OEDIPUS REX SCRIBE NOTES
PLOT SUMMARY:
The play begins outside of the palace of Oedipus at Thebes where a Priest converses with
Oedipus asking him to free Thebes of the cursed plague. Creon returns from Apollo’s
temple, he explains that in order to lift the curse, the murderer of the preceding king,
Laius. Oedipus sends for a prophet, Teiresias. After much argument, threatening and
accusation, Teiresias succumbs to Oedipus’ pressure and openly denounces Oedipus as the
murderer. Oedipus clearly becomes outraged at such an ‘accusation’ and displaces his
anger unto Creon–shifting the blame of killing King Laius on him. Jocasta insists that
the matter be taken care of out of the public’s eye, and they go inside the palace.
There, Oedipus and Jocasta proceed to discuss the matter’s details and this is when
Oedipus is in full-blown denial; affixiating to one detail to derail any allegation made
unto himself. After talking with a messenger, Oedipus was frustrated even more. Jocasta
and Oedipus decide if anyone would know the truth, it would be the herdsman—whose story
also coincides with Teiresias’. At this point, Oedipus feels the whole wrath of the
situation and flees the scene. The second messenger announces that Jocasta has killed
herself (hangs herself by a rope). Oedipus then goes on to gouge his eyes out from
Jocasta’s gold chased brass. Oedipus talks with Creon, and he is exiled upon his own
wish.
CHARACTER STUDY:
Oedipus
Oedipus is the protagonist of Oedipus Rex and is also the King of Thebes, in which
Oedipus Rex takes place. Oedipus gets his name “swollen foot”, from the fact that he was
left in the mountains with his ankles pinned together. Oedipus' injury symbolizes the way
in which fate has marked him and set him apart. It also symbolizes the way his movements
have been confined and constrained since birth, by Apollo's prophecy to Laius. Oedipus is
considered rash, ignorant and confident. Through his actions in the play, it is apparent
that all three of these claims are true. He is also considered Sophocles’ tragic hero, or
a character who has the potential for greatness, but is doomed to fail. As part of
nobility all of his life, Oedipus had great potential to be Thebes’ greatest leader, but
his fate rejected this notion. Oedipus’ hamartia, or tragic flaw, was his ignorance. When
Oedipus blinds himself, he becomes aware of many things that were once dark to him. If
viewed from a Freudian perspective, Oedipus wholly represents the id.
Jocasta
Mother and wife to Oedipus. When given the prophecy early in motherhood, she sends her
son, Oedipus, away in hopes of evading the predestined ruination. She too possesses an
ignorant trait, in that she doesn’t want to believe Oedipus to be her soon almost as much
as Oedipus. When Jocasta realizes the harsh actuality, she is not able to cope and hangs
herself.
Teiresias
The prophet sent for by Oedipus to reveal King Laius’ murderer. Teiresias is blind, but
is very knowledgeable. Oedipus, on the other hand is able to see, but not able to
comprehend the knowledge around him, making him ignorant. Teiresias is the one, who first
accuses Oedipus of the murder. He is almost destroyed when he does this. Teiresias is
thought to be the personification of truth. If viewed from the perspective of Frued,
Teiresias is the superego.
Creon
Brother-in-law and uncle to Oedipus (weird!). Creon represents reason, or the ego. Even
after being vilely accused by Oedipus, Creon keeps composure. At the end of the play, he
forgives Oedipus for his poor behavior towards him, and promises to take care of his
children. Also, he stands as the most competent leader that Thebes might need.
Herdsman
The herdsman presents the turning point for Oedipus. It is in discussion with the
herdsman that Oedipus realizes that his prophecy has already been fulfilled.
LITERARY TERMS:
Peripeteia
 This is the reversal or turning point of circumstances
 It is when Oedipus realizes that he did kill his father and marry his mother.
Hubris
 This is a tragic flaw within a main character, which usually leads to his
demise.
 This is Oedipus’ ability to solve riddles or, his intelligence. His
intelligence condemned him to fail.
Catharsis
 This is the “epiphany” of the character, or when they have some sort of
spiritual release or purification.
 It could be said that this was when Oedipus realizes that he is his father’s
murderer. It was a release, but at the same time, could be argued not.
Catastrophe
 This is a change of fortune in a simple sort of plot.
 It leads to the scene of suffering.
 When Oedipus’ fortune goes from bad to worse, in the most general sense.
Irony
 There were a lot of different examples of Irony in the Text
 Oedipus did not know that he was Laius’ murderer, but the reader knew.
 Oedipus said that Teiresias was blind and could not see, but in actuality, he
was the only one in the story who actually knew the truth.
Climax
 This is the event that is caused by preceding events and the one that causes
the following events.
 This is when Oedipus is told by the messenger, that he is the son of Laius.
Oedipus Complex
 The Oedipus Complex is a concept coined by Freud and refers to when the son
has a sexual attraction to the mother and has a desire to kill the father.
 Freud says that Oedipus unconsciously wanted to marry his mother. He also
unconsciously wanted to kill his father.
Scene of Suffering
 This is the scene in which the protagonist inflicts great pain on themselves
and is a crucial part of a tragedy.
 Oedipus gouged his eyes out in order to punish himself.
Id, Ego, Superego
 This is another Freudian concept if the unconscious, conscious and moral
desires of the people.
 Oedipus had a conflict between his Superego, the moralistic aspect, and his
id, the desire to marry his mother and such. His Superego was what governed
him when he gouged his eyes out.
Deus ex Machina
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This is the introduction of a god figure to end the play.
No Dues Ex Machina was introduced, thus it was completely Oedipus’ choice
what punishment to inflict upon himself.
Hamartia
 This is
that is
 Oedipus
was and
like the hubris of the main character. It is some sort of weakness
exploited to bring the character to their downfall.
was very intelligent, thus he solved the riddle of who Laius’ killer
it brought him to his demise.
AUTHOR’S STYLE:
Sophocles’ style successfully portrays the story of Oedipus and seamlessly describes the
themes of the play. Pity and fear, for example, are hugely important themes throughout
Oedipus Rex and Sophocles’ style arouses both pity and fear in anyone who reads or
watches the play. Sophocles incorporates a vast amount of literary irony that keeps
readers and audiences captivated. The story is told from the point of view of Oedipus,
the obvious tragic hero of the story, and this makes the play extremely influential.
Oedipus goes along through the story blind to what is in front of him, and readers are
instantly drawn in to his character flaws and feel for Oedipus as he seeks for knowledge
about the past. Even the plot structure involves irony when the messenger is the same
man who saved Oedipus when he was a baby. Sophocles develops the character of Oedipus
creating meaning for both the original story and his adaptation of the story.
THEMES/MOTIFS/QUOTES:
Verisimilitude
A suspension of disbelief. It has the appearance of truth or realism. In a fictional
work, a writer creates unreal characters and situations and asks the reader to pretend
that they are real. To help the reader in this task, the writer tells his tale in such a
way that he makes it seem credible-that is he gives it “verisimilitude.” Verisimilitude
is derived from the Latin words /veritas (truth) /and /similes (similar)./
Verisimilitude refers to the quality of appearing true or similar to the truth. Jocasta
and Oedipus are husband and wife; they obviously have sex with each other. The reader is
asked to believe that Jocasta was unaware of Oedipus’s deformed ankles and feet. If two
people are intimate with each other they know all physical aspects. The reader or
audience is asked to believe that Oedipus is able to solve the riddle, which is unlocked
by his feet. Yet, the same man is unable to solve the murder of Laius, which is also
unlocked by his feet.
Juxtaposition
To place two or more things together, especially in order to suggest a link between them
or emphasize the contrast between them. In the play of Oedipus the ideas innocence and
guilt can never be juxtaposed; Oedipus was punished. The idea of “healing and harm” is
prevalent through the play. The city is diseased and Oedipus tries to seek Laius in
order to heal the city. This search inflicts much pain on the psyche of Oedipus. “Blind
and sight” also has a part within the play. Oedipus is famed for his clear-sightedness
and quick comprehension, but he discovers that for many years he has been blind to the
truth. Oedipus goes as far as blinding himself to not have to look at his own children
and siblings. Teiresias is blind, yet he can see further than anyone else. The idea of
light or sight is representative of knowledge.
Paradox
There is “paradox” (two things that could not possibly be true, but are) between Oedipus
and the “blind seer” Teiresias. Oedipus points out that Teiresias is blind yet he fails
to see the circumstances going on around him. Throughout the play the only one who can
clearly “see” is Teiresias.
Irony
In class five different types of irony were discussed: verbal, situational, tragic,
dramatic and cosmic. In verbal irony the character says one thing, but means another.
In this case the speaker is aware of the irony. Teiresias attempts to tell Oedipus that
he is blind even though he can indeed physically see, while Teiresias is blind.
Situational irony refers to an event that occurs which directly contradicts the
expectations and norms of the characters, reader, or audience. Tragic irony is any
circumstance in which dramatic irony is rampant and leads up to a final and tragic event
or realization. For example, Oedipus becomes the king by unknowingly murdering his
father and marrying his mother. So when Oedipus vows to comprehend and punish the man
who murdered the former king, only the audience knows that his is vowing to punish
himself. Dramatic irony is what happens when the audience or reader is aware of critical
information that the characters are unaware of. In the case of Oedipus Rex, the audience
realizes that Oedipus’ father is Laius and his mother is Jocasta. Cosmic irony is a
sharp incongruity between expectation of outcome and what actually happens. Jocasta and
Oedipus do not expect to be at the heart of their plagues.
Sight vs. Blindness
One motif that occurs in the beginning of the play and then at the end is the
juxtaposition of sight and blindness. On a physical level, Teiresias represents the
darkness and Oedipus represents the light. Metaphorically, though, the roles are
reversed. It is Teiresias who has more in sight than Oedipus.
Ignorance vs. Truth
Ignorance versus the truth appears in Oedipus' refusal of Teiresias' words. Oedipus was
presented with the truth. He chose, though, to remain ignorant and persistent to
disproving it.
Free will vs. Pre-destination
Although the Greeks did not dispute pre-destination until the age of the Stoics,
Sophocles presents the issue in Oedipus Rex. Oedipus lives with an illusion of free will.
He believes that he escaped the murderous and incestuous prophecy by leaving Corinth.
Rather, Oedipus only enters it as he meets Laius at a crossroads. After a brawl, Laius
lies dead and Oedipus moves on to conquer the Sphinx of Thebes. The killer marries
Jocasta and has several children with her. Thus, Oedipus never has free will and is only
another victim of pre-destination of the fickle gods.
Mortal vs. Immortal
Sophocles uses Oedipus Rex as a testament to cosmic order. The theme of the mortal versus
the immortal coincides with the theme of free will versus fate. Free will represents the
mortal; Oedipus "circumventing" his fate only turned out to be his pre-destined life
journey. Pre-destination represents the immortal; Apollo takes revenge on the mistakes of
Laius and Jocasta through the life of Oedipus.
“He tore the brooches—the gold chased brooches fastening her robe—away from her and
lifting them up high dashed them on his own eyeballs, shrieking out…and the bleeding
eyeballs gushed and stained his beard—no sluggish oozing drops but a black rain and
bloody hail poured down” ( Sophocles 60).
– This quote signifies the pain and shame Oedipus felt when he discovered his
mother and wife, Jocasta, had killed herself due to his stubbornness. The quote also
allows the reader to appreciate Oedipus as a selfless, tragic hero.
“On Cithaeron’s slopes in the twisting thickets you were found” (Sophocles 50).
- Oedipus realizes that Laius ordered for him to be taken into the mountains as a
baby, fearing his son would kill him, as said by the oracle. Finally, Oedipus comes to
realize that it was him that murdered his father and married his mother.
“Who is this man whose fate the God pronounces?” (Sophocles 15).
- Oedipus begins to find out that the previous ruler was murdered and that the
murderer will be killed and taken away from Thebes to rid it of the “plague.”
INTERPRETIVE QUESTIONS
1. Oedipus immediately blamed Creon for what the oracle had told
alter your opinion on Oedipus / what does this say about him?
2. Would you consider Oedipus an antihero? What is the reasoning
3. Is Oedipus calling himself “the worst of men” too drastic, or
you think he is innocent?
4. What is so significant about King Laius’ herdsman in Oedipus’
him. How does this
for your answer?
not harsh enough? Do
life?
Historical/Social Influences on the Text
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vii.
Oedipus Rex was the 2nd of the plays in the Oedipus cycle written.
Sophocles was an innovative writer and created many things with these works, such
as the third character.
This was at a time when drama itself was changing, so Sophocles changed as well.
All of his ideas were new and fresh.
His success was due to his writing on the more personal level, which dealt with
emotions, etc.
These plays were written to perform at festivals for the god Dionysus. They were
meant to be entertaining and eventful.
At the same time, there was no concept of action at the time and much of the play
was just reading with emotion.
Also, these tragedies were created to illustrate the right religious or moral path.
This is Oedipus’ family getting punished because they insulted Apollo.
viii.
All tragedies and dramas sprouted from old characters and old stories.
retold them or talked about them from a different perspective.
They simply
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
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In “Oedipus Rex”, Oedipus is the main character that was destined to marry his
mother and kill his father by of the Gods, by of Apollo. These two characters are
juxtaposed to one another and are extremely important characters. Oedipus tries to
run away from the prophecy and prevent it from happening. This makes the reader
think will it work? Will Oedipus be able to flee from what is doomed to happen?
o This related to Sophocles’ past life because he had to fight against higher
“forces” (in this case an opponent) to win the Dionysia theatre competition
versus the master of Athenian drama, Aeschylus. It wasn’t likely that an
average guy would beat such a well-known writer. Sophocles tried anyways and
ended up taking first prize. Even though Oedipus did not overpower the gods
of more importance, it was the effort that was important.
 Sophocles winning first place in this contest was also a majoring
turning point in his life because he had made a name for himself, which
is why his artistic career began here.
Sophocles was born a wealthy man. He was elected a one of ten strategoi, high
executive officials that commanded the armed forces, as a junior colleague of
Pericles.
o Oedipus was also born a wealthy man. Even though he did not live with his
real parents, his stepparents were King and Queen as well. When returning
home, without knowing it, to Thebes he too was “elected”; they wanted him to
be king because he proved himself by answer the riddle in which nobody else
was able to solve. Sophocles and Oedipus both earned their way into high
positions.
Sophocles’ was victorious in his 18 Dionysia and 6 Lenaia competitions he entered.
His work is known for deeper development of characters than earlier playwrights.
o Characters were usually two-dimensional which made them harder for the
audience to relate to.
o Sophocles’ characters were more personable and therefore easier to relate to.
He was well known and invited to attend courts of foreign rulers, but never
accepted the invite.
The Theban plays were not true trilogies because they were written in separate
festival competitions over duration of about forty years.
o All three of these plays have one thing in common: one incident leads to one
of multiple following it.
o In Antigone, Creon’s decision to kill her caused problems throughout the
family. His decision to change his mind happened too late; Antigone committed
suicide, followed by Haemon committing suicide as well as his wife after
losing her only son. One lousy decision, whether followed through or not, can
cause consequences in the end.
o Oedipus at Colonus, the death of Oedipus leads to a hate between his sons
Polyneices and Eteocles.
o In Oedipus Rex, Laius and Jocasta make a poor decision by sending their son
away to be killed. He was saved by the herdsman of King Polybus, which
allowed the prophecy to continue. Eventually, Oedipus found out the prophecy
had come true, which led Jocasta to suicide along with the lives of his
children ruined. Oedipus gauged out his eyes and was sent out of Thebes, far
away.
"After practising to the full the bigness of Aeschylus, then the painful ingenuity
of my own invention, now in the third stage I am changing to the kind of diction
with is most expressive of character and best." –Sophocles.
o He had set goals for himself to accomplish and would strive to be successful.
Invented snekographia (scene painting), to define the background.
It is assumed hat his birth place is in Attica
o This is where many of his stories take place.
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His son was jealous of his illegitimate offspring and accused his father of mental
incapacity because he wanted to obtain the administration of his father’s property.
To prove himself sane he proceeded to recite a portion of the Oedipus Coloneu and
the jury acquitted him immediately.
Known as one of the most fortunate of mankind for his poetic talent.
Sophocles never left Athens.
o Relating to Oedipus, the point he is trying to get across may be that it is
better to stay where you were brought up because if you don’t there may be
problems otherwise.
 Oedipus was given away and went to Corinth; if he stayed in Thebes
nothing should have every happened.
Just as a little side note, Aeschylus adopted the third character into his own
playwriting by the end of his life.