Sophocles (497-405 BC) was a Greek tragedian from Athens.

Of his Ancient King of Thebes, who was fated to kill his father (the whole marrying
123 plays, only 7 survive, and his Oedipan plays (Oedipus his mother thing was just a plus). Thus, his parents exposed him on Mount
Tyrannus, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone) are some of the best Cithaeron (near Thebes), but he was rescued and brought to nearby Corinth,
examples of Greek tragedy, with Aristotle having called Oedipus where the king Polybus raised him. Learning that Polybus isn't his father,
Tyrannus a perfect tragedy. 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.
Brother-in-law to the previous king Oedipus' goal: find the pollution that is causing the plague and expel it from
Laius. When Laius went to Delphi to the city. Dramatic irony ensues. His name is pronounced Ed-ih-pus.
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.
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
Former wife of the old king Laius, and
copulating snakes and was thus changed), but
now current wife of the new king Oedipus,
that's another story. The thing with Tiresias is
she also has four children by Oedipus (but
that he can't see the present, but can see the
none by Laius, because of that whole son-
future. His name is pronounced Tie-ree-see-us.
fated-to-kill-his-father prophesy, at least
none that she believes are currently living).
Her name is pronounced Yo-cas-tuh.

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."
 The Greek word !"#$%%&' can be translated as "tyrant",
but it doesn't have the negative sense that the modern word
"tyrant" does. A Greek tyrant is anyone who comes to power,
not by hereditary means (of course, since Oedipus is the son
of the previous king, there's a bit of irony in it all). Often,
&()(*&"' !"#$%%&' is translated into the Latin "Oedipus
Rex", which reinforces the sense that Oedipus is more like a
king than a harsh or cruel ruler.

Beginning of
Prologue
 The Priest
explains the
plague
afflicting
Thebes and
asks for help
from Oedipus Oedipus illustrates
some of the
qualities of a good
leader - he has
foreseen the
problems the
Priest is talking
about and has
already done
In this play,
something
check out all
of the
references to
sight
 Creon reports that
Apollo says they
Step 1: Find out
must drive out a
what the gods
pollution - exile the
have to say
killers of old king
Laius. (notice the
plural "killers")
 Irony

Oedipus
investigates
and we learn
about Laius'
The Sphynx' riddle
death
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".

Oedipus as a good
leader
End of the
Prologue

Beginning
of Parados,
wherein
information
already
presented is
given
 Oedipus as a good
leader - keep in mind
the deliberate irony
that the audience
most certainly would
be thinking.

End of
Parados,
Beginning of
First Episode
(Act 1),
Oedipus and
Tiresias
Irony Irony
Irony!

Step 2: ask Tiresias,

the blind seer

Oedipus as a good
leader: he has already
sent for Tiresias (it
also helps keep the
play moving)

Notice the plural

"people"
 Tiresias, as a seer, already
knows the truth (much like
the audience)

Tiresias is blind. The fact

that he can see the past
while those who can see
cannot see the past is ironic
First bit of truth: Tiresias
tells Oedipus that he is the
polluter of Thebes
 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).
 Helicon and Cithaeron
Oedipus, smart
are mountains near
enough to solve
Thebes
the riddle of the
Sphynx, is
smart enough
to smell out the
conspiracy of
Creon.

Loxias is
another name
for Apollo

Oh Snap!
Sight
 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.

End of First Episode,

Beginning of First
Stasimon (Choral
Interlude)
 Even the
Chorus is End of First Stasimon,
confused by Beginning of Second
Tiresias Episode (Oedipus and
Creon)
 Oedipus' logic at its
best - the wise ruler
uses logic and reason to
determine what is best
for his people
 Oedipus rationalizes: he
would obviously know
if he had killed Laius

A valid hole in
Tiresias' story
 Pytho is
another name
for Apollo

Irony
Oedipus as
a ruler
 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.

Notice the plural

"robbers"
 Now comes the
second part of the
famous prophesy:
wed thy mother.

A bit of
background that
helps us
In Ancient Greek
understand the
society, an insult to
last few pages
manly honor was
rightfully punishable
by death, like the wild
west.
 Irony -
Oedipus
knows not
how he's
polluting
Laius' bed 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.
 End of
Second
Episode,
Beginning of
Second
Stasimon

End of Second
Stasimon, Beginning
of Third Episode
(Oedipus as the
messenger)
 This messenger
from Corinth will
play an important
role soon

Irony
This no
doubt
inspired
Freud's
Oedipal
Complex

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
In Greek,
O!"#$%&'
means
"swollen
ankle"

Iocaste knows the truth

now
 Wait, which "she" is he
referring to?

End of Third Episode,

Beginning of Third
Stasimon

Oedipus'
desire to
know the
truth, his
intelligence,
is his
downfall
 End of
Third
Stasimon,
Beginning
of Fourth
Episode
(Oedipus
The Shepherd, who is also
and the
the lone survivor of the
Shepherd)
attack on Laius, knows the
truth
 End of
Fourth
Episode,
Beginning of
Fourth
Stasimon
Beginning of the
Final Episode
 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).
 The
importance of
sight
parricide is the murder
of a relative
Oedipus' two
daughters are
Antigone and
Ismene, both
of whom are
featured in
Sophocles'
play called
Antigone

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.
 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.