THE MYTH Oedipus:

Oedipus: The Myth King Laius of Thebes learned from an oracle that he was destined to have a son who would kill his own father and marry his mother. When the King’s wife, Jocasta, had a son, Laius pinned the baby’s feet together and ordered a servant to leave him on a mountain to die. Instead, the servant gave the baby to a shepherd, who gave him to the king and queen of Corinth. They named the child Oedipus (“swollen foot”) because of his wounded feet.

The Oracle As a young man, Oedipus learned from the oracle at Delphi that he was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. Horrified, he fled Corinth to avoid fulfilling the prophecy. During his travels, Oedipus encountered a chariot that tried to run him off the road. Enraged, he killed both the charioteer and the passenger, and continued on his way.

The Riddle of the Sphinx Oedipus arrived outside Thebes, where a monster called the Sphinx was terrorizing the city. The Sphinx had a woman’s head, a lion’s body, a serpent’s tail, and an eagle’s wings. She refused to let travelers enter the city unless they could answer her riddle: “What goes on four legs in the morning, two at midday, and three in the evening?” No one had solved her riddle, and she had eaten all who failed.

The Riddle of the Sphinx Continued… When the Thebans learned that King Laius had been killed on his way to Delphi, they had no time to find his murderer. Their priority was to save the city from the Sphinx. King Jocasta’s brother offered her hand in marriage and the crown to any man who could solve the riddle. When Oedipus encountered the Sphinx, he gave the correct answer: “Man, who crawls in infancy, walks upright in his prime, and leans on a cane in old age.”

The Riddle of the Sphinx Continued… On hearing his answer, the Sphinx flung herself into the sea and died. In reward for saving the city, Oedipus married Jocasta and became the new king.

A New Prophecy Oedipus had ruled Thebes for almost twenty years when the city was struck with a devastating plague. Sophocles, the author, begins his tragedy Oedipus the King when Oedipus consults the oracle and learns that the plague will not end until Laius’s murderer is exiled from Thebes.

The Model of All Drama by David Mamet Oedipus’ history is like this: He is an orphan. He left the home of his adopted parents. On the road to Thebes, he slew a man at a crossroads. He continued on, rose to power in Thebes, and married the widow of it ruler, Laius. Now Laius and his widow Jocasta, it seems, had an interesting history.

The Model of All Drama by David Mamet Laius and Jocasta had a son. At his birth, it was prophesied that he would kill his father and marry his mother. So he was given to a shepherd, to be exposed and die upon a mountain. The shepherd took the child, pierced his feet– that is, in effect, sewed them together, and went off. But, the shepherd did not have the heart to abandon the child, so he gave him to a royal family across the mountains, to raise as their own.

The Model of All Drama by David Mamet The child grew and later, left home. He met a man who affronted him at a crossroads. Oedipus slew (killed) him.

Literary Analysis Tragedy: A tragedy is a work of dramatic literature that shows the downfall of a person, usually of high birth or noble status. Often, the protagonist, or main character, is a brilliant leader who has gained the love and respect of his or her subjects. In most tragedies, the protagonist initiates a series of events that lead to his or her own destruction. Tragedies explore powerful emotions, such as love, hate, revenge, and loyalty.

Literary Analysis Continued… Aristotle wrote that tragedy triggers two main emotions in the audience: pity and fear. We pity the protagonist’s suffering while we also fear for him or her and for ourselves.

Connecting Literary Elements The tragic hero is the main character of a tragedy. Traditionally, the tragic hero possesses a fault or weakness in character that causes the hero’s downfall. This weakness is called a tragic flaw. As you read, pay attention to details in Oedipus’ actions and statements that suggest heroic qualities or a possible flaw.

Reading Strategy When you read drama, try to picture a live performance. Note stage directions, which are usually set in italics to provide information about the characters’ thoughts, attitudes, and behavior. As you read, try to picture how characters look, sound, move, and relate to one another.

Vocabulary Builder blight: (n.) destructive disease (p. 470) pestilence: (n.) plague (p. 470) induced: (v.) persuaded; caused (p. 474) dispatch: (v.) kill (p. 474) invoke: (v.) summon; cause to appear (p.477) prophecy: (n.) prediction of the future (p.480) countenance: (n.) the look on a person’s face (p.484) malignant: (adj.) very harmful (p. 497)

Background In the fifth century B.C., when Greek drama was at its height, plays were performed in Athens at annual festivals honoring Dionysus, the god of wine. The performances were staged in an outdoor theater, which held thousands of spectators. There were no curtains or lighting; scenery and props were minimal. Actors wore outsized masks appropriate to the characters they played. Although violent events were often central to plots, no violence occurred on stage. Such events took place off-stage and were reported in dialogue.

Background Continued… Ancient Greek plays follow this consistent format: A prologue presents background and describes the conflict. Then, the chorus, or group of dancers, enters and sings a parados, or opening song. Choral songs, called odes, separate scenes. The odes are divided into alternating parts called strophe and antistrophe. Greek tragedies took their plots from well-known myths and legends. The audience in the fifth century B.C. would have known that the story of Oedipus involved a ruler who fulfilled a terrible destiny by killing his father and marrying his mother.