This is a supernatural phenomenon caused by harboring a cursed person. Refine any search. In the city of Thebes, there is a plague of infertility that strikes. Discuss the theme of sight and blindness in Oedipus Rex, how it is important, and how it affects the idea of truth. Oedipus questions Creon about the murder of Laius, who was killed by thieves on his way to consult an oracle. even stating in one scene when the people of Thebes were requesting that he save them from the dreaded plague that had overcome their homeland, "You pray to the Gods, May I grant . When Creon retells the story of Laiuss murder, Oedipus is shocked and dismayed that the investigation of the murder of a king was so swiftly dropped (145147). Oedipus asks the priests why they have come. (one code per order). The Sphinx had been terrorizing Thebes for an undisclosed amount of time before Oedipus was able to defeat it. Oedipus Rex, apart from the undeniable literary and historic value, also presents significant medical interest because the play mentions a plague, an epidemic, which was devastating Thebes, the town of Oedipus hegemony. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. In the most familiar version, first attested in Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus Tyrannus, Oedipus' downfall all began with a plague. On their way to consult an oracle, Laius and all but one of his fellow travelers were killed by thieves. Oedipus has a chance to cure the plague in Thebes, and its presented by the legitimate seer, Tiresias. The Plague in the Land of Thebes. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. You'll also receive an email with the link. Photo courtesy Effie Poulakou-Rebelakou. Oedipus angrily declares that justice will be done to this murderer. 216-275: Oedipus asks the Thebans to help him find and expel Laius' murderer. The citizens carry branches wrapped in wool, which they offer to the gods as gifts. | It is not quite clear why Ares is being called responsible for this plague, since there is no other such reference in the play. Credit: Wikipedia/Public domain. She tells him that, back in Thebes, Oedipuss younger son, Eteocles, has overthrown Polynices, the elder, and that Polynices is now amassing troops in Argos for an attack on his brother and on Creon, who rules along with Eteocles. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Significant Myths and Structure of the Text. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. However, Thucydides correlation of the plague of Athens with the Peloponnesian War (431404 bc) (5) gives us the opportunity to state that Sophocles connects this epidemic of Thebes with the plague of Athens and attempts to point out the disastrous effects wars always have. The messenger tells Creon that he has another reason to grieve: Eurydice has stabbed herself, and, as she died, she called down curses on her husband for the misery his pride had caused. It is difficult to compare a historical record to a poetic drama, but, keeping that in mind, both Sophocles and Thucydides refer to animal illness and death (2,8). Oedipus asks who the other shepherd was, and the messenger answers that he was a servant of Laius. In this case scenario, we could assume that cattle in Thebes may have been having brucellosis, leptospirosis, or listeriosis, while humans could have been affected by a different pathogen such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (8,9). Oedipus, the king of Thebes, has sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the house of Apollo to ask the oracle how to end the plague. The devastating plague that dominates Thebes is presented to the audience through the dialogue between Oedipus and the Priest (lines 1-67) (2,3).The king has already taken some action to deal with this harm by sending his brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle at Delphi . . Bust of Sophocles in the Colonnade of the Muses in the Achilleion, Corfu, Greece, July 2011. What is the main idea of Oedipus the King by Sophocles, and what is the play about. This meant that they must find the killer of their dead king, Laius. Creon, covetous of royal power, is all too happy to oblige. But his change of heart comes too late. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Oedipus sends for Tiresias, the blind prophet, and asks him what he knows about the murder. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. The references to the decline of land and fields could be an example of poetic exaggeration or a suggestion that the fruits or ears may participate in the transmission route of the plague (a blight is on our harvest in the ear, line 25) (2,3). (Spoiler alert: It's his own bad leadership.) Once Oedipus is banished from Thebes, the curse is lifted, and the plague ends. Later in the play (300),Oedipus summons the blind prophet Tiresias so that he may discover the murderer. Several sections, primarily in the first third of the play, refer to the aforementioned plague; the epidemic, however, is not the primary topic of the tragedy. In Oedipus Rex the plague is a miasma that destroys everything, rather than just a disease. Comment submitted successfully, thank you for your feedback. At this early moment, we see Oedipuss dangerous pride, which explains his willful blindness and, to a certain extent, justifies his downfall. Theseus promises Oedipus that he will get his daughters back. for a group? His guards lead him back into the palace. He asks why Tiresias did nothing when Thebes suffered under a plague once before. Oedipus, stunned, tells his wife that he may be the one who murdered Laius. Oedipus responds by sending his brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle of Apollo to discover how to save Thebes. (including. plague; the plague in Thebes has three features which are closely associated with supernatural forces and appear in re-ligious contexts. Oedipus replies that he is more eager than anyone to find out the cause of the pollution and remove it. He avidly begins an all-out manhunt. Immediately following the ode, Oedipus enters and says that he will answer the Choruss prayers. creating and saving your own notes as you read. This is presented to the audience through the dialogue between Oedipus, the king, and the Priest (167). In the historical case (Athens) and the dramatic case (Thebes), the populace turned to the temples looking for a divine solution to the disaster. answer choices . Creon asks Oedipus if he wants to hear the news in private, but Oedipus insists that all the citizens hear. Finally, he answers that the child came from the house of Laius. The Plague of Thebes, a Historical Epidemic in Sophocles Oedipus Rex. The priest describes that there is much disease and death in Thebes. Much of the fascination of the play comes from watching Oedipus, the remorseless detective, hunt down Oedipus, the unwitting criminal. At the start of the play, the city of Thebes is suffering terribly. 2012;18(1):153-157. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1801.ad1801. . Answer: Oedipus married his mother. -Graham S. Oedipus is a hero and a man of action. Sophocles and The Oedipus Plays Background. Any proposed pathogen should be a highly contagious, zoonotic disease of cattle that causes stillbirth, miscarriages, and infertility, is characterized by high mortality rates, and has the potential to have caused an epidemic in the 5th century bc. Why is Thebes experiencing trouble at the start of Oedipus? We adopted a critical approach to Oedipus Rex in analyzing the literary description of the disease, unraveling its Bearing in mind the aforementioned observations and the fact no other epidemics were reported in the eastern Mediterranean during the 5th century bc, we posit that the plague described by Sophocles in the tragedy Oedipus Rex has an actual basis in the plague of Athens described by Thucydides in his histories. Creons wife, Eurydice, hears this terrible news and rushes away into the palace. Contact us This assignment asks readers to pick a person to blame for the tragedy of Oedipus. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Sending for Theseus, he tells the king he must carry out certain rites on his body, and that by doing so he may assure divine protection to his city. Please wait while we process your payment. In other words, he became a hero by figuring out the truth. The key word in the definition of shame is "consciousness.". Oedipus saved Thebes from the Sphinx by answering the Sphinx's riddle. (one code per order). Kousoulis, A. Not knowing where to go now, Antigone says they will have to wander forever alone. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Missing, he turned the sword against himself and died embracing Antigones body. Jocasta tells him that Laius was killed at a three-way crossroads, just before Oedipus arrived in Thebes. Copy. Oedipus became king of Thebes and married Jocasta. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Theseus does in fact return with Oedipuss daughters shortly. Oedipus then strides off with a sudden strength, taking his daughters and Theseus to his grave. Given the potential medical interest of Oedipus Rex, we decided to adopt a critical perspective by analyzing the literary descriptions of the plague, unraveling its clinical features, defining the underlying cause, and discussing possible therapeutic options. In addition, the Chorus provides us with a major social aspect, as they put the blame on god of war, Ares (Ares whose hot breath I feel, though without targe or steel he stalks, whose voice is as the battle shout, lines 190191) (2,3). Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Sophocles lived between 496 and 406 bc; although he seems to have written 123 plays, only 7 have survived in a complete form (1). The citizens have become suppliants to the monuments of the gods, asking for mercy (Why sit ye here as suppliants, in your hands branches of olive filleted with wool?, lines 23; the common folk, with wreathed boughs crowd our two market-places, or before both shrines of Pallas congregate, or where Ismenus gives his oracles by fire, lines 1921) (2,3). for a group? Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. March 3, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 A messenger enters and recounts the tragic events: Creon and his entourage first gave proper burial to Polynices, then heard what sounded like Haemons voice wailing from Antigones tomb. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. Skip to document. Each man in the city grieves for himself, but the king grieves for the city and everyone in it. He prays for the safety of his sisters and then leaves for Thebes. The main conflict is when Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is responsible for the plague, and Oedipus refuses to believe Tiresias. Jocasta rejoices, convinced that Polybuss death from natural causes has disproved the prophecy that Oedipus would murder his father. Creon kneels and prays that he, too, might die. The aforementioned aspects strongly support the notion that the disease was incurable at this time. Theseus and the Chorus exit toward Athens; Antigone and Ismene head for Thebes. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. CDC twenty four seven. Therefore, although the first part of the play is rife with references to the plague and its consequences, in the second part there are only sporadic referrals to the epidemic. Hence, the citizens of Thebes were often called children of Cadmus or Cadmeians. SparkNotes PLUS The citizens gather outside the palace of their king, Oedipus, asking him to take action. The oracle has predicted that the burial place of Oedipus will bring good fortune to the city in which it is located, and both sons, as well as Creon, know of this prophecy. After much prodding from Oedipus, Tiresias claims that Oedipus is the source of . Oedipus himself remained in Thebes for a few years, a blind and aging misfit cared for only by his daughters, Antigone and Ismene. Terrible thunder sounds, and the Chorus cries out in horror. For a moment, Oedipus takes upon himself the role of a goda role the Chorus has been both reluctant and eager to allow him (see 3943). Sophocles told how Oedipus was saved from death as an infant and raised in Corinth. His primary research interests include history of medicine, medical sociology, and epidemiology. "What is the reason for the plague in Thebes in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex?" . Creon informs King Oedipus that until the killer of King Laius is identified, the plague cannot be ended. As the play Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, opens, the people of Thebes are dealing with a kind of plaguein this case, a famine. Sometimes it can end up there. Oedipus the King. Finally, Oedipus is vehement in his promises of dire punishment for Laiuss murderer, even if the murderer turns out to be someone close to Oedipus himself. Subscribe now. Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. Haemon seems at first to side with his father, but gradually admits his opposition to Creons stubbornness and petty vindictiveness. The following 5 points support this correlation. Tiresias responds cryptically, lamenting his ability to see the truth when the truth brings nothing but pain. Skip to document. SparkNotes PLUS The messenger remarks that Oedipus need not worry, because Polybus and his wife, Merope, are not Oedipuss biological parents. The messenger, a shepherd by profession, knows firsthand that Oedipus came to Corinth as an orphan. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." There were two shrines to her in Thebes. Creon then tells what he has learned from the god Apollo, who spoke through the oracle: the murderer of Laius, who ruled Thebes before Oedipus, is in Thebes. The citizens of Thebes hated Laius, so they didn't care. Oedipus interrogates him, asking who gave him the baby. Oedipus, king of Thebes, is determined to find out the cause of the plague ravishing the city, little suspecting the cause is him. He had four children by Jocasta. To know the cause of the plague, Oedipus sent Creon, Jocasta's brother, consult the oracle at Delphi , and learned that the plague would only cease after the murderer of Laius had been punished. The rising action occurs when Creon returns from the oracle with . is the priest doing this there is a plague on the city oedipus asked him to the sphinx has attacked the city it s a holiday oedipus rex questions and answers enotes com Lines 179181 turn out to be of high interest: wasted thus by death on death all our city perishes; corpses spread infection round (2,3). Oedipus replies that he sees and understands the terrible fate of Thebes, and that no one is more sorrowful than he. The stage directions state that. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Creon is more pragmatic and less inclined to take action. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. The score is derived from an automated algorithm, and represents a weighted count of the amount of attention Altmetric picked up for a research output. We take your privacy seriously. In addition, the realistic descriptions of the historian and the nightmarish lyrical rhymes of the poet, talk about a disease with a high mortality rate (2,10). Creon asks him his opinion on the issue. In Oedipus Rex, why does Oedipus blind himself? In despair Jocasta hanged herself, while Oedipus blinded himself in an agony of remorse. Oedipus asks a priest why the citizens have gathered around the palace. Oedipus Rex Summary. Just then, Creon arrives, and Oedipus asks what the oracle has said. Hearing this, Oedipus resolves to solve the mystery of Laiuss murder. (VladoubidoOo/CC BY-SA 3.0) From there, Oedipus goes on to Thebes, and on the way answers the Sphinx's riddle. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Regarding the specific clinical features of the disease, it is clear that the causative pathogen leads to miscarriages or stillbirths (a blight on wives in travail, lines 2627, meaning women give birth to dead babies) (2,3). Saving Lives, Protecting People, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece (A.A. Kousoulis, K.P. Tiresias advises that Creon allow Polynices to be buried, but Creon refuses. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! In the end, it turns out that Oedipus has also murdered his father. King Theseus arrives and says that he pities Oedipus for the fate that has befallen him, and he asks how he can help Oedipus. M.A. In the fifth century B.C., the playwright Sophocles begins "Oedipus Tyrannos" with the title character struggling to identify the cause of a plague striking his city, Thebes. In Oedipus's new kingdom of Thebes, there was a plague that was hurting the kingdom, so Oedipus searched for answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oedipus, the king, who is married to Jocasta and has four children, sends Creon (Jocasta's brother) to the oracle for information. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. A word with a meaning of something that brings death is used in the original Greek () to refer to the plague, which suggests that at the time of Sophocles his fellow Greeks were aware of the threat posed by infectious disease. Oedipus acts quickly to find the killer. After years of wandering in exile from Thebes, Oedipus arrives in a grove outside Athens. Many people are falling ill, and Oedipus begins to believe that there is a divine cause for the plague. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, The play begins in the royal house of Thebes. In line 28 the word plague () appears for the first time, with the Greek word for disease () being used in lines 150, 217, and 303 (2,3). Oedipus himself is the accursed person who brings the plague to Thebes. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. Figure 2. His play, Oedipus Rex, tells the sad tale of a king who discovers that he has murdered his father and married his mother. He lived his entire life in Athens and introduced many innovations in the dramatic arts (1). The oracle announces that the plague is a result of religious pollution and that the god Apollo requests that the people of Thebes exile the previously unknown miasma (a word of Greek origin with a sense of moral noxious pollution) away from the town (lines 9698) (2,3).

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