Oedipus Part 1 Notes

Day 1:
- O. asks why ppl. Approach
~ Sees death/illness in city
~ comes in person for reports
~ offers aid
- Priest reports
~ ppl. pray for aid from Gods
o claims city is dying
o crops, cattle, still births
o massive plague
~ asks O. as “best of men”
~ notes prior favor from Gods w/Sphinx
~ begs
- O. reaction
~ he's most ill due to responsibility
~ Creon (bro-in-law) was sent to Oracle of Apollo
~ advice must be followed
- Creon informs O. & crowd
~ Of Apollo: must rid country of someone who poisons it
Ø Banishment or execution to repay murder of KL
~ Of King Laius: killed while traveling to oracle
Ø 1 guard escaped & told of robbers
~ ppl. had to focus on Sphinx
- O’s plan
~ he will discover truth
~ action (he thinks) will benefit him & Laius (dr. irony)
~ calls for ppl.
- Chorus (stand for ppl of Thebes)
~ prayer & praise to Zeus, Apollo, Athena, Artemis, Dionysus
~ thanks for news
~ questions atonement
~ explains problem
~ pray for aid


Day 2:

- O. addresses crowd
~ if ppl accept plan – cure will come
Ø claims no connection (DI)
~ orders any w/knowledge speak
Ø murderer will only be exiled
Ø offer of $ & gratitude for help
Ø curse on any who knowingly harbor (incl. himself)
Ø speaks of his ties to Laius (DI)

- Ch. notes Tiresias (T) – a blind prophet as good source (done)
~ restated rumors of robbers

- O asks T to tell all he knows
~ T won’t – too dreadful
Ø O threatens & accuses him as murderer
~ T blames O of murder & life of sin
Ø O is amazed & thinks C is in on it
Ø points 2 inaction w/Sphinx

- Ch. warns to avoid anger and discover the truth

Day 3:

- T speaks
~claims O is blind
~foretells O’s doom when truth comes out
'O sends him away
~references his parent’s trust
~final attempt @ his message

- Chorus
~confused by claims
~resist blaming O. until proof est.

- Cr arrives to meet charges (Ch. blames anger)
~O accuses him as traitor – b/c T hadn’t come forward earlier
~Cr points to his power w/o problems to show no need to overthrow
'offers life if lying
'suggests time will reveal truth

Day 4:

- Ch warns of impulsiveness
~O won’t listen and charges death for Cr

- Jocasta (O’s wife) comes to break fight
~men continue, but Cr swears truth
~O gives into wants of Ch

- O explains his view reg. T
~J explains fallibility of prophets
~sites Laius’ fate – not killed by son, but by robbers where 3 roads meet
~she sent son to die from exposure
- advises to truth Gods, not men
- O’s memory sparked by location
~timing upsets him (just b4 he arrived)
~J describes 5-man guard & O gets worse
~1 survivor begged to be assigned out of city as shepherd & was

Day 5:
- O wants witness called – J wants explanation

- O was prince of Corinth (diff. city)
~drunk claimed he wasn’t true son
~O asked Apollo @ Delphi
'was told he’d kill father & wed mother
~ran from home
~while on road fought rude man (killed him & his men)
'now believes he is the poison
'still doesn’t get full extent (can’t return to Corinth)

- Ch takes comfort in witness
~chance he’s wrong due to claim of robbers

- J fights prophesy in O not being son

- Ch questions the situation and power of Gods in face of broken prophesy


- J comes w/offerings 4 Apollo to clear O

- Corinthian Messenger reports death of Polybus
~J sees hope for O