to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Moreover, we could not overlook that Sophocles is the most realist of the Greek tragedians (1), and ancient tragedies were often placed into a historical frame strongly influenced by major contemporary events (13). Several sections, primarily in the first third of the play, refer to the aforementioned plague; the epidemic, however, is not the primary topic of the tragedy. The Plague of Thebes, a Historical Epidemic in Sophocles Oedipus Rex. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. The knowledge of the existence of a highly contagious and fatal disease is phrased clearly in these rhymes, strongly suggesting that Thebans were aware of the oncomingmost possibly from the adjacent city of Athensdanger (24). Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. This meant that they must find the killer of their dead king, Laius. Oedipus the King. Creon, covetous of royal power, is all too happy to oblige. When the seer Teiresias warns him not to investigate the matter any further, Oedipus pushes his advice aside. A somewhat similar example is that of archeologist Heinrich Schlieman; before Schlieman, the writings of Homer had been considered a collection of mythological poems. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? 2 (CC) BY-NC-SA, Ian Johnston 2004 1 Cadmus: legendary founder of Thebes. However, Thucydides correlation of the plague of Athens with the Peloponnesian War (431404 bc) (5) gives us the opportunity to state that Sophocles connects this epidemic of Thebes with the plague of Athens and attempts to point out the disastrous effects wars always have. Refine any search. So the tragic truth is that Oedipus, who unwittingly killed his father, the previous king, is the cause of the Theban plague. Creon returns, bearing good news: once the killer of the previous king, Laius, is found, Thebes will be cured of the plague (Laius was Jocasta's husband before she married Oedipus). Oedipus, king of Thebes, is determined to find out the cause of the plague ravishing the city, little suspecting the cause is him. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Instant PDF downloads. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. It was a popular subject for drama, and Sophocles himself wrote other plays about it. This article is republished from The Conversation.Read the original article.. Sophocles, a preeminent ancient Greek tragedian, authored plays that have enthralled audiences for over two thousand years. Each man in the city grieves for himself, but the king grieves for the city and everyone in it. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. An oracle warned Laius, the king of Thebes prior to Oedipus, that his son would murder him. Apparently, the gods have punished Thebes for the cruel murder of the former King Laius. The reference to the Sphinx reminds the audience that Oedipus is a genuine hero. Oedipus sends for Tiresias, the blind prophet, and asks him what he knows about the murder. In addition, the Chorus provides us with a major social aspect, as they put the blame on god of war, Ares (Ares whose hot breath I feel, though without targe or steel he stalks, whose voice is as the battle shout, lines 190191) (2,3). In his first speech, which he delivers to an old priest whose suffering he seeks to alleviate, he continually voices his concern for the health and well-being of his people. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Creon condemns both Antigone and Ismene to death. The writing of the tragedy Oedipus the King (original Greek title , most commonly known as Oedipus Rex) is placed in the first half of the decade 430420 bc. Later in the play (300),Oedipus summons the blind prophet Tiresias so that he may discover the murderer. The first event that elicits emotions of fear and pity is found in the prologue where the people of Thebes suffer from a plague. At this early moment, we see Oedipuss dangerous pride, which explains his willful blindness and, to a certain extent, justifies his downfall. Historical certainty can be added by studying the alliances and the warfare involving Thebes during the era of Sophocles (e.g., Boeotian prefecture, Athenian dynasty, Spartan alliance, Persian wars) (14). In despair Jocasta hanged herself, while Oedipus blinded himself in an agony of remorse. You can review and change the way we collect information below. Creons wife, Eurydice, hears this terrible news and rushes away into the palace. This assignment asks readers to pick a person to blame for the tragedy of Oedipus. Epidemics, stillbirths, and miscarriages caused by B. abortus have been reported since the time of Hippocrates, which is when this disease was initially described. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? The story of Oedipus begins in Thebes, the Greek city founded by Cadmus, at a time when Laius had been restored to the throne.Laius would wed Jocasta, sister to Creon, and descendant of one of the Spartoi, but almost immediately a prophecy was made that said that the son of Laius . Oedipus responds with a terrible curse, upbraiding his son for letting him be sent into exile, and predicting that Eteocles and Polynices will die at one anothers hands. Just then, Creon arrives, and Oedipus asks what the oracle has said. The shepherd and the messenger slowly exit the stage. !Sophocles - Oedipus the King! Her description of Laiuss murder, however, sounds familiar to Oedipus, and he asks further questions. Struggling with distance learning? As the play opens, Oedipus, the king of Thebes, asks from a group of people that why they are gathered there. Oedipus, in Greek mythology, the king of Thebes who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. Both Polynices and Creon are currently en route to try to take Oedipus into custody and thus claim the right to bury him in their kingdoms. A lethal plague is described in this drama. A critical reading of Oedipus Rex and a comparison with Thucydides history, as well as a systematic review of historical data, strongly suggests that this epidemic was an actual event, possibly caused by Brucella abortus. A plague besets the city, and Oedipus enters to find a priest and crowd of children praying to the gods to free them from the curse. At the beginning of the play, Thebes is struck with a terrible plague that ravishes the city, forcing citizens to petition King Oedipus to deliver them from the horrible epidemic. Oedipus also learns that Laius is his father and that Jocasta, his wife, is his mother. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Creon threatens to kill anyone who tries to bury Polynices and stations sentries over his body. At the beginning of Sophocles'Oedipus Rex,there issterility and a plague at Thebes. Creon then tells what he has learned from the god Apollo, who spoke through the oracle: the murderer of Laius, who ruled Thebes before Oedipus, is in Thebes. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Subscribe now. Theseus and the Chorus exit toward Athens; Antigone and Ismene head for Thebes. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! plague; the plague in Thebes has three features which are closely associated with supernatural forces and appear in re-ligious contexts. Finally, he answers that the child came from the house of Laius. With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. Oedipus Rex is a figure of Greek mythology from at least the 5th century B.C. Oedipus (UK: / i d p s /, also US: / d -/; Greek: "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes.A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family.. Emerg Infect Dis. Antigone and Ismene, the daughters of Oedipus, discuss the disaster that has just befallen them. There is a plague in Thebes, and many people are dying. Polynices, realizing he will never win his fathers support, turns to his sisters. 2012;18(1):153-157. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1801.ad1801. Many heroes attempted to answer the riddle, but each one was eaten alive after answering incorrectly. Oedipuss wife, Jocasta (also the widow of King Laius), enters and asks why the men shout at one another. Dont have an account? Oedipus replies that he is more eager than anyone to find out the cause of the pollution and remove it. on 50-99 accounts. eNotes Editorial, 3 Jan. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-reason-plague-thebes-sophocles-oedipus-rex-662761. The Chorus calls on various Olympians to aid Thebes. During the time the play is set, Laius is deceased, but he is a critical . All of this, of course, was unbeknownst to him. for a group? At Jocastas summons, Oedipus comes outside, hears the news, and rejoices with her. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Regarding the plays approach to treatment of the disease, reading through the drama we once again come across with the theocratic perceptions of ancient Greece. The blind prophet Tiresias arrives, and Creon promises to take whatever advice he gives. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! As the play Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, opens, the people of Thebes are dealing with a kind of plaguein this case, a famine. Essays on oedipus the king. Bust of Sophocles in the Colonnade of the Muses in the Achilleion, Corfu, Greece, July 2011. Theseus returns to the stage, asking the daughters to stop their weeping. Creon decides to pardon Ismene, but vows to kill Antigone by walling her up alive in a tomb. The characteristics of pathogens that might be responsible for the plague on the basis of Sophocles descriptions in Oedipus Rex are summarized in the Technical Appendix. If you are present, being an active listener, and taking part in class discussions, you will be able to complete all of this in class. He sends Creon, his brother-in-law, to the oracle at Athens. The particularity of this reference (4), it seems that Sophocles correlates the epidemic that strikes Thebes with the plague of Athens, which, according to Thucydides, came about as a result of the Peloponnesian War (5). Contact us Oedipus swears he will never give his support to either of his sons, for they did nothing to prevent his exile years ago. Searching for the miasma, Oedipus summons the blind prophet Tiresias to reveal who is responsible for this evil (lines 300313) (2,3). Oedipus acts quickly to find the killer. Creon returns to report that the plague is the result of religious pollution, since the murderer of their former king, Laius, has never been caught. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. He thinks he knows what happenedthieves killed Laiusbut is actually blind to the truth. When Laius' herald ordered Oedipus to stand aside and make way for the King to pass, Oedipus grew angry and killed both the herald and Laius. Oedipus curses himself, proclaiming that should he discover the murderer to be a member of his own family, that person should be struck by the same exile and harsh treatment that he has just wished on the murderer. He has already anticipated the priests' request for help and has done what a good Greek ruler should doseek advice from an oracle. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. B. Creon wanted to become king, so he never cared enough to investigate. The citizens carry branches wrapped in wool, which they offer to the gods as gifts. In the city of Thebes, there is a plague of infertility that strikes. What is the main idea of Oedipus the King by Sophocles, and what is the play about. Oedipus In Greek mythology and literature, son of Laius (king of Thebes) and Jocasta; father of Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles and Polynices by his own mother. The shepherd then enters. n/a annes thomas tracy world lit oedipus the king writing assignment there is an old time saying, comes before the pride can lead to downfall. He now feels much more inclined to agree with the queen in deeming prophecies worthless and viewing chance as the principle governing the world. Consequently, a solution for the situation is requested from the oracle at Delphi (lines 6872), while the Chorus plead for Athena, Zeus, Artemis, and Apollo to save the town from the disaster (lines 160165) (2,3). Haemon, Creons son and Antigones betrothed, enters the stage. Credit: Wikipedia/Public domain. In other words, he became a hero by figuring out the truth. Latest answer posted December 09, 2017 at 3:30:49 PM. Already a member? By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. The play has been labeled an analytical tragedy, meaning that the crucial events which dominate the play have happened in the past (2,3). $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% for a customized plan. Finally, we cannot reject the possibility of dealing with a Brucella strain that has evolved to become less deadly than a more lethal ancestor (6). That baby was Oedipus. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Having just escaped the Sphinx, searching out Laius's murderer seemed impossible to Creon. A plague followed and the stage was set for the action of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Oedipus explains to Jocasta that the prophet has charged him with Laiuss murder, and Jocasta replies that all prophecies are false. The Plague of Thebes, a Historical Epidemic in Sophocles Oedipus Rex. The _____ is that Tiresias is blind but can see the truth, and Oedipus has sight but refuses to see the truth. At this mention of his parents, Oedipus, who grew up in the distant city of Corinth, asks how Tiresias knew his parents. As the protagonist approached his tragic catharsis, the moral order much desired by the ancient Greeks was restored with the end of the epidemic. Creon reports that the gods have caused this plague in response to the murder of Laius, the previous king of Thebes, and they demand that the murderer ("the pollution of this land") be killed or exiled. The references to the decline of land and fields could be an example of poetic exaggeration or a suggestion that the fruits or ears may participate in the transmission route of the plague (a blight is on our harvest in the ear, line 25) (2,3). -Graham S. Oedipus is a hero and a man of action. Outside the palace, a messenger approaches Jocasta and tells her that he has come from Corinth to inform Oedipus that his father, Polybus, is dead, and that Corinth has asked Oedipus to come and rule there in his place. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. They give up their pleas but ask for safe passage back to Thebes, so that they may prevent a war between their brothers. LitCharts Teacher Editions. To know the cause of the plague, Oedipus sent Creon, Jocasta's brother, consult the oracle at Delphi , and learned that the plague would only cease after the murderer of Laius had been punished. Eventually the city was infected by a plague. After much prodding from Oedipus, Tiresias claims that Oedipus is the source of . A word with a meaning of something that brings death is used in the original Greek () to refer to the plague, which suggests that at the time of Sophocles his fellow Greeks were aware of the threat posed by infectious disease. Oedipus promises to solve the mystery of Laiuss death, vowing to curse and drive out the murderer. Ancient typhoid epidemic reveals possible ancestral strain of. Sometimes it can end up there. Sophocles told how Oedipus was saved from death as an infant and raised in Corinth. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. For a moment, Oedipus takes upon himself the role of a goda role the Chorus has been both reluctant and eager to allow him (see 3943). Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. A messenger enters to narrate the mysterious death of Oedipus: his death seemed a disappearance of sorts, the lightless depths of Earth bursting open in kindness to receive him (18861887). on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Oedipus then advises his subjects to search and apprehend the murderer before he consults with the blind seer, Teiresias, who cautions Oedipus about searching for the truth. No one responds, and Oedipus furiously curses Laiuss murderer and anyone who is protecting him. Hellenic holocaust: a historical clinico-pathologic conference. Oedipus vows to find the murderer and curses him for . Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. It would not be irrational to trust the historical credibility of a literary text. He asks that they provide him with a proper burial should he die in battle. He therefore traveled to the oracle of Delphi, who did not answer him but did tell him he would murder his father and sleep with his mother. A blight, the priest tells Oedipus, has destroyed their crops and livestock - and even rendered their women sterile, unable to have children. Oedipus encountered the Sphinx and quickly realized that the answer was "man". In the first scene of the play, Sophocles presents the basic social and historical axes around which he will unfold the plot. Kousoulis AA, Economopoulos KP, Poulakou-Rebelakou E, et al. Although we are able to see him as a mere puppet of fate, at some points, the irony is so magnified that it seems almost as if Oedipus brings catastrophe upon himself willingly. Wailing on the altar stair, wives and grandams rend the air, long-drawn moans and piercing cries blent with prayers and litaniesSophocles, Oedipus Rex, lines 184186. Section 6: Oedipus the King, lines 338-706, Section 8: Oedipus the King, lines 1008-1310, Section 9: Oedipus the King, lines 1311-1684, Section 10: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 1-576, Section 11: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 577-1192, Section 12: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 1193-1645, Section 13: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 1646-2001. Complete your free account to request a guide. The priest begs Oedipus to save Thebes, just as Oedipus . As proof, she notes that the Delphic oracle once told Laius he would be murdered by his son, when in fact his son was cast out of Thebes as a baby, and Laius was murdered by a band of thieves. Oedipus says that his time of death has come. Only one of his fellow travelers escaped alive. Table of Contents Volume 18, Number 1January 2012. Oedipus then strides off with a sudden strength, taking his daughters and Theseus to his grave. In the post-Homeric tradition, most familiar from Sophocles' Oedipus Rex (or Oedipus the King) and . | Troy, Mycenae, and the otologic demise of Herr Heinrich Schliemann. Please wait while we process your payment. Unfortunately, the story comes out that Oedipus murdered Laius on the road from Corinth to Thebes, when Laius and his party would not move aside to let him pass. The plague symbolizes the effect that Oedipus's defiance of the will of the gods . Their brothers Polynices and Eteocles have killed one another in a battle for control over Thebes. Oedipus naturally refuses to believe Tiresiass accusation. Renews March 10, 2023 The plague is an infestation of disease-carrying insects that spread rapidly through the population, killing many. The Priest of the land describes the death of young children, even those in the womb, as well as adults. Historical medical literature has suggested many infectious diseases over time, but few have lasted as the most probable. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Antigone freely confesses her act to Creon and says that he himself defies the will of the gods by refusing Polynices burial. Q. Oedipus sends for Tiresias who reveals that Oedipus is the cause of the plague. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. Economopoulos). Teiresias reluctantly informs Oedipus that he is the murderer and has been living intimately with his mother. Creon informs King Oedipus that until the killer of King Laius is identified, the plague cannot be ended. for a group? Theseus promises Oedipus that he will get his daughters back. Sophocles is one of the most noted playwrights of the ancient world and, along with Aeschylus and Euripides, belongs to the trinity of the Attic tragedians who flourished during the golden century of Pericles in Athens (Figure 1). 6. . These taunts provoke Tiresias into revealing that Oedipus himself is the murderer. Missing, he turned the sword against himself and died embracing Antigones body. Oedipus replies that he sees and understands the terrible fate of Thebes, and that no one is more sorrowful than he. The story of Oedipus is the subject of Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus . The score is derived from an automated algorithm, and represents a weighted count of the amount of attention Altmetric picked up for a research output. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. The ultimate goals of our study were to clarify whether the plague described in Oedipus Rex could reflect an actual historical event, compare it with the plague of Athens, which was described by the historian Thucydides as occurring not long before the time that Sophocles work appeared (4), and propose the most likely causative pathogen. The Plague in the Land of Thebes. It was then, on the journey that would take him to Thebes, that Oedipus was confronted and harassed by a group of travelers, whom he killed in self-defense. It should be noted that exploring the diseases of history requires examining the social, economic, and demographic aspects of each era because this is the only way to better understand how diseases work over centuries (10). He asks if anyone knows who killed Laius, promising that the informant will be rewarded and the murderer will receive no harsher punishment than exile. When Oedipus discovers the truth of his actions, he is wrought with horror and self-loathing. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. even stating in one scene when the people of Thebes were requesting that he save them from the dreaded plague that had overcome their homeland, "You pray to the Gods, May I grant . Oedipus limps because Laius and Jocasta (who he doesn't know are his parents) pinned his ankles together when he was an infant to thwart the prophecy that he would kill Laius (they failed). No one was following the rules of the land. The point of attack is when Creon returns from the Oracle at Delphi with the message that the source of the plague is the murder of the old king, Laius. Early in the play it is clarified that the disease is a cattle zoonosis of high mortality rate (a blight upon the grazing flocks and herds, line 26, with the herds being cattle,) (2,3). Oedipus, King of Thebes, sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to ask the advice of the oracle at Delphi, concerning a plague ravaging Thebes. The words of Tiresias strike fear into the hearts of Creon and the people of Thebes, and Creon reluctantly goes to free Antigone from the tomb where she has been imprisoned. He must be driven out in order for the plague to end. She tells him that, back in Thebes, Oedipuss younger son, Eteocles, has overthrown Polynices, the elder, and that Polynices is now amassing troops in Argos for an attack on his brother and on Creon, who rules along with Eteocles. Creon asks Oedipus if he wants to hear the news in private, but Oedipus insists that all the citizens hear. Sending for Theseus, he tells the king he must carry out certain rites on his body, and that by doing so he may assure divine protection to his city. The plague results from the shame of not punishing Thebe's former king's murderer. Figure 1. Thus, according to the tragedys rhymes and with respect to literary talk, this plague should be treated as an epidemic. Message not sent. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Sophocles and The Oedipus Plays Background. Any proposed pathogen should be a highly contagious, zoonotic disease of cattle that causes stillbirth, miscarriages, and infertility, is characterized by high mortality rates, and has the potential to have caused an epidemic in the 5th century bc. He accuses Creon and Tiresias of conspiring against his life, and charges Tiresias with insanity. Jocasta has hanged herself, and Oedipus, finding her dead, has pulled the pins from her robe and stabbed out his own eyes. Oedipus' wife and mother hanged themselves when the truth of their relationship was known, although Oedipus continued to rule Thabs until his death. Thebes has been struck by a plague, the citizens are dying, and no one knows how to put an end to it. . Polynices tells Oedipus that he never condoned his exile, and that Eteocles is the bad son, having bribed the men of Thebes to turn against Polynices. Creon returns with a message from the oracle: the plague will end when the murderer of Laius, former king of Thebes, is caught and expelled; the murderer is within the city. How does Oedipus Rex by Sophocles follow the unities? In the historical case (Athens) and the dramatic case (Thebes), the populace turned to the temples looking for a divine solution to the disaster. The limp marks Oedipus's fate, even though he does not know it yet. Oedipus Rex, apart from the undeniable literary and historic value, also presents significant medical interest because the play mentions a plague, an epidemic, which was devastating Thebes, the town of Oedipus hegemony. Oedipus, the king, who is married to Jocasta and has four children, sends Creon (Jocasta's brother) to the oracle for information. Free trial is available to new customers only. Thus, the most probable cause of the plague in Thebes is B. abortus. A new hypothesis for the cause of the plague of Athens. Kousoulis, A. Finally, although many of the features of the plot and passages have been interpreted as historical allusions, the plague seems to be recognized as the most critical element that reflects a historical event, with enough strength and clarity to be used even for the dating of the tragedy (12).