UNIT 2

OED
IPU
S
REX
:
SUM
MA
RY
AND
ANA
LYS
IS
Structure
2
.
0

O
b
j
e
c
i
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s

2.2 Summary and Analysis of Oedipw Sex: Section 1 ; Lines

1 — 337
2.3 Summary and Analysis of Oedipus Rex : Section 2: Lines
338 — 706
2.4 Summary and Analysis of Oedipus Rex: Section 3: Lines
707 — 1007
2.5 Summary and Analysis of Oedipus he : Section 4: Lines
1008 — 13 10
2.6 Summary and Analysis of Oedipus Yes: Section 5; Lines
1311 - 1684
2.7 The Chorus
2.8 Analysis of the Speeches of the Chorus
2.9 Let Us Sum Up
2.10 0 Questions

2.0 OBJECTIVES
Atter we go through the Unit. we will have learni about the
following:
• a beret‘ summary of the play in 5 sections,
• to analyse the play,
• the tragic collapse of Oedipus and its justification, and
• the role of the Chorus in the play

2.1 INTRODUCTION
The play is not a lengthy
play as it comprises
around 1684 lines. We
will give you a brief
summary of the play in
five sections - something
that corresponds to the
current five scenes or
Five Act structure in a
play. Aristotle was the
first to insist on a
division of a play into
Acts and Scenes so that
the plot is orderly
arranged into sequential
parts. But in ancient
Greek theatre, no such
division existed and the
plot fiowed through the
lines in an orderly
structured way. In the
last Unit, we had learnt
how in a Tragedy, events
are sequenced so that
they give shape to the
terrible events that helps
us to unravel the cause of
the ghastly event Let us
begin by summarising
and analysing the plot of
the Oedipus Rex.
2.2 SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS OF
OEDIPUS REX:
SECTION 1: LINES 1 — 337
The play begins with
Oedipus meeting a
procession of priests and
citizens of his kingdom in
Thebes. They request the
King to put an end to the
deadly plague that is
raging in the city. The
head priest tells him.
I

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.
The lines clearly state
that the Greeks looked at
the King as first among
men and not as a God. He
is also the first to suft‘er
the visitation of the Gods.
“ F isiiation” here means a catastrophic event, seen as a
punishment from God.

1
Oedipus is variedly
addressed as the peerless
king’, ‘the ship of the
state’, ‘chief of men’ and
is requested to ‘upraise our
state’ Oedipus tells him
that he had already sent
Creon. his brother-in-law
(his wife’s brother) to the
Delphic Oracle to learn
what he should do to put
an end to the deadly
plague The Delphic
Oracle was the tâmous
Oracle ofHpo/to who
gives cryptic predictions
and guidance to both city-
states (slates consisting of
a sovereign cities) and
individuals. Though its
predictions were noted for
their ambiguity, it was
held by the ancient Greeks
to be of great authority. He
says that he will perform
all that the god declares to
Creon to be performed.
When Creon comes, he
wonders whether he
should speak to Oedipus
in private.
Oe
di
pu
s.
Ho
w
ru
ns
lhe
or
acl
e"
Th
us
far
thy
wo
rd
s
Gi
s'e
me
no
gr
ou
nd
for
co
nfi
de
nc
e
or
fea
r.
Cr
eo
n.
If
Ih
ou
wo
ul
dst
lie
or
my
me
ss
ag
e
pu
bli
cly
,I
'1
1
tel
l
th
ee
str
ai
gh
t,
or
iv
ith
ib
ee
pa
ss
wi
thi
n.
Oe
di
pu
s.
Sp
ea
k
be
for
e
all
,
th
e
bu
rd
en
th
at
I
be
ar
Is
m
or
e
for
ih
es
 e
my
su
bj
ecl
s
th
an
my
sel
f.
Analysis: Oedipw’ sense
of fairness and justice is
ev ident as he refuses to
have any secret meeting
with Creon. He wants the
message from the Orme/e
to be publicly heard.
Creon comes in and tells
him in the presence of all
assembled - as desired by
Oedipus - that his
predecessor, King Main
has been murdered long
ago and “and now the
god’s command is plain: "
P ynish his iakers-off,
whoe 'er they be.”
Oedipus promises his
citizens to find the
murderer and punish him
and restore the city from
the deadly pestilence The
Chow enters with prayers
to Athena, daughter of
Zeus to save the city from
ruin and death
Oedipus decides to solve the
murder of Zaire. He first asks the
citizens:
This proclamation I address
to all:
T
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—
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c
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p
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Be known to any as the
 murderer
Le
t
hi
m
wh
o
kn
ow
s
sp
ea
k
ou
t,
an
d
lie
sh
all
ha
ve
D
ue
re
co
m
pe
ns
e
fro
m
we
He tells them of his
resolve to punish the
murderer but his statement
is laden with irony, as
later he disconers that he
is the murderer.
And on the murderer this
curse I loy
(
O
n

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—

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He gain admi yonce to my
lieorlb, I pray
14 The curse 1 laid on others
fall on me.
 — 706
Analysis: Oedipus is
vehement in his resolve to The prophet at first refuses
punish Laius’ murderer to name the murderer, but
even if that person happens sensing the wrath oF
Oedipus. he speaks the
to be close to him It is
truth:
important to note that at no
point of time does Oedipus Tiresias: Thou art
imagine that he is the the man,
murderer. It is this Thou the accursed
confidence of personal polluter of this loud.
probity that gets shattered
Analysis: Oedipus cannot
at the end .This is the
bet ieve what Tiresias has
tragic irony of the play.
to say and asks him to say
His extreme belief in his
inviolability is to be seen it again.
as his blind spot and this Oedipus
blindness to the possibility . I but
of complicity in the murder tialf
suggests an element of caught
overweening pride that thy
almost justifies his own meanin
blind spot. g, say it
again.
On the advice of the
chorus, Oedipus summons Ti'resia
the blind prophet Tiresias. s: I say
iliou art
the
2.3 SUMMARY murder
AND er of the
man
ANALYSIS Whose
OF murder
OEDIPUS er thou
pursues
REX: l.
SECTION 2: I
LINES 338
s
a u
y n
w
t i
h t
o t
u i
n
g
f
r
e i
e n
s
t t
h
w y
i
t s
h h
a
t m
h e
y .
Analysis: Oedipus refuses
n to believe him and suspects
e Creon’s hand in
a fabricating the falsehood.
r He orders the blind prophet
e to move out, but not before
s the latter hints at
t
incestuous marriage and a
future of blindness and
k infamy.
i
n T
i
I r
n e
s
i
i
n a
f s
o .
m ’
y
, S
a
y
u
t m
h v
o i
u t
t
l i
i n
v g
e
s i
t n

w t
i h
t y
h
s
t h
h a
y m
e
n .
e Hear
a then:
r this
e man
s whom
thou
t
mast
sought
f to
i arrest
n Itifâ
threats
I and
n warrant
s this
long
i
while,
n
the
f wretch
a Who
m murder
y ed
, Laius—
that r
man is n
here. .
He passes for an
alien in the land A
B
n
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d
l

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'
e b
r
i
a
n
g
T s
b
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h
b
i
a
m
n
,
l
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f
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t
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j
o
b
y
o
, s
,
F For purple robes,
o and leaning on Iris
r staff,
To a strange land he
b soon shall grope his
l way.
i Anatycic: This reveals
n Oedipus ' strong resolve to
d arrest and punish the
murderer of King join and
o the irony is that he happens
f to be the murderer. The
blind seer correctly says
s that the murderer will
e initially be regarded as an
e alien and later will be
proved to be a native
i
ZJe6on. Oedipus is in
n
reality the Theban prince
g
who had been born to
,
Zaius and Jocasta and who
returns to Thebes as a
c person from Corinth.
l
a Tire
d sias
:
And
i
of
n
the
chil
b dre
e n.
g inm
g ates
a of
r his
hom
' e,
s He
shal
w l be
e pro
e ved
d the
brot
her Oedipus Rev: Summary
and Analysis
and
the
sire
,
Of her who bare him
son and husband
both.
15
Co-partner, and assassin of
his sire.
Go in and ponder lhis, and if
lhou find
T
h
at
I
h
a
ve
m
is
se
d
fe
e
m
ar
(
h
e
n
ce
fo
rt
h
d
ec
la
re
I
h
a
ve
n
o
w
il
 n
or
sk
ill
in
pr
o
p
h
ec
y.
Analysis: Once again we
cannot miss the dramatic
irony. Tiresias is blind. but
he can see the truth. He is
strong in the sense of
truth. Oedipus has sight,
but he cannot see the truth.
Oedipus taunts Ttresias
saying "thou in ear, ›vit,
eye, in everything art
blind.”
Then Oedipus charges
Creon for conspiring with
the Priest tell a falsehood.
He cannot visualise that
he could be the murderer.
Oedipus.
Question
and prove
me
murderer
if thou
canst.
Creon:
Then let
me ask
ihee, didsi
thou ›ved
my sister?
Oedipus.
A fact so
plain I
cannot
well deny.
Creon.
And as thy
 consort
queen she
shares the
throne?
Oedipus. 1
grant her
freely all
her heart
desires.
Creon.’ And with you nvain I
share the iriple rule?
Oedipus. Yea, and it is ihal
proves thee a false friend.
Analysis: The Question-
answer dialogue affirms
Oedipus is the murderer.
The Chorus warns
Oedipus to respect a man
(Creon j whose probity is
known to all. Oedipus’
charge against Creon and
Tiresias is another
instance of his arrogance

that he, the great Oedipus

can never be at fault This
narcissistic arrogance as a
result of his self - belief in
his own greatness almost
divine like is true to the
saying ’pride goes before
a fall’. Having said that
we would also need to
remember that since
Oedipus has no idea about
his real/ birth/ biological
parents and because he has
been raised in Corinth
from the time he is a new
born baby, he sincerely
believes that he could not
have killed King Laius
who is his real father.
2.4 SUMMARY AND
ANALYSIS OF
OEDIPUS REX:
SECTION 3:
 LINES 707— 1007
Incensed with both Creon
and Tiresias. Oedipus
turns to his wife Jocnsio.
She asks him to ignore
these prophecies in the
light of the Delpliic
Oracle that had earlier
prophesied Lairs’ death at
the hands of their son who
would eventually marry
his mother. But she
believes that prophecy did
not happen as they had
abandoned their baby and
were subsequently
informed that he had died
early. So become argues
that the son could not have
killed his father nor
married his mother. Laius,
according to her was killed
by a band of robbers on a
crossroad. This is how
Jocasla comforts her
present husband,
Jocasta.’ Then
thou mayest
ease thy
conscience on
//iaf score.
Listen end I’ll
cont ince lhee
that no man
H
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.

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To permih by the frond of his
own son,
A child flat should be born to
him by me.
16 No›v Laius—so at leasi
report affirmed—

4
 r
Was mordered on a o
day by highwaymen, a
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a
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 '
b s
e
h
s o
r
l
o
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s
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c
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o
p
b e
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h O
i
s k
i
o n
w g
n ,

s R
o e
n g
. a
S r
u d
c
h i
t
w
a n
s o
r
t .
h
e W
h
p o
m t
p e
h ’
e e
t r

t
h l
e
r
g e
o v
d e
a
d l
e .
e The irony is that, Jocasia is
m not aware that her child
s abandoned and sent away
to be killed lest it should
f commit the heinous crime
i of killing his father and
t marrying his mother, is
none other than Oedipus,
T who was saved and was
o brought up by the King and
Queen of Corinth as their
s son.
e
a 2.5 SUMMARY
r
c
AND
h ANALYSIS
, OF
OEDIPUS
h
i RfN:
m SECTION 4:
s LINES 1008 —
e
l 1310
f
Oedipus had earlier heard
the prophecy when he was
u in Corinth as the son of the
n King and Queen of
a Corinth. Oedipus has no
i clue about his adoption by
d the Corinth King and
e Queen. So he decides to
d run away from Corinth to
avoid committing such a
w heinous crime. Now as
i King of Z/ie6es. while
l
waiting to solve the murder ures"
of mini, he learns that the Listen
King of Corinth Polybus then.
has died of natural causes M
and he feels relieved that y
the prophecy had not come
true. The Messenger from s
Corinth shocks him by i
disclosing the truth that the r
King and Queen of Corinth e
were not his genetic
parents, but only his foster
parents. The messenger w
says that a shepherd had a
rescued the abandoned s
baby of Asia and Jocasia
and given it to him and he P
had handed the baby over o
to the King and the queen l
who were childless. It is at y
this point, Oedipus recalls b
his fight at a crossroad u
when he was running away s
from Corinth with someone
who resembled Main
o
The story unfolds before f
his eyes. Desiring to get to
the bottom of the truth, he C
resolves to track down the o
shepherd who had rescued r
the abandoned baby of i
Loins and doctors and learn n
the truth about his birth. He t
tells Jocasia h
Oedip ,
us.
Who a
has a n
higher d
claim
that
thou M
to y
hear
My m
tale of o
dire i
advent
h e
e l
r l

M m
e e
m ,
p
e
s
,
t
r
a o
n
D g
o e
r
i i
a n
n d
; e
And I was held the
foremost ciIi.-en, e
T d
i ,
l
l Y
e
a t

s s
t c
r a
a r
n c
g e
e
d
t e
h s
i e
n r
g v
i
b n
e g
f
 a 5
l
l

t
h
e

h
e
a
t

i
f

s
t
i
r
r
e
d
.
A misterer at some
banquet. fio ver ›viili
›vine.
Shauied “ Thou art
not true son of thy
sire.”
Analysis: This is how he
believed himself to be the
son of King Polybus and
Queen Merope and ii
explains why he left
Corinth in the first place .. .
till someone discloses that
he was not their true son.
Oedipus Rev: Summary
and Analysis

17
Oedip
us: It
irked
me,
but I
stoma
ched
for the
nonce
The
insult,
on the
morro
wI
sought
out
M
y

m
o
t
h
e
r

a
n
d

m
y

s
i
r
e

a
n
d

q
u
e
s
t
i
o
n
e
d

t
h
e
m
.

T
h
e
y

w
e
r
e

i
n
d
i
g
n
a
n
t

a
i
i
h
e

r
o
n
d
o
m

s
l
u
r
C
a
s
t

o
n

m
y

p
a
r
e
n
t
a
g
e

a
n
d

d
i
d
t
h
e
i
r

b
e
s
t

T
o

c
o
m
f
o
r
t

m
e
,

b
u
l

s
t
i
l
l

t
h
e

v
e
n
o
m
e
d

b
a
r
b
R
a
n
k
l
e
d

f
o
r

s
t
i
l
l

t
h
e

s
c
a
n
d
a
l

s
p
r
e
a
d

a
n
d

g
r
e
w
.

S
o

p
r
i

i
l
[

›
v
i
I
f
i
o
u
i

I
l
l
e
i
r

I
e
‹
z
r
e

I
w
e
n
i
To Delphi, and Apollo sent
me back
B
a
u
l
k
e
d

o
f

t
h
e

l
o
i
o
w
l
e
d
g
e

t
h
a
t

c
a
m
e
t
o

s
e
e
k
.

B
u
t

o
t
h
e
r

g
r
i
e
v
o
u
s

t
h
i
n
g
s

h
e

p
r
o
p
h
e
s
 i
e
d
,
Analysis: This disclosure
bothers him and to find the
truth about his life he goes
to Delf›hi to consult the
Oracle. Though the
Oracle does not giye him
the answer to his question,
he prophesies that
Oedipus will slay his
father and marry his
mother. The Delphic
Oracle had marked
Oedipus twice-in Thebes
and in Corinth as the
future perpetrator of crime
against his parents.
W
o
e
s
,

l
a
m
e
n
t
a
t
i
o
n
s
,

m
o
u
r
n
i
n
g
,

p
o
r
t
e
n
t
s

d
i
r
e
,

T
o

c
v
i
i

s
h
o
u
l
d

d
e
f
y
e

m
y

m
o
t
h
e
r
’
s

b
e
d
A
n
d

r
a
i
s
e

u
p

s
e
e
d

t
o
o

l
o
a
t
h
s
o
m
e

I
o

b
e
h
o
l
d
,

W
h
a
t

C
r
o
d
s

d
e
c
r
e
e
,

n
o

m
a
n

c
a
n

e
s
c
a
p
e
.
A
n
d

s
l
a
y

t
h
e

f
a
t
h
e
r

f
r
o
m

w
h
o
s
e

l
o
i
n
s

s
p
r
a
n
g
.
T
h
e
n
,

l
a
d
y
,

—
i
h
o
u

s
h
a
l
t

h
e
a
r

t
h
e

v
e
r
y

t
r
u
t
h
—
A
s

d
r
e
w

n
e
a
r

l
t
t
e

t
r
i
p
l
e
-
b
r
a
n
c
h
i
n
g

r
o
a
d
s
,
A herald met me and a man
who sat
I
n

c
a
r

d
r
a
w
n

b
y

c
o
f
f
e
e
s

i
n

t
h
y

i
a
l
e
—

T
h
e

m
a
n
i
n

f
r
o
n
t

a
n
d

t
h
e

o
l
d

m
a
n

h
i
m
s
e
l
f
T
h
r
e
a
t
e
n
e
d

t
o

t
h
r
u
s
t

m
e

r
u
d
e
l
y

f
r
o
a
i

t
h
e

p
a
t
h
,

T
h
e
n

j
o
s
t
l
e
d

b
y

t
h
e

c
h
a
r
i
o
t
e
e
r

i
n

w
r
a
t
h
I stmick him, and the old
man, seeing this,
If'atched
till I
passed
i:aid
from his
car
brought
down
Full on
my head
the
double-
pointed
goad.
Y
e
t

w
a
s

q
u
i
t
s

w
i
t
h

h
i
m

a
n
d

a
i
o
r
e
,

o
n
e

s
t
r
o
t
e
O
f

m
y

g
o
o
d

e
r
a
s

s
u
f
l
i
c
e
d

i
o

f
l
i
n
g

h
i
m

c
l
e
a
n

O
u
t

o
f

t
h
e

c
h
a
r
i
o
t

s
e
a
l

a
n
d

l
a
i
d

h
i
m

p
r
o
n
e
.
And so I slew item e›'ery one.
But if
Be
twi
xi
thi
s
str
an
ge
r
the
re
wa
s
au
gh
t
in
co
m
mo
n
Wi
th
La
ius
,
wh
o
mo
re
mi
ser
ab
le
th
an
I,
W
ha
t
mo
rta
l
co
ul
d
yo
u
fin
d
mo
re
go
d-
ab
ho
rre
d?
Wr
eic
h
vT
om
no
soj
ou
rn
er,
rio
cit
i.-
en
May harbor or address,
whom all are bound
T
o

h
a
r
r
y

f
r
o
m

t
h
e
i
r

h
o
m
e
s
.

A
r
i
d

t
h
i
s

s
a
m
e

c
u
r
s
e

W
a
s

l
a
i
d

o
n

w
e
,

a
n
d
l
a
i
d

b
y

n
o
n
e

b
u
t

m
e
.
Y
e
a

w
i
t
l
i

t
h
e
s
e

h
a
n
d
s

a
l
l
g
o
r
y

p
o
l
l
u
t
e

T
h
e

b
e
d

o
f

h
i
m

s
l
e
w
.

S
a
y
,

a
m
1

v
i
l
e
?

A
m

n
o
t

u
t
t
e
r
l
y

u
n
c
l
e
a
n
,

w
r
e
t
c
h
D
o
o
m
e
d

t
o

b
e

b
a
n
i
s
h
e
d
,

a
n
d

i
n

b
a
n
i
s
h
m
e
n
t

F
o
r
g
o

i
h
e
s
i
g
h
t

o
f

a
l
l

m
y

d
e
a
r
e
s
t

o
n
e
s
,

A
n
d

n
e
v
e
r

t
r
e
a
d
a
g
a
i
n

m
y

n
a
t
i
v
e

e
a
r
t
h
,
O
r

e
l
s
e

t
o

w
e
d

m
y

m
o
t
h
e
r

a
n
d

s
l
a
y

m
y

s
i
r
e
,

P
o
l
y
b
u
s
,

w
h
o

b
e
g
a
t

m
e

a
n
d
 u
p
r
e
a
r
e
d
?
18 If one should say. this is the
handiwork

6
O e
f
H
s i
o s
m
e j
u
i d
n g
h m
u e
m n
a t
n
"
p
o B
w y
e l
r ,
,
y
w e
h
o
p
u
c r
o e
u
l
a
d
n
d
b
l
a
a
w
m
f
u d
l a
y
g .
o '
d
s M
, a
y
F
o I
r
b
b
i
e
d
,
b
l
f
o
o
l
r
l
b
e
i
d
d

o
t
u
h
t
a
i
f
r
I
o
m
s
h
l
o
i
u
i
l
d
i
n
s
g
e
e
m
e
t
n
h
a Ere such a plague
t spoi set on me Its
 brand! U
Analycis: Oedipus takes N:
the blame on himself SE
though he knows that he is
a doomed man, on whom C
such a curse had been laid. TI
The curse of the Gods
— call it Fate or Destiny-
O
cannot be circumvented by N
ordinary mortals
5:
Queen Jocasia understands LI
the horror of her marriage
to her son after the murder N
of her husband King lotus. ES
Despite the precaution
taken by her and Laius to
13
outwit the Delphic Oracle, 11
the prophecy had come -
true. On learning the truth.
Queen Jocasta kills
16
herself. Similarly what 84
Oedipus has dreaded in the
context of his foster Rushing into the palace,
parents in Corinth - has Oedipus finds that the
actually come true Oedipus queen has killed herself
thinking that he is the Devastated, Oedipus takes
biological son of the King the pins from her gown and
and Queen of Corinth tries rakes out his eyes, as a
to run away to disprove the punishment for his heinous
Oracle that had predicted crimes. II does not matter
this horrible crime. Destiny to him if the crimes had
triumphs with the Oracle’s been committed in total
script running true as he ignorance; the fact remains
kills his biological father, that he was the murderer
King loin and marries his and therefore responsible
biological mother Queen for bringing the plague on
7ocm/p. He commits these his city
heinous crimes without T
knowing the truth about his h
parentage. i
n
2.6 SUMMARYAND k
ANALYSIS
OF i
w
OEDIPUS i
R t
h
c
w o
h u
a l
t d

e I
y
e s
s e
e
h
e m
r y
e
a
f
f
a
t
t
e
h
r
e
r
i
n
'
s
t
h
f
e
o
c
p e
l ,
a O
c r
e
m
O y
f
p
s o
h o
a r
d
o m
w o
s t
h d
e e
r e
p
’
s f
? o
r
B
o m
t a
h n

o t
f o

w u
h n
o d
m e
r
i s
h t
i a
s n
d
.
h
a On hearing about his wife
n nee mother’s death, he
d behaves like one
possessed. In the words of
H the messenger,
a Bul him, os in the fury of
t lits stride,
h “A sword.' A in word.' And
sht:nv me here,” he cried,
’
w
Tha
m
l
n
wif
g
e e,
d no
wif
e,
t
that
o
fiel
o
d o/
f›fo
ods d
fain wh
ed ere
ear she
th was
Wh ,-
ere and
hus w
ban rim
a
d,
sho
fath
ut
er,
aw
sin ay,
on
As ihough some hand had
sin,
pointed to ihe pFey,
had
He
birt
das
h,
Pol hed
lute him
d on
gen the
era cha
tion m
s.' ber
” doo
Wh r.
ile The
lie
stra
Ihu
ight
s
Doo
Ra
ged r-
on, bar
so of
me oak,
god it
— bent
for
ben
sur
e eath
iwa his
s xv'e
non iglit
e of ,
is— Sho
Sho ok
we
fro
m
its
sock
ets
free,
and
in 7
he
burs
t
To the dark chamber.
There we saw her first
Ha
nge
d,
swi
ngi
ng
fm
ma
noo
se,
like
a
deo
d
bir
d.
He
fell
bac
k
wh
en
he
sa
w
her
.
The
n
we
hea
rd
A miserable groan, and
SlFaight lie foand
Oedipus Rev: Summary
and Analysis

19
A
nd
lo
os
ed
th
e
st
ra
ng
li
ng
lu
io
t,
ar
id
on
th
e
gr
ou
nd
L
ai
d
he
r.
—
A
h,
th
en
th
e
si
gh
t
of
ho
r
m
r
ca
m
e.'
The pin of gold, broad- beaten like
o fiame,
H
e

t
o
r
e

f
m

n
i

o
f
f

h
e
r

b
r
e
a
s
t
,
a
n
d
,

l
e
f
t

a
n
d

r
i
g
h
t
,

D
o
c
v
n

o
n

t
h
e

s
h
u
d
d
e
r
i
n
g

o
r
b
i
t
s

o
f

h
i
s

s
i
g
h
t
D
a
s
h
e
d

i
f
.
'

“
O
w
l
.
'

O
u
t
.
'

Y
e

n
e
v
e
r

m
o
r
e

s
h
a
l
l

s
e
e

M
e

n
o
r

t
h
e

a
n
g
u
i
s
h

n
o
r

t
h
e
s
i
r
s

o
f

m
e
.
Y
e
l
o
o
k
e
d

o
n

l
i
v
e
s
w
h
o
s
e
l
i
k
e
e
a
r
t
h

n
e
v
e
r
b
o
r
e
,
Y
e
l
u
i
e
w

n
o
t
t
h
o
s
e
m
y
s
p
i
r
i
t
t
h
i
r
s
t
e
d

f
o
r
.
Therefore be dork forei'er! ”
His blindness in some way
calms him down as he can
no longer look upon the
misery he has caused. In
self- humiliation and utter
dejection. the disgraced
Oedipus begs Creon to kill
him. The play concludes,
with hls quiet submission
to Creon ’s leadership, and
he humbly awaits the
oracle that will determine
whether he will stay in
Thebes or be cast out
forever The play ends with
the chorus:
Chorus: Ye ciii.-ens
of Thebes, behold: ’tis
Oedipus thai passeth
here, Mo read the
riddle-word of Death,
and mightiest stood of
mortal men, And
Fortune loved him,
and the folk that sorry
him tiumed ond looked

Lo, he is fallen, and

oround great storms
and the outreaclung
sea ' Therefore. O
Man, beware, and look
to› yard the end of
things that be, The
last of sights, the last
of days, and no man’s
life account as gain
Ere the full tale be
finislied and the
darlmess find him
›vithoui pain.
[Oedipus is led into
fee house and the
doors close on him.)
Analysis: Oedipus is
descrihed as the mightiest

among men, favoured by

Fortune and he is now
Fallen.
2.7 THE CHORUS
In modern plays. the
Chorus is rarely one of the
dramatic personal. But in
a classical tragedy, the
Chorus is an integral part
of the play Both the
Chorus and the three
Unities (which will be
discussed in the next Unit
(Unit 3) require each other
to perform their respective
functions. The ancient
view of the Chores is
stated by Horace, the
Latin poet (65 BC - 8 BC)
in his Are of Poetry, Ars
Poetica:
The Chorus musi back the
good and gii'e sage
counsel: must control the
passionate and cherish
those that fear to do e vil,’
it must praise the thrify
meal, ihe blessings of
Justice, the Larrys and
Peace ›•'ith her unbarred
gates. It 1will respect
confidences and implore
heaven that prosperity
may revisit the miserable
and quit the proud.
Horace on the Ari of Poetry, ed. by
E‹:hvard Henry Blakene y, 1928
The basic functions of the
Chorus ,. as laid out by
Horace gives the Chorus
the role of an objective
viewer of the events that
unfold before their eyes.
The Chorus is the
upholder of virtue,
morality and wisdom and
underlines the moral of the
play that implores
prosperity to the
unfortunate victims and
woe to the proud and the
haughty. In other words.
the Chorus speaks the
 voice of the audience,
expressing its fears,
anxieties, premonitions
and wisdom— They
arrive early on in the play
and they remain till the
end. In Oedipus Nez it will
be
20 noticed that they seem to know in
advance the coming of disaster before Oedipus

8
knows it They conclude
with the message of the
play about the appalling
reversal of fortune that
shows the power of the
Gods over men.
The summary of Oedipus
finn as given above in 5
sections, does not include
the speeches of the Chorus
We will highlight those
speeches and see how the
Chorus becomes an
integral part of‘ the story as
stated by Horace.
2.8 ANALYSIS
OF THE
SPEECHES
OF THE
CHORUS
The Cborw makes its first
entry in Section 1 with
special prayers to the Gods
to rid Thebes of the raging
plague. Their prayers are
answered by Oedipus who
enters announcing thai he
will answer their prayers
The Chorw informs the
audience that Pfioebui
Hpo//o, the god of the sun
will give the answer, but
Oedipus taLes upon
himself the role of a god —
a role the Chorus has been
reluctant to allow him.
Oedipus is proudly
conscious of his
competence to find the
murderer of Laius. He says:
“to living tion con hope to
force the gods to speak
against their will’ and
therefore he will speak.
Here he comes close to
dismissing the gods and
giving himself the right to
answer the chorus dthough
this does not amount to
blasphemy. His dialogue
with the Chorus enables us
to see early in the play
Oedipus’s dangerous pride
in his inviolable character,
almost displaying a willful
blindness to any blemish in
his character and this to a
certain extent justifies his
downfall. The Chorus is
almost a crystal gazer who
believes in divine sources
for seeing the future.
In Section 2 the Chorus
tries to calm Oedipus down
who in his arrogance
charges both Creon and
Tiresias of conspiring to
overthrow him. It asks him
not to be stubborn and
unrelenting but
” . respect a man whose
probity and trylh are all, like gold
known to all and ncnv assayed?
confirmed by oath.” Hmv can I no›v
assent when a crime
The Chorus thus gives the is on Oedipus laid?
King sage counsel. The Analysis.- The Chonis like
Chorus afier hearing all other men cannot think
Tiresias oY Oedipiu as the
is perplexed about murderer. When there is no
believing and not believing proof, it is not possible to
his words challenge the King’s good
The Chorus. Sore name, in which case it
perplexed am I by would also be difficult to
the words of the bet ieve the bl ind seer*
master seer. Are they The Chorus is terrified.
true, are they false? helpless, confused and full
I iuiow not and of anxiety and uncertainty.
bridle my tongue for After Oedipus and docx/a
fear, Fluttered x yith leave the stage, the Chores
vague surmise,- nor enters, announcing that
present nor future is the world is ruled by
clear. destiny and denouncing
Pmof is there none. arrogant men who defy
how then can 1 the gods.
challenge our King’s
good naive, Hmv in
a blood-fe nd join for
ari unlracked deed
of shame?
All wise are 2eus
and Apollo, and
nothing is hid from
their ken,’ They are 9
gods: arid in wits a
man may surpass his
fellow men,’ 8ur /ña/
a mortal seer knows
more than I know—
where
Hath this been proc
en? Or fo›v xvithout
sign assured, ca n I
blame
Him who saved
our State ›vhen
the winged
songstress came,
Tested and iried
in the light of us
Oedipus Rev: Summary
and Analysis

2l
Throughout the play, the
Chores is miserable, and
desperate for the plague
to end and for stability to
be restored to the city.
Nevertheless, the Chorus
holds staunchly to the
belief that the prophecies
of Tiresias wlll come true.
For if they do not, there
is no order on earth or in
the heavens. The Chorus
is the voice of the Greek
faith in decrees made by
God The only way to
restore order both in
heaven and on earth is
not to override the
decree of the divine
powers.
The Chorus makes its
appearance again in the
Sinai section. The Chorus
laments that even
Oedipus, the greatest of
men, has been brought
low by destiny, for an
unknowing crime
committed out of good
intentions
Oedipus’ crimes are
presented as a kind of bl
ight on the land, a plague
symbolised by the plague
with which the play
begins-that infects the
earth on which Oedipus.
his family, and his
citizens stand, and in
which all have been
victimised as a result of
Oedipus’s violent acts.
The Chorus sums up the
fate of man in its
speeches in the last
section.
T
h
e

C
h
o
r
u
s
.

O
f

i
n
s
o
l
e
n
c
e

I
s

b
r
e
d

T
h
e

l
y
r
o
n
t
,

i
n
s
o
l
e
n
c
e

f
u
l
l

b
l
o
w
n
,

W
i
t
h

e
m
p
y

r
i
c
h
e
s

s
u
r
f
e
i
t
e
d
,
Sc
ale
s
th
e
pr
eci
pit
ou
s
hei
gh
t
an
d
gr
as
ps
ihe
th
ro
ne.
Th
en
to
pp
les
o
'er
an
d
lie
s
in
 rui
n
Oedipus: Curse on the man
who rook
ihe cmei
bonds
fiorn
oj( rna
legs, as I
lay in
the field.
He stole
me from
death
and
sared
me,
rio kiridl y sern'ice.
Had I died then
1 mould not be so burdensome to
friends.
Anntysis: The Chorus
charges Oedipus with
tyranny born of
insolence Oedipw ' ascent
to the throne and his
conscious awareness of
his kingiy qualities of
probity fairness and
justice make him assume
aimost tyrannical against
sinners- a power that
backfires on Him and
topples him to fall down
to ignominy and
dishonor
Chorus. 1, too, could have wished
it had been so.
Analycis: The Chorus
echoes Oedipus ’ lament
that it was his
misfortune to have been
spared death in infancy
and for him to grow into
adulthood and to commit
this horrendous crime
that his birth parents had
been trying to avoid.
Oedipus: Then 1 would not
hat e come
to
Bil
l
or
y
fat
he
r
an
d
m
ar
ry
my
mo
th
er
inf
a
mo
usl
y.
No
wI
a
m
go
dd
ess
an
d
chi
ld
of
im
pu
rit
y,
begeiter in
ilie same
seed that
created
my
›rretched
self. If
there is
any ill w
orse than
ill,
tttai is the lot of Oedipus.
C
h
o
r
u
s
:
1

c
a
n
n
o
t
s
a
y

y
o
u
r
r
e
m
e
d
y

w
a
s
g
o
o
d
,’
y
o
u
 x
w
o
u
l
d

b
e

b
e
t
t
e
r
d
e
a
d

t
h
a
n

b
l
i
n
d

a
n
d

l
i
v
i
n
g
AnnIfs is: The chorus seems to
speak on behalf of the audience
thai Oedipus
22 dead is preferable to blind and
living Oedipus.

10
 Chorus. Ancestral imponderable questlons
Thebes, behold this regarding man’s
Oedipus, relatlonship with Gods.
Him who Imeiv the The Greek view of life
famous riddles and rests on the might of the
was a man most gods over men. Underlying
masterful,- not a the malevolence and
citi.-en who did not vengefulness oflGods, the
look with envy on his play reveals the strength
lot— and dignity of man in his
see him nmv and see confrontation with forces
the breakers of
misfortune ssvallmv that he can neither match
him.' nor win over. The play
loot upon iliat last leaves us with dark
day always. Coun I questions about gods’
no mortal happy treatment of men that
it11 he has passed includes a brave, just and
the final limti of his wise Oedipus who falls
life secure from pain. because of his bel ieF in
Analysis: This is the final his faultless and
message that no man can immaculate chamcter.
count himself happy if he The questions that arise in
fails to be secure from pain the viewer are mixed and
at the end of his like. confused - Is Oedipus at
The last message of the fault for which he was
Chores shows how men are punished or was he
cast down from a position destined to be destroyed as
of glory to that of infamy, foretold by the Delphic
not entirely due to their Orocfe? Sophocles’ own
folly, but through a idea about the fall of
combination of a tlaw in Oedipus is rooted in the
their character/ hamartta as Greek view of life
the Greeks would call it Sophocles does not
and the whimsical power attribute Oedipus fall to an
of ihe Gods. The play inherited curse or doom —
raises difficult and what we identify as fate or
destiny - but in two
passages given to Oedipus,
we find that he believed I
that he was in some way
the architect of his own
doom When he discovers b
the double crime that he o
has committed, one of r
parricide and the other of n
incest, he owns it saying
I
S
n
t
a
n s
d h
a
m
(
e
s
)
I

n
a w
k e
e d
d d
e
d
n
,
o
w
: i
n

S
h s
a h
m a
e m
f e
u
l 1
l
y s
l
w e
a w
s
He does not blame his
biological parents Laius just demeanour. In fact the
and Jocasta for abandoning Chorus expresses its
him as a baby lest he anxiety that Oedipus
should commit the two displays signs of tyrannical
heinous crimes. on the traits and says: Insolence.
contrary had he not been it is lhal breeds a tyrant.
born, there would have
been no possibility of any
criminal action. Oedipus
blames himself for being
born to a polluted family.
an accursed race. The
second causative factor for
his fall - which is more a
plausibility than a reality -
is his own arrogance that
he, King Oedipus can do
no wrong His assertion
before his citizens that he
will punish the killer of his
without mercy is proof of
his belief in his blemish
free character. This cannot
be misconstrued as
bombast and vanity. but it
highlights the fact that no
one born in this world can
claim to be spotlessly
clean. But to say that
Oedipus was punished for
wanton pride cannot be
justified. The closest that
we come to attributing
pride to Oedipus is his
cavalier attitude towards
Creon and Tiresias,
charging them with
conspiracy to overthrow
him. Refusing to accept
Tiresias’ charge that he
(Oedipus ) was the culprit
and imputing motives to
Creon and Tiresias for
making him such an
allegation reveal a mean
streak in Oedipus , very
unlike his regal, noble and
Oedipus Rev: Summary
and Analysis

23

11
But Sophocles does not
show Oedipus guilty of
tyranny as he makes him
pray that his children
should be blessed with a
quiet middle state unlike
his life that swings from
Iwo extremes of great
prosperity and abject
downfall. H is killing his
father cannot be construed
as naked aggression as it
was Joins who showed
aggression in the first
instance leading to
Oedipw’ retaliation of a
fatal order. His mistakes
are not even errors of
judgement as he does not
even know who Asia is.
Yet it is this crime that
leads to the breaL ing of
the deadly plague. to his
discovery of his own
crimes, his ñnd bl inding
and his exile from Thebes
But the fact still remains
that this had been
prophesied well in
advance and Oedipw is a
doomed man. He is the
victim of the gods. The
role of the gods is central
to understanding Oedipus.
We studied Homer’s blind
where the gods play a
central role in determining
the affairs of men. This is
the Greek view of life
where men are v ictims of
the gods. He cannot escape
from doing that which he
had been destined to do.
Abandoned as a baby in
Thebes and his later
attempt to flee from his
foster home in Corinth to
avoid committing the
prophesied crimes, cannot
prevent what he has been
fated to do. Man’s
endeavours to overcome
god’s decree are futile.
Gods’ decisions are final
and they cannot be
circumvented. C M Bowrg
comments:

“ The plague is an act of ihe gods;

an auction o/ their rights and
of ltteir inviolab Ie laws. ”
C. M. Box era, The Sophoclean Tragedy
p.171

Yet another belief of the

ancient Greeks was that
sins like parricide and
incest even when
committed in ignorance
have to be punished and
the wrong doer has to
alone for his crimes.
Oedipus blinding and
exiling himself fom his
kingdom is an act of
atonement. The doom that
falls on Oedipus is
incredulously harsh. But it
has to be that way because
Oedipus himself had
vowed to give the most
appalling punishment to
the murderer of Lairs and
that kingly vow had to be
fulfilled. So the curse that
has fallen on him has to be
of a degree that is far in
excess of the crimes he has
committed in ignorance.
Such a doom is not that of
the Oroc/e, but it is the
proclamation of Oedipus
himself. On realising that
he himself might be the
murderer, he says that he
has to be more miserable
than anyone else as he has
invoked the curse on
himself and this he takes
up on himself “/or fire
dead man 's cause’ end for
the God’. Th is is how
god’s will is done; this is
how the decree through the
Oracle comes true. This
is the tragedy of Oedipus -
the fall of a great King,
self
- exiled from his own
kingdom, blinded and
helpless and wandering
around like a beggar.

“ The play shows the

power of the gods at ei cry
important turn in its
development and leaves
no doubt about the poet 's
(Sophocles’) theological
inlenliott. ”
C M Bowro. The Sophoclean
Tragedy p.171

This is the lesson to take

from the play - the power
of the gods is final and the
Charts’ last speech (see
above) says it all-no one
can be said to be happy
unless he has no sorrow
till the end of his life.
Once when one is in
prosperity. one should
rema in modest as at any
moment, the gods may
take away his happiness
and destroy his life. Till
the end, Oedipus remains
a great king, a great man.
“In his acceptance of his
fall, his readiness to rake
part in it, Oedipus shows
a greatness. nobler lban
when he became the king
of Thebes.”
24C M Bow ra. Ttie
Sophoclean Tragedy p.171

12
 1.
2.9 LET US SUM
UP
In this unit we have
summarised the play into 2.
five sections and also
analysed the play to an 3.
extent. Having gone
through the play we have
seen the rise, the heights
that Oedipus rose to and
his subsequent fall. We
saw how the Gods can 4.
snatch away what they’ve
given in the wink of an
eye and we saw Oedipus 5.
reduced to an extremely
troubled, almost
deranged, blind beggarly
state from being King of
Thebes. We also learnt a
little bit about hamartia/
tragic flaw and finally we
examined the role, the
purpose and significance
of the Chorus in Classical
Greek Tragedies. In the
next unit we will taLe up
for discussion Aristotle’s
three unities Unity of
Time, tlniy of Place and
Unity ofAction.
2.10 QUESTIO
NS
How does Sophocles
use the timing of
Creon ’s entrance
into the dialogue to
create tension for the
audience?
What according to
the Chorus is the
condition in the city?
What prompts the
people oF Thebes
and the priest to
come to the palace at
the beginning of the
play?
Why does Oedipus
accuse Creon of a
conspiracy*
‘Oedipus Rex is the
story of a noble man
who seeks the tnith
that ultimately
destroys him.’
Comment.
Oedipus Rev: Summary
and Analysis

25