Oedipus Rex is a Tragedy.
Table of Contents
Characters List:
- Oedipus
- King of Thebes. As a young man, he saved the city of Thebes by solving the riddle of the Sphinx and destroying the monster. He now sets about finding the murderer of the former King Laius to save Thebes from the plague.
- Creon
Creon is Queen Jocasta’s brother and the second-in-command in Thebes, brother-in-law of Oedipus. He is Oedipus’s trusted advisor, selected to go to the oracle at Delphi to seek Apollo’s advice in saving the city from the plague. - Tiresias
A blind prophet who has guided the kings of Thebes with his advice and counsel. - Jocasta
Queen of Thebes. Oedipus’s wife and mother, and Creon’s sister. - A Messenger from Corinth
A man bringing news of the royal family to Oedipus. - A Shepherd
A herder from the nearby mountains, who once served in the house of Laius. - A Messenger
A man comes from the palace to announce the death of the queen and the blinding of Oedipus. - Antigone and Ismene
Oedipus’s young daughters. - Chorus
A group of Theban elders, and their Leader, comment on the events of the drama and react to its tragic progression.
Playwright: Sophocles
Genre: Tragedy
Brief Introduction of Drama:
At the beginning of the play, the citizens of Thebes are all gathered in front of the palace of Oedipus, the current king of Thebes. They have come because there is a famine in the kingdom and the pestilence is about to devastate the whole kingdom. They want to know the reason.
King Oedipus tells his subjects that he is very worried about this that he sent his advisor (brother-in-law) Creon to the temple at Delphi to find out the cause of the famine. All will be known when he returns.
Creon came back and told everyone that the killer who killed the former king of this kingdom, Laius, is staying in this kingdom and was nurturing a great sin. That is why this epidemic has occurred in the state.
Oedipus then summons the blind astrologer Tiresias. Tiresias refused to tell the truth. He said that revealing it would harm Oedipus. But Oedipus reprimanded him harshly and forced him to tell him that the person who killed King Laius was staying in the kingdom after marrying his widow queen, that is, his mother.
Tiresias tells Oedipus that he himself is the master of this crime, so sorry for him. After that, when Creon came in front of Oedipus, a heated argument began between the two. Oedipus thought that Creon might be conspiring to tell these things through Tiresias. He wants to dethrone him by putting a hideous stigma on him. Now Queen Jocasta came forward. Said, why is Oedipus excited? He didn’t kill King Laius anymore. The queen said that her infant son was thrown at the foot of the mountain and that the king was killed by bandits at the crossroads of three roads – everyone knows that. Oedipus was shocked to hear about the intersection of three roads because before entering this kingdom he had killed a royal man at the intersection of three roads.
King Oedipus is now desperate to learn the secret of his birth despite Queen Jocasta’s prohibition. At that time, a messenger from Corinth said that King Polypus had died, and everyone wanted to make Oedipus the king. But Oedipus hears the oracle says he will marry his mother. Fearing this, he did not want to know, because Queen Merope was still alive. The ambassador of Corinth said Oedipus has no fear because he is not the real son of Polybus. He was picked up on the Citheran hill by the shepherd of Polybus.
Oedipus is now ordered to find the shepherd. The shepherd came and told all the events of the past. He reveals that Oedipus is the real son of King Laius, whom he captures.
Now all the truth was revealed in front of Queen Jocasta and Oedipus. He realized that he had killed his father and married his mother, Queen Jocasta. When this was revealed, Queen Jocasta hanged herself in grief and shame. And King Oedipus blinded himself by gouging out his eyes for his evil deeds. He said that he should be exiled somewhere away from this state. Here, Oedipus’ tragedy ends.