What really happened to Oedipus? - Stephen Esposito
Summary
TLDRThe script narrates the tragic tale of Oedipus, who, despite escaping death and the Sphinx, faces his greatest challenge in the fulfillment of a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta, he was abandoned but found by a shepherd and raised by the Corinthian king and queen. Unaware of his true lineage, he fulfills the prophecy unknowingly and later blinds himself in despair when the truth is revealed. The story concludes with Oedipus finding peace and acceptance in his old age, transcending into death.
Takeaways
- đ¶ Oedipus was abandoned as a baby due to a prophecy that he would kill his father, King Laius, and marry his mother, Queen Jocasta.
- đ Despite attempts to avoid his fate, Oedipus unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy by killing his father at a crossroads and later marrying his mother.
- đź Oedipus sought counsel from Apollo's oracle, which revealed his tragic destiny, causing him to flee Corinth and inadvertently head towards Thebes.
- đŠ Oedipus defeated the Sphinx, a monster ravaging Thebes, by solving its riddle, leading to his marriage with Jocasta and unknowingly completing the prophecy.
- đ A plague befell Thebes, and through an investigation, it was revealed that the city's suffering was due to the unsolved murder of King Laius.
- đïž The blind prophet Tiresias implicated Oedipus as the murderer, a truth that was eventually confirmed through various sources, including a Corinthian messenger and the shepherd who saved him as a baby.
- đĄ Upon realizing the truth of his actions, Oedipus was filled with rage and shame, leading him to kill Jocasta and blind himself with her brooches.
- đïž Oedipus was exiled from Thebes and sought guidance from Apollo's oracle once more, marking the end of Sophocles' first play about him.
- đŽ Decades later, Sophocles wrote a sequel set in Colonus, where an aged and exiled Oedipus faced accusations of his past deeds with acceptance and proclaimed his innocence.
- â Oedipus, having come to terms with his past, was guided by a divine voice to transcend into death peacefully, concluding his tragic story.
- đ The script is a retelling of the Oedipus myth, highlighting the themes of fate, free will, and the consequences of one's actions.
Q & A
Who was Oedipus and what was the prophecy about him?
-Oedipus was a character in Greek mythology, the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. The prophecy from Apollo's oracle foretold that he would kill his father and marry his mother.
Why did King Laius and Queen Jocasta initially try to kill Oedipus?
-King Laius and Queen Jocasta tried to kill Oedipus to avoid the prophecy that their son would murder the king and marry the queen.
How did Oedipus end up in Corinth?
-A shepherd took pity on Oedipus and gave him to another shepherd from Corinth, who then brought the baby to the childless King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth, where he was raised.
What prompted Oedipus to seek counsel from Apollo's oracle at Delphi?
-Oedipus sought counsel from Apollo's oracle at Delphi after learning from a drunken reveler that he was not the biological child of Polybus and Merope.
What was the prophecy Oedipus received from Apollo's oracle at Delphi?
-The prophecy Oedipus received was that he would murder his father and have children with his mother, which horrified him and led him to leave Corinth.
How did Oedipus unknowingly fulfill the first part of the prophecy?
-Oedipus unknowingly fulfilled the first part of the prophecy when he killed King Laius of Thebes in a fight at a crossroads, not realizing that Laius was his birth father.
What was the Sphinx and how did Oedipus defeat it?
-The Sphinx was a monstrous creature ravaging Thebes, posing a riddle to the city's inhabitants and devouring those who answered incorrectly. Oedipus defeated the Sphinx by correctly answering its riddle.
Who did Oedipus marry after defeating the Sphinx, and what was the significance of this marriage?
-Oedipus married Queen Jocasta of Thebes, the city's recently widowed queen, unknowingly completing the second half of the prophecy by marrying his own mother.
What event led to the revelation of Oedipus' true identity and the fulfillment of the prophecy?
-A plague that descended on Thebes led to the revelation of Oedipus' true identity. The oracle declared that the plague would only end if the killer of the previous king, Laius, was revealed and avenged.
How did Oedipus react to the truth about his life and the prophecy?
-Oedipus reacted with fury, resentment, and shame. He blinded himself using brooches from Jocasta's dress after she had realized the truth and taken her own life.
What was the final act of Oedipus' life as depicted in Sophocles' sequel?
-In Sophocles' sequel, Oedipus, having accepted the truth and released himself from shame, proclaimed his innocence and maintained that his deeds were committed unwittingly. He then transcended peacefully into death.
Outlines
đ± The Tragic Tale of Oedipus
This paragraph narrates the tragic life of Oedipus, from his birth to his unwitting fulfillment of a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta, Oedipus was abandoned due to a prophecy but was saved and raised by another couple. As an adult, he unknowingly kills his father, King Laius, and solves the riddle of the Sphinx, leading to his marriage with his mother. The truth of his origins and actions is eventually revealed, causing him to blind himself and seek exile.
đ Oedipus' Redemption and Transcendence
In the final chapter of Oedipus' story, he finds redemption and acceptance of his fate. Having lived through the revelation of his tragic past and the consequences of his actions, Oedipus is guided by a divine voice to his end. He bids farewell to his loved ones and peacefully passes away, transcending his earthly existence. This part of the narrative focuses on Oedipus' acceptance of his past and his serene transition to the afterlife.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄOedipus
đĄProphecy
đĄSphinx
đĄOracle
đĄTragic Hero
đĄFate
đĄIrony
đĄPlague
đĄBlindness
đĄExile
đĄTranscendence
Highlights
Oedipus' life is shaped by a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother.
King Laius and Queen Jocasta abandon Oedipus to avoid the prophecy after his birth.
Oedipus is raised by the Corinthian king and queen, unaware of his true origins.
A prophecy from Apollo's oracle reveals Oedipus' fate to him, causing him to flee Corinth.
Oedipus unknowingly kills his birth father, King Laius, fulfilling the first part of the prophecy.
Oedipus solves the Sphinx's riddle, leading to her defeat and his marriage to Queen Jocasta.
Unbeknownst to Oedipus and Jocasta, they are mother and son, completing the second part of the prophecy.
A plague strikes Thebes, and the oracle reveals that it will only end if Laius' killer is found.
Oedipus investigates Laius' murder, eventually discovering that he himself is the killer.
Jocasta commits suicide upon realizing the truth of their relationship.
Oedipus blinds himself in shame and seeks exile from Thebes.
Sophocles revisits Oedipus' story decades later in a sequel set in Colonus.
In the sequel, Oedipus confronts accusations of incest and patricide, accepting the truth of his actions.
Oedipus proclaims his innocence, stating that his deeds were committed unknowingly and unwillingly.
A divine voice signals Oedipus' time to die, and he transcends into death peacefully.
The story of Oedipus explores themes of fate, free will, and the consequences of one's actions.
Sophocles' portrayal of Oedipus as a tragic hero delves into the complexities of human nature.
The Oedipus myth serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of trying to escape one's destiny.
Transcripts
Though Oedipus would dodge death, vanquish the monstrous Sphinx,
and whether wrathful plagues,
the truth would prove his greatest challenger.
When Oedipusâ mother, Queen Jocasta of Thebes,
gave birth to him, a grim heir seized the occasion.
Her husband, King Laius, had received a prophecy from Apolloâs oracle
foretelling that he would die at the hands of his own son.
Determined to escape this fate, Laius had the newbornâs ankles pierced,
and Jocasta ordered a shepherd to abandon him on Mount Cithaeron to perish.
But divine prophecies can be quite stubborn.
The shepherd took pity on the baby and gave him to to another shepherdâ
this one from Corinth.
He decided to bring the baby to the childless Corinthian king and queen,
Polybus and Merope.
They called the boy Oedipus, or âswollen-foot,â
and raised him as their own, never revealing his true origin.
Years passed, till one night,
a drunken reveler told Oedipus that he was not Polybus and Meropeâs son by birthâ
an allegation they staunchly denied.
But the seeds of doubt burrowed into Oedipusâ mind.
He left to seek counsel from Apolloâs oracle at Delphi,
who instead delivered a deeply disturbing prophecy:
Oedipus would murder his father and have children with his mother.
Horrified, Oedipus determined to stay far from Corinth
and the only parents heâd ever known.
He ventured towards Thebesâ and thus, unwittingly,
towards the city where his birth parents reigned.
At a crossroads on the way,
a fancy carriage threatened to run Oedipus off the road,
and a lethal fight ensued.
Little did Oedipus know, one of the casualties was King Laius of Thebes,
his own birth father.
In killing him, Oedipus had fulfilled the first half of Apolloâs prophecy.
When Oedipus reached the gates of Thebes, he was met by the treacherous Sphinx.
Sheâd ravaged the city,
posing a bewildering riddle to those she encountered
and mercilessly devouring all who answered incorrectly.
But when she fixed her keen, expectant gaze on Oedipus,
he gave the correct response.
Thebes celebrated the Sphinx's defeat,
and Oedipus married the city's recently widowed queen, Jocasta.
They had four children, neither realizing they were, in fact, mother and sonâ
or that theyâd completed the second half of Apolloâs prophecy.
Eventually, a devastating plague descended on Thebes.
To save the city, Oedipus sent his brother-in-law to consult Apolloâs oracle.
She declared that the divine plague would only relent
if the killer of Thebesâ previous king, Laius,
was finally revealed, then driven out or avenged with blood.
Oedipus hastily opened an investigation.
He interrogated Tiresias, a blind prophet,
who stayed silent before suggesting that Oedipus himself was the killer.
Oedipus denied and deflected the accusation.
But it stuck with him.
Jocasta likewise insisted that Laiusâ killer couldnât have been Oedipus,
for she'd heard that Laius was killed at a crossroads by robbers.
Yet, through conversations with a messenger from Corinth and, finally,
the shepherd whoâd rescued him as an infant,
the truth came bearing down upon Oedipus.
In searching for Laiusâ murderer, heâd been looking for himself,
and Apolloâs prophecy had come to pass, in all its dreadful detail.
Full of fury, resentment, and shame, Oedipus rushed to kill Jocastaâ
but she too had realized the truth and taken her own life.
Using brooches from her dress, Oedipus blinded himself in anguish,
expunging his deceitful sense of sight,
which had kept him from truly seeing so much.
Oedipus begged for exile,
but was led back into the castle to await word from Apolloâs oracle.
Thus ends Sophoclesâ first play centering Oedipus.
But it wouldnât be his final word on the tragic hero.
Decades later, a roughly 89-year-old Sophocles wrote its sequel,
set in Colonus, his own birthplace.
It finds Oedipus, now aged and exiled,
confronted with accusations of incest and patricide.
Oedipus, having accepted the truth and released himself from its shame,
proclaims his innocence and maintains that he committed these deeds unwittinglyâ
and unwillingly.
Finally, Oedipus knows itâs time to goâ and a divine voice urges him on.
Having said his loving farewells,
Oedipus then transcendsâ peacefully and marvelouslyâ into death.
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