever and

the Chorus compare the murderer to a hunted animal being chased by the gods out of hiding. 3. They feel that this accusation against Oedipus is bad news and they do not know whether to

believe it. They know of no argument between the royal family of Thebes and that of Corinth(they think that Oedipus’ natural father is Polybus king of Corinth) and so there would be nomotive for this killing.

4. They say they believe in the gods but realise that human prophets sometimes cannot be trusted.

They finally say that they refuse to think that Oedipus could be guilty as he saved the city fromthe Sphinx.

Questions

1. Here, as elsewhere, the Chorus are part of the action of the play but they stand back as if they arecommenting about events. Write down two lists of:

(a) what the Chorus do as actors in the play

(b) what the Chorus do as observers.


Scene Three: Creon, Chorus, Oedipus, Jocasta

Creon has heard that he has been accused by Oedipus of plotting against the king and cannot believeOedipus would think he was capable of this. Oedipus enters and angrily accuses him of treason.Creon tries to reason with Oedipus, pointing out that he has no motive for doing this. He asks fortime to prove his innocence and he is supported by the Chorus who urge Oedipus not to jump toconclusions. Jocasta, who has heard the argument, enters and asks both of them to behavereasonably; she urges Oedipus to believe Creon when he says he is not guilty. When Creon leavesOedipus tells her of Teiresias’ accusation. She tells him not to trust fortune-tellers and - to reassurehim - she explains that she and Laius had been told by a fortune teller that Laius would be killed byhis own son, when in fact robbers had killed him. Her account of the murder and the place where ithappened reminds Oedipus’ of something in the past and he asks for more details. As she describesthe situation, he begins to realise he may have been the killer of Laius. He decides to send for theone surviving eye-witness to put their minds at rest. He tells Jocasta that when he was a young manan oracle had told him that he would kill his father and marry his mother and - to avoid any chanceof this - he had left Corinth in case, even accidentally, the oracle came true. He had come to a placewhere three roads meet and killed an old man and some of his companions; he fears the old manmight be Laius. The scene ends with a mood of alarm and anticipation.

Creon’s surprise shows that he and Oedipus were friends since he is obviously upset that Oedipusshould think he would be capable of doing this.

Oedipus behaves even more irrationally here than in the scene with Teiresias. He throws questionafter question at Creon, accusing him without waiting for an answer. Unlike Creon, he appears to theChorus (and the audience) to be acting in a very unreasonable way; Creon asks to be given a chanceto explain himself and Oedipus sends him away him, saying that he is a smooth talker and he willstill refuse to believe he is innocent.

Creon is very persuasive; he points out that he has no motive for plotting against Oedipus. He alreadyhas a third of the wealth of the city with no responsibility and would not want to take on the stress ofbeing a ruler. He has all the advantages of power at the moment without the trouble.

The Chorus make it clear that they are on the side of reason and cannot approve of anyone who actsin a fit of temper.

There is much dramatic irony in Jocasta’s speeches; it is because she wishes to comfort Oedipus thatshe tells him the story of Laius’ murder, when in fact it has the opposite effect of throwing him intomore panic, as he realises he might be the murderer. This leads him to tell her about the oracle ofApollo which brought him to Thebes from Corinth. An oracle was a prediction given to people abouttheir future. Greeks often visited the shrine of Apollo at Delphi where a priestess, who was meant tochew laurel leaves and breathe in herbal fumes, was said to be possessed by Apollo - a bit like amedium today. People asked questions about their future and gave a present or some money and thepriestess would go into a trance and give them an answer, often in the form of a riddle, or a messagedifficult to understand at the time but which became clear later - in the case of Oedipus, too late!

We can see from the way Jocasta tells Oedipus about the leaving of her baby son to die on themountainside, that this practice was relatively common in the ancient world and that people did notseem to think of it as shocking at all. People would expose babies either because they looked weak ordeformed in some way or because they were a girl (girls were more expensive to keep and would notbe able to support the parents in later life as girls did not go out to work to earn money) or becausethey simply did not want the baby. In the case of Laius and Jocasta, they would have had two motivesfor exposing Oedipus: they thought he might kill his father in later life and he was cursed by thegods. Any one of these would have been reason enough.


Questions

1. How does Creon feel about Oedipus’ angry accusation? 2. Do you think Oedipus gives Creon a fair chance to put his case? Explain why you think as you

do? 3. Why do you think Oedipus abruptly asks Creon how long ago it was since Laius disappeared? 4. Say briefly what Creon says about having no motive and what he feels Oedipus is doing to their

friendship by acting on suspicion. Does this speech convince you? Give reasons for your answer.


Third Choral Ode

The Chorus asks people to be honest and obedient to the gods. Leaders who do not think about theneeds of their people end up by being rejected. What point is there in believing in the gods if evilpeople are not punished for their wrongdoing?

1. The Chorus wish for simple honesty and fairness. Men should obey the laws of the gods whichlast forever.

2. A king who arrogantly does what he likes, without thinking about his people, ends up hated and

rejected, whereas a considerate king is highly respected. 3. Someone who does not regard honesty as important, is like someone who steals from the temples

of the gods. Those who see him getting away with it see no point in behaving honestlythemselves.

4. What is the point of showing respect for the gods if some men disobey the rules made by the

gods? This makes the gods into a laughing stock. They end by asking Zeus to use his power tohelp them.

The Greeks believed that moral laws were, if anything, more important then legal ones as they weremade by the gods and the sign of a just and honest person. Without this they felt that both theindividual and society would be damaged.

They point out that arrogance or hubris (acting in a self-centred way with no respect for others/gods)is always unpopular and leads to disaster. We cannot help thinking of Oedipus’ behaviour in thepreceding scene as he arrogantly refused to listen to reason.

They see the person who is not honest or moral as a robber of the temples of the gods. The Greekswere very respectful of temples and superstitious about the bad luck which would befall anyone doingsomething like this. This comparison shows it is a very serious fault.

Delphi (sacred to Apollo) and Olympia (sacred to Zeus) were important shrines to the gods andpeople made special journeys there to show their respect. The Chorus feel that people will think theyare wasting their time being respectful to the gods if those who have committed crimes like murderget away without being punished.

It is important to note that the Chorus are not accusing Oedipus of anything here. They are thinkingabout what has happened in the previous scene so that the audience can think about them and come totheir own conclusions.

Question

If you were one of the audience listening to this Choral Ode to what extent would you agree with whatthe Chorus say here and how much of it makes you think of the events of the preceding scene?


Scene Four: Jocasta, Corinthina, Oedipus, ChorusJocasta makes offerings to Apollo to help get rid of the curse on the city. A messenger from Corinthcomes to tell Oedipus that Polybus is dead and he is now king of the whole area between Thebes andCorinth. At first Oedipus thinks this is proof that the oracles of the gods are wrong as he did not killhis father as they said he would. The Corinthian messenger asks if the oracle of the god has beenkeeping him away from Corinth. When he hears it has, he tells Oedipus news which he thinks willreassure him ie that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents and that he himself had given himto them as a baby. A Theban shepherd, had given the baby to him, the same servant of Laius whowas the only eye-witness to his death at the crossroads. Jocasta slowly realises the truth and begsOedipus not to pursue the matter any further. He ignores her, thinking that she is worried that hewill be found to be of humble birth, and asks that the Theban shepherd be brought to him at once.

Jocasta, who in the previous scene had said she did not believe in oracles now prays to Apollo (god oforacles) for help. This could mean she is anxious or suspicious about Laius’ death, and there is amood of desperation.

Note the deliberate pun when the Chorus call Jocasta both the wife of Oedipus and mother of hischildren. In performance they only needed to hesitate a little after the word mother and the audiencecould not fail to see the irony here, and feel a sense of panic as if all will be revealed.

The Corinthian messenger makes it clear he only wants to do good for Oedipus and admits that this isbecause he hopes to be rewarded. This short conversation brings some light relief for the audiencefrom the tension of the previous scene.

Oedipus receives the news gladly and assumes it proves that oracles are false. He and Jocasta areclearly happy and relieved, as they feel that Oedipus is now safe. Jocasta says that this proves thatchance is what rules peoples’ lives, and in saying this she is showing disrespect for the gods. Thispride, or hubris, certainly comes before a fall as the scene continues.

The Corinthian shepherd, again wanting to please Oedipus, and to earn a large reward gladly tellshim that he need not worry about marrying his mother as Merope is not his real mother. He wasfound as a baby and he tells him that his ankles are still swollen-looking because they were pinnedtogether.

All this time Jocasta is listening and realises that Oedipus, the baby, is her son. This is why she begshim not to try to find out more as she knows what effect it will have on him. When she fails topersuade him to listen she leaves fully intending to kill herself, as she cannot live with her shame.

Oedipus does not know why she is leaving and thinks she is ashamed of having married someone whomay be from a poor family. This makes it clear that even now he cannot see to the truth. Theaudience will be feeling sorry for him, knowing that he cannot remain ignorant for much longer. Thewhole scene is very tense.


The Theban shepherd and the man who escaped when Laius was killed turn out to be the same man.

Oedipus’ speech at the end of the scene is full of irony and suggestions for the audience to pick up.He talks of Jocasta, then talks about his mother, explaining that he means that Fate is his mother butit is obvious to the audience he is referring to Jocasta. He talks of being determined to get to the truthof who he is and the audience knows this knowledge, far from bringing relief, will bring misery.

Questions

1. Explain in your own words the message brought from Corinth about Polybus. 2. How do Oedipus and Jocasta react to the news? Do you think this reaction shows hubris?

Explain and use the text in your answer. 3. The messenger fills in some unknown details about his family and tells him that a Theban

shepherd gave him to him as a baby. What effect will this news have on Jocasta and why? 4. In what way does this scene show us

(a) that the exposure of children was accepted by the Greeks?(b) that the Greeks were worried about social class?


Fourth Choral Ode (Oedipus remains on the stage with the Chorus)

The truth will soon be revealed about Oedipus’ birth. They wonder if he really was found on MountCithaeron or whether he is the son of a god or goddess.

1. If a human can predict the future, I think that we will know within a day if Oedipus is that babyfound on Mount Cithaeron. We will thank the god Apollo for this news.

2. Maybe an Olympian goddess was his mother, or the god Pan who made love to a woodland

goddess; or is he the son of Apollo; did Hermes make love to a nymph on Mount Cyllene? Is heson of Dionysus and a mountain nymph conceived on Mount Helicon?

The mood of these two verses is light-hearted. This is to relieve some of the tension of the previousscene and to give the audience a break to prepare for the tension of the next scene.

The Chorus do not want to commit hubris by saying that a human being has the powers of a god topredict the future and so they are careful in their wording to avoid angering the gods.

They will thank the god Apollo as he is the god of predicting the future.

They then wonder if another god could have been his father on another mountain:• Pan - god of nature and the countryside;• • Hermes - messenger god, born on Mount Cyllene;• Dionysus - god of wine and fertility (both human and in the soil) worshipped in Boetia where

Mount Helicon is situated. Worshippers of Dionysus, called Maenads, used to go up to themountains at night to dance, drink wine, take part in wild rituals. The Chorus talk about the godDionysus seducing these women while taking part in his rituals.

Question

In what way does the Chorus in this short episode act differently from other scenes? Suggest a reasonfor this?


Scene Five: Oedipus, Chorus, Cornthian, Shepherd

The shepherd who had given the baby to the Corinthian and who was the only remaining eye-witnessenters. Oedipus and the Corinthian question him about the baby. At first he tries to avoid answeringbut they force him to tell them that the baby was the son of Laius and he had given the baby to him tosave its life. Oedipus now knows the truth; he has killed his father and married his mother. He goesinto the palace and the two shepherds leave.

Oedipus wants to be sure that the shepherd is the correct person and he asks the Corinthian to provehis identity. He behaves here intelligently and genuinely desires to find the truth. Sophocles wants tomake it clear to the audience that Oedipus had not deliberately been deceiving anyone, but that hehimself is as much in the dark as the people.

We can see that it is Oedipus’ own pride and determination which bring about his downfall as heforces the shepherd to speak by threats.

The shepherd does not want to tell Oedipus the truth because he knows what effect it will have onhim and he thinks it might lead Oedipus to order that he be killed. He did not expose the child out ofpity - another example of a person wanting to do something good but which turns out to be theopposite.

Oedipus does not feel it necessary to ask him about the killing of Laius, even though this is why hefirst sent for him, because it is now clear to everyone that he is guilty.

We are left to work out that the man had lied about robbers killing Laius because he would then seethe killer of Laius on the throne. To save his own life he went away from Thebes so that Oedipuswould not recognise him. He will not have realised that Oedipus is the baby until now and this is whyhe remarks that Oedipus was cursed by the gods from the time he was born.

Questions

1. What impression do you have of Oedipus by the way he speaks to the shepherd? Refer to thescene in your answer.

2. What final two details does the shepherd tell Oedipus? 3. Why does Oedipus refer to light at the end of this scene? To what earlier theme does this return?


Fifth Choral Ode

The Chorus say that what has happened to Oedipus shows that good fortune does not last. Heseemed to be one of the most fortunate men alive. Was there no way this could have been discoveredearlier? Now the time has come for you to pay the price for your wrongdoing.

1. Happiness and good fortune are only temporary. We learn this from what happened to Oedipus. 2. He aimed and shot down his prey, ridding Thebes of the Sphinx and making the city proud to be

ruled by him. 3. Now he is suffering just the opposite of good fortune. He has to suffer more than a human being

can endure. It is amazing that a secret could have been kept; the powers of nature should havegiven some hint when he married his mother.

4. Time can see everything and has now tracked you down and will make sure you are punished.

We wish you had never come to Thebes, you who were our saviour and now the cause of thisdestruction.

This Ode is serious and emotional. The Chorus point out the lesson to be learned from Oedipus'situation; happiness cannot be relied upon and can suddenly disappear.

Oedipus has experienced more than his share of good fortune, his great success has now become greatsuffering.

The Chorus feel both pity and disgust for Oedipus: pity that nature itself could not somehow havewarned him when he was going to marry Jocasta; disgust at the idea of the son marrying his mother.The audience too would have felt disgust at this picture. They show their disgust at the end by sayingthat they wish they had never seen Oedipus. This may seem to a modern reader to be cruel, but it ishuman to wish not to be connected with crime, especially one so incestuous. People often think beinginvolved makes them guilty too. The Chorus also could wish they had never seen Oedipus becausethey are suffering with him and know how much he is suffering.

The idea that Time sees everything reminds us of the scene with Teiresias when Teiresias saysOedipus is blind now but later he will see. As Oedipus leaves he says that everything is now in thelight of day. This underlines the fact that people are not able to see the truth about themselves or theworld in which they live. This is one of the main issues in this play.

Question

The Chorus here act both as characters in the play and observers, pointing out what we can learnfrom the events of the play. Give examples from the Ode of what they do as actors and observers.


Scene Six: Messenger, Oedipus, Chorus, Creon

An attendant enters and says that Jocasta has committed suicide and vividly describes Oedipusstabbing out his eyes. The Chorus moan in pity for Oedipus as he staggers in, obviously in greatpain. He talks of his crimes and wishes he had never been saved at birth. Creon enters and is kindto Oedipus. He will give Jocasta a proper funeral and he has sent for the children, Antigone andIsmene, Oedipus’ daughters. The girls enter crying and Oedipus tells them he wishes better fortunefor them than he has had. He worries that people will reject them because they are affected by thesins he has committed. He asks Creon to look after them and to send him away out of Thebes. Creonsays that this decision cannot be made by him but by Apollo, and if Apollo does not object, Oedipuswill leave the city. Oedipus goes into the palace, suddenly begging to take his children. Creon doesnot allow this and they go inside. The Chorus ask that we think about Oedipus’ situation and learnthat human beings cannot be regarded as happy until they have died happy.

In Greek tragedy murders almost always happened off-stage and were reported by a messenger. Thecorpse was then wheeled out at the end either on a revolving stage or on a low wheeled platformpushed through the central opening of the stage (no more than ten feet by six feet) called anekkuklema.

The messenger speech is usually, as here, full of vivid details to emphasise the horror of the scene andcan seem to be exaggerated to a modern reader. The description of Oedipus repeatedly stabbing outhis eyes with Jocasta’s brooches is particularly horrifying and would make the audience gasp.

Jocasta kills herself because she has sinned by marrying her own son, who murdered her husband.

The ideas of seeing and being blind, light and darkness, day and night, come to a climax with thestabbing out of the eyes. Now that Oedipus is blind he can see the truth for the first time.

The messenger speech also serves to build up suspense for the entry of Oedipus. This is continued bythe Chorus who show their horror by gasping/exclaiming at details of Oedipus’ appearance. They tellOedipus he must suffer a double pain, the pain of his physical wounds and the pain of his guilt. Theyfeel Oedipus might be better to have killed himself than to live as he is. Oedipus explains that if hehad died he would have been face to face with Laius and Jocasta in the Underworld. The Greeksbelieved that your soul passed into the underworld at death; Oedipus’ soul would meet up with thesoul of the father he had murdered and the mother he had married.

Oedipus now takes the punishment he had ordered for the killer of Laius - banishment; to allowThebes to recover from destruction. The rest of this speech shows the pity of his situation and how hehad committed wrong acts without knowing it.


Oedipus expects Creon to be as angry with him as he had been to Creon when he accused him oftreason. Creon however is kind and understanding but firm and determined to obey the orders of thegods. He reminds the Thebans that the person who pollutes the city must be seen only by his familyand he must be ignored. When Oedipus asks to be sent away, he refuses to do so without permissionfrom Apollo. Creon here is behaving in exactly the opposite way from Oedipus in scene three; he isbeing reasonable and giving respect to the gods, showing Oedipus the correct way to behave.Oedipus, once proud and arrogant, now has to beg with Creon for favours. His words and appearanceare meant to stir up the pity of the audience as he asks to be allowed to be with his children for thelast time, but this pity becomes unpleasant as he calls himself both their brother and father.

We see how prejudiced the Greeks were as he explains how his children will be rejected by others andleft on their own. No one will want to marry his daughters because they will regard the whole familyas having a share in Oedipus’ shame. This sort of attitude can exist today in small rural communitieswhere grudges are held for years and families are outcasts because of something one of their ancestorsdid.

Oedipus begs his children to live quietly, and in this way they will be better than their father - heknows he is a man who has done very wrong things and does not want this for his children. This ideaof behaving with moderation occurs again and again in Greek drama. We feel pity for his pain atbeing separated from his children as he is led inside the palace.

The Chorus have the last word and point out the moral of the play to the audience. The idea ofconsidering no human being happy until you look at the whole of his life was again a common themein Greek literature. Similar ideas are held today; people comment that we can never tell what isround the corner. When someone famous is involved in a scandal or accident people say that wealthor fame does not keep you safe or happy.

Questions

1. Describe the death of Jocasta.

2. What did Oedipus do when he found her body?

3. How do people feel towards Oedipus in this scene? Use the text in your answer.

4. Why doesn’t Oedipus kill himself?

5. Why do the Chorus back away from Oedipus on a couple of occasions?

6. Why doesn't Creon allow Oedipus to leave at once?

7. How does Creon behave towards Oedipus? How is his behaviour in this scene different fromOedipus’ behaviour in scene 3?

8. What reasons does Oedipus give for going to Cithaeron?

9. Explain the final message/moral of the play.


3. NOTES ON PLOT AND CHARACTERS

The Plot

Sophocles creates suspense in this play by having his audience ‘in’ on what will happen. They wantevents not to happen, and are helpless to stop what must happen. The end of the play has beendescribed as a time bomb waiting to explode and shows the way Sophocles uses the play to createtension and suspense all the way through.

Firstly, he does this by allowing Oedipus to find out small clues which he pieces together as the playproceeds. The trail begins when Jocasta mentions that Laius was killed at a place where three roadsmeet. This leads Oedipus to ask for more details about Laius’ death. The mention of this place stirsup a memory for him of killing a man at such place after leaving Corinth when the oracle told him hewas destined to kill his father and marry his mother. This makes him send for the Theban shepherd,the surviving eye-witness. Tension mounts as the Corinthian shepherd comes in and tells Oedipusthat Polybus is dead. Oedipus, though upset, is relieved that the oracle he heard cannot now cometrue but still is worried about marrying his mother. The Corinthian tells him not to worry as heknows that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents. As Oedipus and Jocasta feel relief, tensionmounts for the audience who know that the Corinthian messenger will tell him that the Thebanshepherd they have sent for is the same man who gave baby Oedipus to the Corinthian. Theaudience, like Jocasta in scene five wish that Oedipus does not find out the truth. Suspense is broughtto a climax in scene six when the shepherd tells him that Laius and Jocasta are his real parents.

Sophocles creates an interesting plot in this play because the criminal detects himself. In scene oneOedipus describes what he will do to the murderer and then in scene six carries out his threat onhimself.

Sophocles writes the play so that we see Oedipus, not just as a tragic person in his own right, but asan example of what can happen to all of us. Other characters in the play, like Oedipus, do things foradmirable motives which cause disaster. Jocasta tells him about the murder of Laius to put his mindat rest about fortune-tellers - this makes him realise that he might have killed Laius and leads to herown death.

The Corinthian shepherd gladly tells Oedipus that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents to puthis mind at rest - this makes the Theban shepherd tell him Laius and Jocasta are his real parents.The Corinthian shepherd, who had hoped for a reward of money is rewarded by knowing he causedgreat pain.

The Theban shepherd, who feels sorry for Oedipus and lets him live, is punished because he was theeye-witness to the death of Laius and also sees the killer become king; this means he has to go awayin case the killer recognises him. His reward for kindness, therefore, is banishment.

These minor tragedies are all part of the major one and show Sophocles’ message that life can becruel, even to innocent people, but that things do not happen just by chance - there is a patternworked out in advance by the gods which human beings cannot change, whatever their motives.

Characters

Oedipus

Heroes in tragedy sometimes have qualities we admire and a fault or flaw which makes them act in away which leads to disaster. In Greek tragedy the fate of the hero is linked to a system beyond thecontrol of one person and may even (as with Oedipus) be decided before he is born. Oedipus possessesboth admirable qualities and human flaws.

Good Qualities• He is a concerned king who earned the respect of his people.

• He saves Thebes from the Sphinx by his intelligence.


• He shows courage and honesty when he finds out he is the killer by punishing himself andaccepting responsibility. A weaker man might have tried to cover up his guilt.

Find a quote from the play which shows each one of these points.

Flaws• He is quick tempered and unreasonable towards Creon and Teiresias (and Laius).

• He shows arrogance/hubris in putting his decisions above the law of the gods when he tells Creonthat as king he will decide and what he says must be obeyed as if it were law.

Find a quote from the play which shows each one of these points.

Things Beyond Oedipus’ Control• Fate/the gods have marked him out for disaster, even before he was born.

• However much he tries to do the right thing, it will make no difference.

Find a quote from the play which shows each of these points.

Jocasta

Like Oedipus, she is a victim of a plan of the gods which treats her badly. She is a character whocommands the respect of her people and Oedipus trusts her. She is sensitive and thoughtful towardsOedipus and she tries to keep the horrible truth about his parents from him even when she knowsherself.

Find a quote from the play showing her as being:

• • respected by the people

• • a person whom Oedipus trusts

• trying to save Oedipus from more pain.


If she has a flaw, it is to believe that things in life happen by chance. This can be clearly seen by thecontrast between what she says in scene three about fortune-tellers and what she does in scene four: inscene three she tells Oedipus she has proof that Apollo’s oracles are false and tells him the story ofthe baby and Laius’ death. On hearing Oedipus’ account of killing someone where three roads meetshe is obviously upset, though trying to hide it from Oedipus. At the beginning of scene four sheenters carrying incense and garlands of flowers (offerings to the gods) and calls on Apollo to purifythe city.

When she discovers the truth she, like Oedipus, punishes herself by taking her own life.

Creon

Creon is a moderate man who knows the power of the gods. He behaves in ways which show whatthe Greeks thought right for a civilised ruler. The Chorus point this out on several occasions.

Find two quotes where the Chorus praise something Creon has said or done. Explain why theyadmire him.

• Creon shows respect to Oedipus even when he is accused of treason.

• He tries to use reason rather than letting his temper take over.

• He puts the law of the gods before that of men and feels they should be consulted regularly. Hethinks it is wrong for men to think they can act on their own, without asking the gods.

• He is generous to Oedipus and his family, even after Oedipus has treated him so badly.

Find a quote form the play to support each of the above statements about Creon.

Teiresias

Like the shepherds, Teiresias comes to Thebes to try to help. He keeps the truth from Oedipusbecause he knows it will only hurt him. He is there also so that we can see for the first time othersides of Oedipus’ character which we haven’t seen yet, i.e. his temper and his arrogance. Teiresias isalso a link between the world of the gods and the world of men. His sadness makes us see the factthat human destiny is fixed beforehand and there is nothing even he can do to change it.


Activities

1. How important are the following characters to the play as a whole?• Teiresias;• Cornithian Shepherd;• Theban Shepherd;• Messenger.

Describe what each character does in the play. In what way do you think they make the lesson ofthe play clearer to you?

2. What do the following characters think about fate and the gods?• Oedipus;• Jocasta;• Creon.

3 Do you agree with the Chorus that Oedipus is a man whose happiness has been followed byunhappiness?

Are any of the characters in this play happy? Give reasons for your answers and use the text inyour answer.

4 Does Oedipus deserve his sufferings? Give reasons for your answer and use the text in youranswer.

5 Oedipus has a quick temper and is very sure of himself. Do you think these• cause him to treat others unfairly?• add to the horror of his downfall?


4. SOCIAL ISSUES

Plays tell us about the time when they were written. Attitudes towards the gods, kings, justice,children and parents can all be seen in Oedipus the King.

1. Men and gods

Religion was important in the everyday life of the Greeks. They would worship publicly, visitingtemples to the gods and privately in their own homes, making daily offerings in small shrines in orderto please and thank the gods.

At the beginning of the play, when disaster strikes the city, they immediately go to the gods for help.They burn incense, wear garlands of flowers and visit temples to make offerings so that the gods willhelp them. They go to priests to ask them to lead them and to speak on their behalf. Priests then, astoday, were highly respected members of the community and were turned to in times of family crisis.It is a priest who speaks to Oedipus for the people and explains their feelings to him.

Prophets also could be highly regarded as we can see from Teiresias who is famous for his fortune-telling all over the Greek world. He is treated by the Chorus and by Oedipus as if he were a celebritywhen he first appears. Attitudes to him can be compared to attitudes to a church leader today; wewould not approve of an MP who publicly attacked someone like this any more than the Thebansapprove of Oedipus’ attack on Teiresias. However, there is evidence in the play that some fortune-tellers were thought to be cheats, only in it for the money and not to be trusted. The same is said offortune-tellers today. In fact, this is the general view in our more cynical society.

The oracle of Apollo is very important in this play. Many Greeks visited the temple of Apollo atDelphi to ask for advice about their future and believed what they were told. We see such things assuperstition today rather than as part of an accepted religion but the Greeks were a very superstitiouspeople.

Some Greeks believed that men lived according to a plan worked out by the gods in advance and thatthis plan might mean that people could be treated badly no matter how well they behaved or treatedthe gods. This seems quite harsh to some people today who believe that people who try to do the rightthing will gain some reward in the next world at least. There is not a hint of this in Oedipus theKing. Oedipus cannot kill himself because he will then find himself in the underworld with the fatherhe has killed and the mother he married. The Greeks believed that your soul, on death, passed on tothe underworld and looked like your body when you died. Some Greeks believed that you would go toa different part of the underworld depending on the sort of person you were in life; good people wouldgo to Elysium; people who were neither good nor bad would go to the Asphodel fields; evil peoplewent to Tartarus. None of these places, however, could match up to being alive and a Greek wouldchoose to live rather than go even to Elysium. They didn’t believe in ‘heavenly paradise’. In the playthere is no mention the different areas of the underworld, only that there would be a life after deathand that there you would see people you knew.

Oedipus says that the killer of Laius will not be allowed to take part in religion or sacrifices and hewill be seen to be publicly unclean and shunned by society. This obviously was a serious punishmentand shows how seriously they saw the need for purification from sin. Purification could take the formof doing something to make up for some evil act or making enough prayers and sacrifices to cleansethe guilt away. It was rather like the Catholic idea of confession and atonement today.

The idea of the gods and moral justice often appears in this play and the two are put together inancient Greek thought. Many issues we would regard as being legal issues for the courts, they wouldhave seen as being moral issues for the gods. The whole plot of the play shows this; a murderer ishiding in the city and must be found. Where we would go to the police, the Greeks went to the godsto help them find the villain, and to their king whom they saw as the head of justice - both moral andlegal.


Activity/Group Discussion

What impression do you get of what the ordinary Greeks thought about religion? Compare theirattitude with the attitude of ordinary people today. Refer to the play in your answer.

2. Kings, Justice and Government

Oedipus as king of Thebes is the person who passes laws and looks after the people. The people ofThebes respect him for his intelligence and his authority and the Chorus tell us that he is bothrespected and feared.

However, people were worried about kings who abused their power and refused to listen to the adviceof others. They saw this as dangerous. The Chorus say that this sort of ruler is likely to lose histhrone as this sort of behaviour makes him unpopular. They say the same in politics today aboutmembers of the government who seem to be acting on their own, without taking advice or listening tovoters. A Greek king also had to show respect for the gods and work with them to ensure their will iscarried out. Creon knows how important this is, but Oedipus does not. Oedipus commits hubris orgross arrogance (an offence against the gods) when he tells Creon that a king must rule even if he iswrong. In doing this, he is acting on his own and putting himself on a par with the gods. This wasnot acceptable at all. Today people fear dictators for similar reasons; they know that power iscorrupting and can lead people to behave in extreme ways. It was important for a king in ancientGreece not to be seen as a dictator. Creon shows the ideal qualities of a king. He is firm butrespectful and kind; he consults the gods and his advisers before taking decisions and he is the leaderof the people, following the law and carrying out the instructions of the gods.



Compare a king like Oedipus to• a Prime Minister• the queen

What similarities/differences are there? Refer to the play in your answer.

3. Exposure of Children

Oedipus was ‘exposed’ or left out to die as a child as a result of a prophecy from the gods. Thepractice of exposing children was much more common then than it is today. Jocasta was sorry for herbaby son but thought it was the right thing to do in the circumstances. Babies who were weak ordeformed were commonly exposed at birth. There is no explanation of why Oedipus’ ankles werepinned together; he certainly would not have been able to crawl away at only three days old. Was thisto ensure nobody would rescue him as he had a slight deformity? Nobody knows. We do know that itwas more common to expose girls than boys (for the reasons outlined earlier). Perhaps because deathwas much more common amongst children, the death of one or more than one child in a family wasan everyday part of life.


What do you think of the Greek practice of exposing children? Is it ever acceptable to get rid of achild, by whatever means?

4. Social Attitudes

People in Ancient Greece were class-conscious. We see this when Oedipus says that he thinks Jocastais ashamed that he might turn out to be from a poor family. They also respected good behaviour.Oedipus knows that his sin will affect not only himself but his whole family and will make themoutcasts. This means that no one will play with his children for fear of being affected by the shame ofOedipus; the girls will not find husbands as no one will want to marry them in case they too becomeoutcasts. They will be publicly humiliated by name-calling and being treated as if they were uncleanall of their lives. People were narrow-minded and did not forgive and innocent people could bepersecuted. Some minority groups today feel that they are treated in a similar way because of theircolour or religion. We are more tolerant towards the family of a criminal than the Greeks were butsocial prejudice and ‘double-standards’ still exist today.


Do you think it right that a whole family is affected by the actions of one member of it? Can youthink of any examples where people today shun whole families? Just how tolerant are we comparedwith the ancient Greeks?

0edipus Rex

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Transcript of 0edipus Rex