What really happened to Oedipus? - Stephen Esposito

Summary

The 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

• 👶 Oedipus was abandoned as a baby due to a prophecy that he would kill his father, King Laius, and marry his mother, Queen Jocasta.
• 🛑 Despite attempts to avoid his fate, Oedipus unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy by killing his father at a crossroads and later marrying his mother.
• 🔮 Oedipus sought counsel from Apollo's oracle, which revealed his tragic destiny, causing him to flee Corinth and inadvertently head towards Thebes.
• 🦁 Oedipus defeated the Sphinx, a monster ravaging Thebes, by solving its riddle, leading to his marriage with Jocasta and unknowingly completing the prophecy.
• 🏛 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.
• 👁️ 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.
• 😡 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.
• 🏙️ Oedipus was exiled from Thebes and sought guidance from Apollo's oracle once more, marking the end of Sophocles' first play about him.
• 👴 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.
• ✅ Oedipus, having come to terms with his past, was guided by a divine voice to transcend into death peacefully, concluding his tragic story.
• 🎭 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.