Oedipus Summary
Uploaded by seanc on Sep 17, 2005
The play begins with a crowd of city folk and the priest of Zeus approaching Oedipus to inform him about the extend of a plague that is hitting the city. Oedipus aware of the plague informs the crowd that he had already sent his brother in law, Creon to see the Oracle of Athens.
Creon returns and informs the crowd that the unsolved murder of the previous King Laius is the reason for the plague and the city has to find the murderer who is in the City. Oedipus afraid that the person might try to kill him vows to find the killer and launches and investigation. First Oedipus calls forth the prophet Teiresias, whose riddles eventually enrage Oedipus. Teiresias refuses at first to reveal who the perpetrator is because it will bring harm to both of them. Oedipus then attacks his person on why he did not solve the riddle of the Sphinx. Teiresias in his blind rage reveals that the murderer of Laius will be the father and brother of his on children. After sending the prophet away, Oedipus accuses Creon of conspiring with the prophet to kill him and offers him the choice of exile or death. Jocasta then steps in and pleads that her brother has been shared power, been a good brother in law and ask that Oedipus exile him. Jocasta steps in and prevents that and tells Oedipus that prophecies do not come true as she was suppose to have children with her son and that son will kill his father. Where as she confess to what she did to prevent this and retold the story about how Laius was killed by a band of thieves at a junction of three roads.
Oedipus recalls killing a rude man who assaulted him at the crossroads and this makes him uneasy. Oedipus remembers leaving Corinth for the same reasons. Then a messenger arrives and tells Oedipus that his father is dead and that he has to go back to be crowned king. But Oedipus is afraid that he might sleep with him mother so does not want to go back. The messenger tells Oedipus that they are not his real parents and that the messenger himself handed the baby Oedipus to Polybus. The shepherd that witnessed the death of Laius was the same shepherd that was charged with the task of getting rid of Oedipus....