The messenger from Corinth arrives to Thebes to tell Oedipus that Oedipus' father Polybus is dead. And the people of Corinth wish Oedipus to be their new king. The messenger reveals to Oedipus that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents. He also reveals that the Shepherd gave him a baby as a gift to the King and Queen of Corinth.
When Oedipus was exposed on the mountain as a baby in an effort to thwart the prophecy that he would one day kill his father and marry his mother, the shepherd gave him to the messenger who then brought him back to the people Oedipus believed to be his parents.
Knowing Oedipus in Thebes and in Corinth is how the messenger knows what he does about the Theban King. Long ago, the messenger works as a shepherd in Thebes. Heis entrusted with Oedipus' care by a fellow shepherd who's supposed to leave the three day old baby to die. The messenger takes Oedipus back to Corinth with him. He gives the baby to the childless Corinthian monarchs, King Polybus and Queen Merope.That's why the messenger knows that Oedipus is the adopted son of the Corinthian monarchs. That also is why he knows that a man who's fated to kill his father and marry his mother safely can go back to Corinth. And that's why he knows that Oedipus' real hometown is Thebes.
The Theban shepherd gives the baby Oedipus to Polybus' messenger in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, the Theban shepherd is Theban Queen Jocasta's most trusted servant. She hands her three-day-old son, Oedipus, over to the shepherd to kill and thereby prevent Oedipus from growing up to his prophesied fate of killing his father. The shepherd then gives Oedipus to a Corinthian shepherd who fosters the infant into the childless Corinthian royal house and who later becomes Corinthian King Polybus' messenger.
The shepherd is reluctant to identify Oedipus as the child he gave to the messenger because revealing Oedipus's true identity would force him to confront the tragic circumstances surrounding the child's abandonment. He fears the consequences of admitting his role in the events that led to Oedipus's fate, as it implicates him in the fulfillment of the prophecy about patricide and incest. Additionally, he is protective of Oedipus, wanting to shield him from the painful truth of his origins and the catastrophic implications of his lineage.
The messenger from Corinth arrives to Thebes to tell Oedipus that Oedipus' father Polybus is dead. And the people of Corinth wish Oedipus to be their new king. The messenger reveals to Oedipus that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents. He also reveals that the Shepherd gave him a baby as a gift to the King and Queen of Corinth.
When Oedipus was exposed on the mountain as a baby in an effort to thwart the prophecy that he would one day kill his father and marry his mother, the shepherd gave him to the messenger who then brought him back to the people Oedipus believed to be his parents.
Knowing Oedipus in Thebes and in Corinth is how the messenger knows what he does about the Theban King. Long ago, the messenger works as a shepherd in Thebes. Heis entrusted with Oedipus' care by a fellow shepherd who's supposed to leave the three day old baby to die. The messenger takes Oedipus back to Corinth with him. He gives the baby to the childless Corinthian monarchs, King Polybus and Queen Merope.That's why the messenger knows that Oedipus is the adopted son of the Corinthian monarchs. That also is why he knows that a man who's fated to kill his father and marry his mother safely can go back to Corinth. And that's why he knows that Oedipus' real hometown is Thebes.
The messenger from Corinth reveals to Oedipus that he is not the biological son of King Polybus and Queen Merope, as he had believed. Instead, he explains that he was found as a baby by the messenger and given to the royal couple, who adopted him. This revelation ultimately leads Oedipus to discover his true origins and the tragic fulfillment of the prophecy he sought to avoid.
The Theban shepherd gives the baby Oedipus to Polybus' messenger in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, the Theban shepherd is Theban Queen Jocasta's most trusted servant. She hands her three-day-old son, Oedipus, over to the shepherd to kill and thereby prevent Oedipus from growing up to his prophesied fate of killing his father. The shepherd then gives Oedipus to a Corinthian shepherd who fosters the infant into the childless Corinthian royal house and who later becomes Corinthian King Polybus' messenger.
The shepherd is reluctant to identify Oedipus as the child he gave to the messenger because revealing Oedipus's true identity would force him to confront the tragic circumstances surrounding the child's abandonment. He fears the consequences of admitting his role in the events that led to Oedipus's fate, as it implicates him in the fulfillment of the prophecy about patricide and incest. Additionally, he is protective of Oedipus, wanting to shield him from the painful truth of his origins and the catastrophic implications of his lineage.
The messenger of Corinth brings news to Oedipus that the man he believes to be his father, Polybius, has died. He also tells Oedipus that he was given to Corinthian monarchs as a baby and was not their birth child.
It is the Corinthian messenger who tells Oedipus about his abandonment in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, the Corinthian messenger says that Oedipus is not Corinthian born. He states that he found Oedipus and brought him to Corinth. The messenger tells of finding the abandoned infant Oedipus outside Thebes.
The messenger knows because He was given Oedipus from another Shepard that knew the true story of Oedipus' birth.
The messenger has no name, but only brings the information from Corinth, Oedipus' childhood home, that Oedipus' adoptive father, Polybus, is dead. Oedipus is happy because he thinks Polybus is his biological father and he didn't kill him so he defied the prophecy. That is the purpose of the messenger.
That Polybus is not Oedipus' father are the Corinthian messenger's words that upset Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, the Corinthian messenger announces that Corinthian King Polybus is not Theban King Oedipus' biological father. He indicates that Oedipus is Polybus' adopted or foster son. He mentions that Oedipus is heir to the Corinthian throne even though he is not a native of the city.
the shepherd reacts with fear and begs the messenger to hold his tongue. Oedipus threatens the messenger with physical violence, and finally the man confesses that the baby was a child of Laius's house. Oedipus reacts with fear and astonishment that the oracle was true after all this time. He couldn't believe that after all this time that he was the son of Laius this whole time. Now the oracle is all clear to him.