Oedipus Rex Scene Abstracts
Scene 1
• The people of Thebes appeal to their king, Oedipus, to stop the plague that has come
on the land.
• Oedipus tells the people that he's sent Creon to the Oracle of Delphi to find out what
he needs to do to stop the plague.
• Creon returns and tells Oedipus that, to stop the plague, he needs to find and punish
the murderer of Laius, the former king.
• Creon tells Oedipus there was one survivor from Laius' party, most of whom were
killed on the road to Delphi, and the survivor said Laius was killed by a band of robbers.
• After Laius' death, Thebes was too concerned by the plague of the Sphinx monster to
investigate the death properly; Oedipus defeated the Sphinx, married Laius' wife, and
took over the kingdom of Thebes.
• Oedipus swears to find the murderer of Laius and free Thebes from the plague.
Scene 2
• Oedipus asks anyone with knowledge of Laius' murder to come forward and threatens
anyone who shields the murderer.
• Oedipus has sent for the blind prophet, Teiresias, to shed light on the identity of the
murderer.
• Teiresias arrives but refuses to speak until Oedipus goads him into telling the king that
Oedipus himself is the murderer.
• Oedipus does not believe Teiresias and accuses the prophet of being in league with
his brother-in-law, Creon, to try to dethrone and destroy him.
• Teiresias also implies that Oedipus is committing incest.
• After Teiresias leaves, the chorus still believes in Oedipus and doesn't believe he is the
murderer.
Scene 3
• Creon defends himself, trying to reason with Oedipus that he wouldn't want the
responsibilities of the position of king and asking Oedipus to confirm at Delphi that
Creon's representation of his news was accurate.
• Oedipus' wife, Jocasta, appears and asks Creon and Oedipus to stop fighting.
• Oedipus doesn't want to give Creon a chance and wants to put him to death, but he is
reluctantly dissuaded by the chorus.
• Jocasta tries to assuage Oedipus by telling him that prophets are false, citing an
oracle who prophesied that Laius would be killed by his son.
• Jocasta's description of Laius' death makes Oedipus remember a man he killed on a
road one day, and Oedipus begins to suspect he killed Laius, except that the surviving
witness said it was a band of robbers. Jocasta sends for the survivor to retell the story
of Laius' death.
• Oedipus reveals that he left his home in Corinth to avoid fulfilling a prophecy that he
would kill his father and marry his mother.
Scene 4
• A messenger from Corinth arrives and tells Jocasta and Oedipus that Oedipus' father
Polybus has died of old age, and the people want Oedipus to return to become king.
• Oedipus is still afraid of the prophecy that he will marry his mother and refuses to
return.
• The messenger tries to reassure Oedipus by telling him that he was not Polybus'
natural son, and revealing that the messenger got Oedipus from a shepherd, the same
man who witnessed Laius' death as an infant.
• Jocasta begs Oedipus not to try to find out the real truth about his birth, but Oedipus
refuses, determined to see the old shepherd, sending Jocasta fleeing into the castle in
hysterics.
• The shepherd arrives and reluctantly reveals that Oedipus was Laius and Jocasta's
son, who Jocasta asked him to kill but who the shepherd instead delivered to Polybus'
servant, to save the child.
• Oedipus realizes that he has fulfilled both prophecies by killing his father, Laius,
and marrying his mother, Jocasta, and he runs into the palace.
Scene 5
• A second messenger emerges from the palace and tells the people that Jocasta has
killed herself in her horror and shame.
• Oedipus has gouged out his own eyes with Jocasta's brooches and wants to be
banished from Thebes.
• Oedipus enters from the castle and bemoans his fate.
• Creon comes and refuses to banish Oedipus without first consulting the gods as to the
appropriate action to take.
• Creon calls Oedipus' daughters out, and Oedipus gives them a tearful goodbye,
bemoaning their fate and asking Creon to care for them.
• Creon sends Oedipus back into the palace to await his fate.