answersLogoWhite

0

It is by identifying and punishing the guilty in Laius' murder that Oedipus will help end the pestilence in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Thebes is being ravaged by a pestilence. Such events as pestilence and plague tend to be viewed as expressions of divine wrath over human commissions or omissions in ancient Greece. The Apolline oracle is consulted and says that the pestilence will end with the finding and punishing of the guilty in the murder of King Laius, King Oedipus' royal predecessor.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Performing Arts

Is there a plague in 'Oedipus Rex'?

Yes, there's a plague in 'Oedipus Rex'. It actually is called a 'pestilence'. It's ravaging the city's population, livestock and crops. Everyone is at wits' end as to how to end or at least soften the effects.


Plot summary of the first half of Oedipus Rex?

In the first part of Oedipus Rex, a plague is rampaging in the City of Thebes. Oedipus sends for an oracle. The oracle says the plague will end when the murder of the former King is killed or sent away. A search is on for the murderer. Oedipus himself is accused of the murder. As the plot unfolds, Oedipus begins to worry that he may actually be the murderer. Oedipus later learns that he is the son of the former King. He discovers that he has killed his father and married his mother (the queen).


What are the order of events for the play Oedipus Rex?

In "Oedipus Rex," the order of events begins with Oedipus, the King of Thebes, addressing his people who are suffering from a plague. He sends Creon to consult the Oracle at Delphi, who reveals that the plague will end when the murderer of the former king, Laius, is found and punished. As Oedipus investigates, he uncovers the horrifying truth that he himself is Laius's murderer and has unwittingly married his mother, Jocasta. The play concludes with Jocasta's suicide and Oedipus's self-inflicted blindness, leading him to a life of exile.


What are the Main events in Oedipus Rex part 1?

In Part 1 of "Oedipus Rex," the city of Thebes is plagued by a devastating plague, prompting King Oedipus to seek answers from the oracle at Delphi. He learns that the plague will end only when the murderer of the former king, Laius, is found and punished. Oedipus vows to uncover the truth, cursing the murderer unknowingly while also interacting with key characters like Creon and the blind prophet Tiresias, who hints at Oedipus’s own involvement in the crime. Tension mounts as Oedipus's determination to find the truth leads him closer to revealing his tragic fate.


When the play Oedipus opens why is Thebes plagued with problems?

At the opening of the play "Oedipus Rex," Thebes is suffering from a devastating plague that has led to widespread suffering, including famine and disease. The affliction is a punishment from the gods due to the unresolved murder of the former king, Laius. The oracle has indicated that the plague will only end when Laius's murderer is found and punished. This sets the stage for Oedipus's quest for truth and resolution.

Related Questions

Is there a plague in 'Oedipus Rex'?

Yes, there's a plague in 'Oedipus Rex'. It actually is called a 'pestilence'. It's ravaging the city's population, livestock and crops. Everyone is at wits' end as to how to end or at least soften the effects.


Plot summary of the first half of Oedipus Rex?

In the first part of Oedipus Rex, a plague is rampaging in the City of Thebes. Oedipus sends for an oracle. The oracle says the plague will end when the murder of the former King is killed or sent away. A search is on for the murderer. Oedipus himself is accused of the murder. As the plot unfolds, Oedipus begins to worry that he may actually be the murderer. Oedipus later learns that he is the son of the former King. He discovers that he has killed his father and married his mother (the queen).


What accusation does Tiresias make?

In Sophocles' play Oedipus Rex, the blind prophet Tiresias accuses Oedipus of being the cause of the plague that has recently fallen over Thebes. He states that Oedipus has unknowingly killed his father and married his mother, and thus brought divine punishment upon the city. Tiresias also tells Oedipus that the only way to end the plague is for Oedipus to exile himself from the city and never return.Tiresias' accusation is that Oedipus has committed an act of incest and patricide, and as a result, is responsible for the plague that has befallen Thebes. He believes that the only way to end the plague is for Oedipus to exile himself from the city and never return.


What are the order of events for the play Oedipus Rex?

In "Oedipus Rex," the order of events begins with Oedipus, the King of Thebes, addressing his people who are suffering from a plague. He sends Creon to consult the Oracle at Delphi, who reveals that the plague will end when the murderer of the former king, Laius, is found and punished. As Oedipus investigates, he uncovers the horrifying truth that he himself is Laius's murderer and has unwittingly married his mother, Jocasta. The play concludes with Jocasta's suicide and Oedipus's self-inflicted blindness, leading him to a life of exile.


What are the Main events in Oedipus Rex part 1?

In Part 1 of "Oedipus Rex," the city of Thebes is plagued by a devastating plague, prompting King Oedipus to seek answers from the oracle at Delphi. He learns that the plague will end only when the murderer of the former king, Laius, is found and punished. Oedipus vows to uncover the truth, cursing the murderer unknowingly while also interacting with key characters like Creon and the blind prophet Tiresias, who hints at Oedipus’s own involvement in the crime. Tension mounts as Oedipus's determination to find the truth leads him closer to revealing his tragic fate.


Does Oedipus die at the end of 'Oedipus Rex'?

No, Theban King Oedipus doesn't die at the end of 'Oedipus Rex'. The play ends with his blinding himself and waiting to hear whether he'll be executed or exiled. The King's exile and ultimate death is covered in 'Oedipus at Colonus'. That's the sequel to 'Oedipus Rex'. It's at Colonus that Oedipus dies. It's also where the play's writer, Sophocles [c. 496 B.C.E. - c. 406 B.C.E.], grows up and his family is from.


Does the action in 'Oedipus Rex' take place near the end of the Oedipus myth?

Yes, the play "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.) takes place near to, but not at, end of the Oedipus myth.Specifically, how the myth ends is the subject of two other plays by the same ancient Greek playwright. "Oedipus at Colonus," as the chronological sequel to "Oedipus Rex," covers the Theban King's exile and happy death at Colonus. "Antigone," as the chronological sequel to "Oedipus at Colonus," covers what happens to Oedipus' children.


What needs to be done to end the plague in 'Oedipus Rex'?

That whoever killed Laius must be found and punished is what must be done to cure the plague in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. -- 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, the killing of a king is an offense against gods and mortals. It cannot go unsolved, and the perpetrators cannot go unpunished. That Theban King Laius' death is not looked into and that the guilty are not brought to justice contaminates the Theban environment and opens the city up to all sorts of horrors, such as plague and pestilence.


What is the plea in 'Oedipus Rex'?

Help in ending the pestilence and in finding the guilty in Laius' death are the pleas in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, the priest of Zeus and the Theban suppliants ask for help in ending the pestilence in Thebes. Theban King Oedipus hears how to end the pestilence. He therefore issues a plea for help in tracking down the guilty in King Laius' murder.


What do the people of Thebes want Oedipus to do for them in 'Oedipus Rex'?

End the pestilence is what the people of Thebes want Oedipus to do for them in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, children are born dead or die shortly after birth, crops are failing, and livestock are ailing. Oedipus is the King of Thebes and the victor over the monstrous Sphinx. The people of Thebes seek Oedipus' help in preventing once again the destruction of all life in their city.


What is the source of Oedipus' greatness in 'Oedipus Rex'?

Defeat of the Sphinx is the source of Oedipus' greatness in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, the monstrous Sphinx asks Thebes a seemingly unanswerable riddle. She eats all Thebans who cannot give her the correct answer. But Oedipus figures out the answer and puts an end to the Sphinx before she puts an end to all Thebans.


Why do the people in 'Oedipus Rex' think that King Oedipus can help?

That he previously saved Thebes is the reason why Thebans think that Theban King Oedipus can help at the beginning of the play 'Oedipus Rex'. No one else was able to deliver the city from the Sphinx's heavy tax burden and ravenous human appetites. No one else was able to guess the answer to the Sphinx's riddle and thereby end the Sphinx's presence and life. It's no wonder that the people of Thebes believe in Oedipus' ability to protect and save them.