Notes on Oedipus Rex Lecture

Introduction to the Scene

• Setting: Oedipus in Thebes, addressing citizens.
• Situation: The city is suffering from a plague.
• Key Characters: Oedipus (King), Creon (his brother-in-law), Tiresias (the prophet), and citizens of Thebes.

The Plight of Thebes

• The citizens plead with Oedipus.
• Symptoms of the Plague:
  • Crops failing.
  • Disease among livestock.
  • Increase in death and suffering.
• Citizens express desperation for a solution.

Oedipus's Response

• Oedipus acknowledges the suffering but reveals his greater anguish.
• He has sent Creon to consult the oracle at Delphi.
• Expectation of a prophecy that can help the city recover.

Creon’s Revelation

• Creon returns with Apollo's message:
  • Mandate: To rid the city of the murderer of the former king, Laius.
  • The murderer must be found and punished.
• Oedipus vows to find the criminal, linking his fate to that of the city.

The Search for Truth

• Oedipus reflects on Laius’s death, learning it was by highwaymen.
• The only survivor's account suggests a conspiracy against Laius.
• Oedipus decides to investigate further and calls for witnesses.

Tiresias, the Prophet

• Oedipus seeks Tiresias for his insight.
• Tiresias initially refuses to speak, indicating foreboding knowledge.
• Tension escalates as Oedipus accuses Tiresias of hiding the truth.

Revelation and Accusations

• Tiresias hints that Oedipus himself is the murderer.
• Oedipus reacts with anger, accusing Tiresias of conspiracy, linking him to Creon.
• Tiresias predicts Oedipus's downfall due to his stubbornness.

The Theme of Fate vs. Free Will

• Oedipus's struggle with his fate as foretold by the oracle.
• He learns that he has fulfilled the prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother.
• Dramatic Irony: Oedipus seeks the truth, unaware he is the source of his own tragedy.

The Herdsman’s Testimony

• The herdsman reveals crucial information about Oedipus's origins:
  • Oedipus was given to him by Laius's wife (Jocasta).
  • The prophecy about Oedipus’s fate.
• Oedipus learns he is adopted; his fears about killing his father were unfounded regarding Polybus.

Conclusion

• Dramatic Climax: Oedipus comes to the horrifying realization of his actions.
• The play explores themes of knowledge, blindness, fate, and the human condition.
• Oedipus’s tragic flaw: his inability to see the truth until it is too late.