Classics 45C
Oedipus the King
-Oedupus had once saved the city before by lifting a curse that was put there by the Sphinx
-Creon is Oedipus’s brother-in-law
-Sends Creon to seek the advice of Apollo because a curse is incurred in the land of Thebes
-Curse will be lifted if the murderer of Laius (oedipus’s dad/ former king) is found and prosecuted. Laius was murdered many years ago at a crossroads.
-The reason why there hadn’t been further investigation about the murder when it first happened is because the Sphinx had warned against inquiring about the murder.
-While questioning citizens, Teiresias, the blind prophet, tells Oedipus that Oedipus himself killed Laius- but his wife, Jocasta tells him not to believe in the prophets, because she and king Laius had a prophesy saying that they were going to have a child who was going to kill Laius and sleep with Jocasta, but they had the child killed.
APRIL 2, 2014
Curse incurred upon Laius for having abducted Pelops’ son…Oedipus inherits the curse
Oedipus means “swollen-footed”
Prophecy causes Lauis and Jocasta, his wife, to expose new-born Oedipus
Theban shepherd charged with exposing Oedipus, gives him to Corinthian shepherd
Corinthian shepherd gives baby to king Polybus and queen Merope
Oedipus finds out about the prophecy and runs away from home and meets his father and kill him.
He solves the riddle of the Sphinx and marries Jocasta and becomes king.
Four children: Antigone and Ismene, Etecles and Polynices
Tiresias figures out truth and tells Jocasta and Oedipus and Oedipus self-inflicts blindness and exile
MAIN THEMES
Pollution (physical, moral)
Dramatic Irony
Oedipus as Ruler
Riddle-solving vs. Oracle-understanding
Physicalvs. Mental Sight
Jocasta and Oedipus: Two ways of dealing with the past
Corinthian Messenger vs. Theban Shepherd: The mystery unravels
Yoked Feet and Cithaeron: decisive clues
Oedipus: What’s in a name?
Suicide vs. Self-Blinding
Free Will vs. Determinism
Oedipus the King and Human Fragility
NOTES:
-Oedupus had once saved the city before by lifting a curse that was put there by the Sphinx
-Creon is Oedipus’s brother-in-law
-Sends Creon to seek the advice of Apollo because a curse is incurred in the land of Thebes
-Curse will be lifted if the murderer of Laius (oedipus’s dad/ former king) is found and prosecuted. Laius was murdered many years ago at a crossroads.
-The reason why there hadn’t been further investigation about the murder when it first happened is because the Sphinx had warned against inquiring about the murder.
-While questioning citizens, Teiresias, the blind prophet, tells Oedipus that Oedipus himself killed Laius- but his wife, Jocasta tells him not to believe in the prophets, because she and king Laius had a prophesy saying that they were going to have a child who was going to kill Laius and sleep with Jocasta, but they had the child killed.
APRIL 2, 2014
Curse incurred upon Laius for having abducted Pelops’ son…Oedipus inherits the curse
Oedipus means “swollen-footed”
Prophecy causes Lauis and Jocasta, his wife, to expose new-born Oedipus
Theban shepherd charged with exposing Oedipus, gives him to Corinthian shepherd
Corinthian shepherd gives baby to king Polybus and queen Merope
Oedipus finds out about the prophecy and runs away from home and meets his father and kill him.
He solves the riddle of the Sphinx and marries Jocasta and becomes king.
Four children: Antigone and Ismene, Etecles and Polynices
Tiresias figures out truth and tells Jocasta and Oedipus and Oedipus self-inflicts blindness and exile
MAIN THEMES
Pollution (physical, moral)
Dramatic Irony
Oedipus as Ruler
Riddle-solving vs. Oracle-understanding
Physicalvs. Mental Sight
Jocasta and Oedipus: Two ways of dealing with the past
Corinthian Messenger vs. Theban Shepherd: The mystery unravels
Yoked Feet and Cithaeron: decisive clues
Oedipus: What’s in a name?
Suicide vs. Self-Blinding
Free Will vs. Determinism
Oedipus the King and Human Fragility
NOTES: