Remembering Major Works
Title: Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King
Author: Sophocles
Genre: Greek Tragedy
Literary Period: (if significant) written around 430 BC. The 5th century is considered the
high point of Greek civilization. Performed during religious festival and drama
competition (celebrating Dionysus)
Historical significance: The Second Peloponnesian War (which Athens lost) was going on
during this time as well as a plague from 430-425 which caused the Athenians to believe the
gods were punishing them.
Setting: (time, place, and atmosphere, especially if the setting is a major element in the
work) The action takes place during the day in front of the royal palace in Thebes. The
atmosphere is tense and tragic because the people are suffering due to a plague.
Protagonist: (name, personality, appearance etc.) Oedipus becomes king of Thebes before
the action of Oedipus the King begins. He is renowned for his intelligence and his ability to
solve riddles—he saved the city of Thebes and was made its king by solving the riddle of
the Sphinx, the supernatural being that had held the city captive. Yet Oedipus is
stubbornly blind to the truth about himself. His name’s literal meaning (“swollen foot”) is
the clue to his identity—he was taken from the house of Laius as a baby and left in the
mountains with his feet bound together. On his way to Thebes, he killed his biological
father, not knowing who he was, and proceeded to marry Jocasta, his biological mother. He
also makes rash decisions. He acts quickly before thinking things through. He suffers
from hubris (excessive pride and ambition). Although these can be good qualities they can
also bring about a person’s destruction.
Antagonist(s): Could be Oedipus himself. Tiresias the blind sooth sayer who tells Oedipus
that he is in fact the murderer (Oedipus does not believe him) Creon his brother in law,
who claims to not want to be the king, but becomes King of Thebes in the end.
Main conflict: (think in terms of what the protagonist wants/desires and what is keeping
him/her from getting it). Oedipus wants to find out who really killed the king. In his effort
to never let this go, even though he has been told by several people to just let it be he won’t.
He finds out that he really killed the king and he has actually banished himself.
Brief plot summary: Play opens and Thebes is under siege by the Sphinx. Oedpius leaves
Corinth his birthplace because he was told that he would kill his father and marry his
mother. To avoid this he leaves and goes to Thebes. He solves the riddle of the sphinx
(what walked on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening—a
man) and in turn gets to marry the queen and become king of Thebes. Everyone loves him
and things are going well for about 18 years. A plague hits Thebes in order to fix it he is
told by an oracle that he must rid the city of the murdered of Laius (the first king) When
he realizes he is the murderer, he pokes his eyes out, Jocasta kills herself and Oedipus
banishes himself to roam the countryside a blind beggar.
Resolution: (of main conflict)
Major Themes: (What truths about life/human nature are revealed?)
Fate and Free will (do we have it or are we predestined by the gods?)
Power (corrupts)
Wisdom and Knowledge
Determination
Symbols: Sight and blindness
Three road crossroads
Swollen foot
Remarkable events/images/other elements: discovery of the truth /the graphic description
of him gauging his eyes out, but all this happens off stage, however, it does not take away
from the brutality of the scene.
Oedipal Complex.