Lecture on Oedipus Rex

Introduction

• Speech addresses cries of anguish from the people.
• Thebes is suffering from a mysterious plague.
• Oedipus, King of Thebes, addresses the priest and the gathered people.
• Thebes' problems include barren women, dying livestock, and a deadly pestilence.

Oedipus' Pledge

• Oedipus vows to help his subjects and shows compassion.
• He sent Creon to Delphi to seek guidance from Apollo.
• Creon returns with an answer from the oracle: the plague is due to an unclean thing that must be expelled.

The Oracle's Demand

• The oracle demands that the murder of King Laius be avenged.
• Oedipus vows to find and punish the murderer to save Thebes.
• Offers leniency to anyone who confesses.
• Proclaims a curse on anyone withholding information.

Tiresias the Prophet

• Tiresias is summoned for his insight.
• Tiresias reluctantly reveals that Oedipus himself is the murderer.
• Oedipus and Tiresias argue, with Oedipus accusing Creon of conspiracy.
• Tiresias warns Oedipus about his blindness to the truth.

Creon's Defense

• Creon defends himself against accusations of treason.
• Argues he has no desire to be king, enjoys his current status.
• Oedipus is urged to reconsider his accusations.

Jocasta's Intervention

• Jocasta, Oedipus' wife, tries to calm the situation.
• Reveals that an oracle once told Laius he would be killed by his son.
• Oedipus recalls his past, revealing troubling connections to Tiresias' prophecies.

Oedipus' Realization

• Oedipus begins to suspect his own involvement in Laius' murder.
• He recalls killing a man at a crossroads, fitting the story of Laius' death.
• Oedipus fears the implications of the prophecy.

The Shepherd's Testimony

• Oedipus sends for the shepherd who knows the truth about his birth.
• The shepherd confirms Oedipus' origins as Laius' son.
• Oedipus realizes the prophecy has come true: he has killed his father and married his mother.

Tragic Outcomes

• Jocasta hangs herself upon learning the truth.
• Oedipus blinds himself in despair.
• Oedipus requests exile to fulfill his own curse.
• Creon assumes leadership and agrees to care for Oedipus' daughters.

Conclusion

• Oedipus' life is a tragic tale of prophecy and fate.
• The play explores themes of sight and blindness, knowledge and ignorance, and the inescapability of fate.
• Emphasizes that happiness cannot be achieved without facing one's own suffering.