Oedipus Tyrannus Annotated
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Transcript of Oedipus Tyrannus Annotated
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Ancient King of Thebes, who was fated to kill his father (the whole marrying his mother thing was just a plus). Thus, his parents exposed him on Mount Cithaeron (near Thebes), but he was rescued and brought to nearby Corinth, where the king Polybus raised him. Learning that Polybus isn't his father, he travels to Delphi where he finds out about his fate (wherein he would kill his father, supposedly Polybus). Thus he avoids Corinth and happens to go to Thebes. There, he defeated the Sphynx whose riddle was: what walks on 4 legs in the morning, 2 at noon, and 3 in the evening. The answer he gave was "man". He is currently king while a plague is ravaging Thebes. Oedipus' goal: find the pollution that is causing the plague and expel it from the city. Dramatic irony ensues. His name is pronounced Ed-ih-pus.
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Brother-in-law to the previous king Laius. When Laius went to Delphi to consult the Oracle about the possible return of his fated-to-kill-his-father son, Cadmus assumed control of Thebes. After he found out about Laius' death, he offered the rule of the city and Iocasta as wife to anyone who could free Thebes from the Sphynx. His name is pronounced: Cray-own.
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Former wife of the old king Laius, and now current wife of the new king Oedipus, she also has four children by Oedipus (but none by Laius, because of that whole son-fated-to-kill-his-father prophesy, at least none that she believes are currently living). Her name is pronounced Yo-cas-tuh.
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Blind seer of Thebes who is famous for giving advice Odysseus (in roughly 60 years) in the Underworld. Tiresias is also well-known for being a woman for 7 years (he hit a pair of copulating snakes and was thus changed), but that's another story. The thing with Tiresias is that he can't see the present, but can see the future. His name is pronounced Tie-ree-see-us.
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Greek mythology can be defined by generations. The final generation of mythical heroes fought at Troy in the Trojan War. The generation before them fought a major war at Thebes (thanks to Oedipus). This play precedes (and actually gives cause for) the upcoming war at Thebes, known to classicists as "The Seven Against Thebes."
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Sophocles (497-405 BC) was a Greek tragedian from Athens. Of his 123 plays, only 7 survive, and his Oedipan plays (Oedipus Tyrannus, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone) are some of the best examples of Greek tragedy, with Aristotle having called Oedipus Tyrannus a perfect tragedy.
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The Greek word ΤΥΡΑΝΝΟΣ can be translated as "tyrant", but it doesn't have the negative sense that the modern word "tyrant" does. A Greek tyrant is anyone who comes to power, not by hereditary means (of course, since Oedipus is the son of the previous king, there's a bit of irony in it all). Often, ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ ΤΥΡΑΝΝΟΣ is translated into the Latin "Oedipus Rex", which reinforces the sense that Oedipus is more like a king than a harsh or cruel ruler.
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Beginning of Prologue
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The Priest explains the plague afflicting Thebes and asks for help from Oedipus
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In this play, check out all of the references to sight
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Oedipus illustrates some of the qualities of a good leader - he has foreseen the problems the Priest is talking about and has already done something
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Creon reports that Apollo says they must drive out a pollution - exile the killers of old king Laius. (notice the plural "killers")
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Step 1: Find out what the gods have to say
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Irony
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Oedipus investigates and we learn about Laius' death
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The Sphynx' riddle was: the Sphynx what walks on 4 legs in the morning, 2 at noon, and 3 in the evening. The answer Oedipus gave was "man".
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Oedipus as a good leader
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End of the Prologue
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Beginning of Parados, wherein information already presented is given
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End of Parados, Beginning of First Episode (Act 1), Oedipus and Tiresias
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Oedipus as a good leader - keep in mind the deliberate irony that the audience most certainly would be thinking.
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Irony Irony Irony!
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Step 2: ask Tiresias, the blind seer
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Oedipus as a good leader: he has already sent for Tiresias (it also helps keep the play moving)
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Notice the plural "people"
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Tiresias, as a seer, already knows the truth (much like the audience)
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Tiresias is blind. The fact that he can see the past while those who can see cannot see the past is ironic
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First bit of truth: Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is the polluter of Thebes
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Oedipus, naturally, doesn't believe Tiresias and doesn't want to believe him. Since he has no personal knowledge of having killed Laius, Tiresias must be lying, in a plot with Creon (who used to be king).
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Oedipus, smart enough to solve the riddle of the Sphynx, is smart enough to smell out the conspiracy of Creon.
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Loxias is another name for Apollo
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Sight
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Helicon and Cithaeron are mountains near Thebes
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Oh Snap!
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Oedipus isn't sure of his parentage, but he no doubt thinks that he is from Corinth, not Thebes. Therefore, this man Tiresias speaks about can't be him.
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End of First Episode, Beginning of First Stasimon (Choral Interlude)
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Even the Chorus is confused by Tiresias
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End of First Stasimon, Beginning of Second Episode (Oedipus and Creon)
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Oedipus' logic at its best - the wise ruler uses logic and reason to determine what is best for his people
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A valid hole in Tiresias' story
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Oedipus rationalizes: he would obviously know if he had killed Laius
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Pytho is another name for Apollo
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Irony
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Oedipus as a ruler
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In attempting to prove to her husband Oedipus that oracles are wrong, Iocaste actually brings up an important backstory, which ironically ends up being true.
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Notice the plural "robbers"
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A bit of background that helps us understand the last few pages
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Now comes the second part of the famous prophesy: wed thy mother.
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In Ancient Greek society, an insult to manly honor was rightfully punishable by death, like the wild west.
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There is still hope that Oedipus isn't the pollution in the city (i.e., that he didn't kill Laius). The evidence already gathered suggests that more than one man killed Laius and his retinue.
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Irony - Oedipus knows not how he's polluting Laius' bed
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End of Second Episode, Beginning of Second Stasimon
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End of Second Stasimon, Beginning of Third Episode (Oedipus as the messenger)
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This messenger from Corinth will play an important role soon
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Irony
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This no doubt inspired Freud's Oedipal Complex
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The messenger thinks he is helping Oedipus by saying that his Corinthian parents are not really his, but in effect he is making everything worse
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In Greek, Oἰδίπους means "swollen ankle"
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Iocaste knows the truth now
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Oedipus' desire to know the truth, his intelligence, is his downfall
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Wait, which "she" is he referring to?
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End of Third Episode, Beginning of Third Stasimon
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End of Third Stasimon, Beginning of Fourth Episode (Oedipus and the Shepherd)
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The Shepherd, who is also the lone survivor of the attack on Laius, knows the truth
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End of Fourth Episode, Beginning of Fourth Stasimon
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Beginning of the Final Episode
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Oedipus thinks man can avoid fate, but really there was nothing to be done to change the will of the gods - any attempt at killing him as a baby would have failed (as it did because of the pity of those involved).
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The importance of sight
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parricide is the murder of a relative
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Oedipus' two daughters are Antigone and Ismene, both of whom are featured in Sophocles' play called Antigone
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Interestingly, in Antigone, Oedipus' inbred daughter Antigone falls in love with Creon's son Haemon, who just so happens to be Antigone's first-cousin and first-cousin once removed at the same time. Unfortunately, they didn't live to have children.
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Oedipus is eventually allowed to leave Thebes, since he is the cause of the pollution, and the plague can only be cured with the pollution removed.
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