Oedipus Rex

That she arranges to kill her own child, marries her own son and tries to block a murder investigation are Jocasta's problems in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Queen Jocasta arranges to have her own son killed in order to prevent his growing up to kill his father and his sovereign. But the three-day-old Oedipus escapes death. He grows up to marry Jocasta, the widowed queen of King Laius. He heads a murder investigation whose course Jocasta tries to block when she realizes that Oedipus is her son and her husband's killer.

It is during Oedipus' interrogation that the shepherd reveals Oedipus' identity in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the Theban shepherd is Queen Jocasta's most trusted servant and the Corinthian messenger's former colleague. His presence is requested to tell what he remembers about the fatal attack on Jocasta's first husband King Laius. But he also knows about Oedipus' true parentage, which is the topic of conversation when he finally gets to the palace.

The attitude and personality of Sophocles (495 B.C.E.* - 406 B.C.E.) may be seen through the comments of the chorus. At first, the chorus is supportive of Theban King Creon. They respond to the King's decreed non-burial of the enemy dead with the comment that Creon "...hast power...to take what order thou will, both for the dead, and for all in who live." Next, they express disquiet over the illegal burial of Polyneices with the question, "O king, my thoughts have long been whispering, can this deed, perchance, be e'en the work of gods?" Then they become cautious in the face of death's inevitability, and the remembrance of both manmade laws and god-given justice.

The chorus always take a judgmental stance regarding Antigone, because of her inflexible passion and rash, foolhardy speech. They go on to being observant of the nature of divine and human interactions: "Nothing that is vast enters into the life of mortals without a curse." They even may be said to see mortals as the toy of the gods to be tempted, cursed, and punished. Indeed, their matter-of-fact observation is coupled with an agreeing to the importance of obedience, and to the replaceability and questionable nature of women.

The attitude of the chorus becomes conciliatory over the conversation between Theban King Creon and his son Haemon. They note, "...on both parts there hath been wise speech." But it quickly shifts to warning against the "fierce" passions of youth regarding Haemon, the stubbornness regarding the King, and the inexorable workings of fate particularly in response to pride.

It is because he believes they do not help him that Oedipus becomes angry with his sons in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Oedipus loses his home, his job, his spouse and his vision. His twin sons Eteocles and Polyneices inherit the throne despite their father's criminal acts and immoral behavior. Oedipus thinks that as royals and his successors that they can, but do not, ease his suffering as a blind exile.

It is as the wisest of men that the priest describes Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the priest of Zeus characterizes Theban King Oedipus as the savior of Thebes. He describes Oedipus as divinely favored in wisdom. He gives an example Oedipus' defeat of the seemingly invincible Sphinx.

Yes, the setting of the play "Antigone" can be different.

Specifically, the concerns that the play addresses are timeless in when they can take place. They also are universal in where they can take place. So just about any time period, set or location may be used.

Because he himself is the accused, Oedipus doubts what Teiresias says about the identity of Laius' murderer in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Oedipus arrives in Thebes after the death of Theban King Laius. So he does not remember ever meeting his royal predecessor. He therefore doubts that he can be identified and punished as Laius' murderer.

Yes, Creon is admirable in action and wish when compared to those of Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon defers to royal and divine authority. He never disrespects King Oedipus, his brother-in-law and royal colleague, even when the latter threatens him with execution. He even grants Oedipus' wishes to meet with his daughters even though Oedipus is supposed to placed under immediate house arrest and solitary confinement for criminal acts and immoral behavior.

It is for a royal audience that Thebans gather in front of the palace in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the priest of Zeus and Theban suppliants have altars set up outside the doors to the main entrance of the Theban royal palace. They also indicate their desire for a royal audience by carrying branches decorated with laurel garlands and wool. The altars, the branches and the gathering make Theban King Oedipus aware of the people's need to meet about a pressing concern.

Laius and Jocasta are Oedipus' parents in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban monarchs Laius and Jocasta are parents to just one son, Oedipus. They become frightened over a prophecy that Oedipus will grow up to kill his father. They therefore hand their three-day-old infant over to be killed by the weather and wildlife outside their hometown of Thebes. It is unknown whether or not they even try to have other children.

The main conflict in 'Antigone' is the controversy over respect for divine and mortal authority. That conflict initially is resolved with Antigone's death. But the spin offs of that conflict in terms of Thebans and their city require the carrying out of the blind prophet Teiresias' recommendations and the ultimate exile of Theban King Creon.

Additionally, there are hierarchical questions in terms of respect for mortal authorities and family heads. For example, Creon doesn't cooperate with Teiresias, who deserves respect as the prophet of Thebes. Ismene doesn't cooperate with Antigone, who deserves respect as the elder sister. Haemon doesn't cooperate with Creon, who deserves respect as father and sovereign. Nor does Theban Queen Eurydice cooperate with Creon, who deserves respect as husband and sovereign.

In the first two cases, the conflict is resolved somewhat peaceably. So Creon tries to right the wrongs that he has done in not letting Polyneices' body be buried and in sentencing Antigone to death. Ismene likewise tries to make up for her initial lack of support by siding publicly with the arrested, tried and sentenced Antigone.

In the second two cases, the conflict is resolved violently. Haemon chooses to commit suicide rather than live one more minute without Antigone and under his father's harsh, godless rule. Eurydice likewise chooses to kill herself rather than live one more minute without her son and with her insensitive husband.

Order to have him killed is what Laius does when he learns his child's fate in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Laius hears the prophecy that his son will grow up to kill him. It is far more serious for a child to kill his father than vice versa in ancient Greece. Laius therefore tells his wife, Queen Jocasta, to kill their three-day-old infant son Oedipus.

His parents' true identity is what the herdsman finally tells Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, there are two herdsmen. The Corinthian shepherd turned messenger reveals that Theban King Oedipus is not the biological son of Corinthian monarchs Polybus and Merope. The Theban shepherd says that Queen Jocasta is Oedipus' mother and that King Laius is his father.

Thebes is important as the setting for "Oedipus Rex" since it is a city whose royal family is cursed by the gods and because Oedipus therefore will be the most recent victim of that curse.

Specifically, Thebes is cursed since the time of Cadmus, the city's founder and first king. Even though he is the paternal grandson of the sea god Poseidon and the maternal and paternal great great grandson of the mother goddess Gaia, Cadmus is cursed for killing a dragon sacred to the gods. That original curse is compounded by additional cursesfrom the wine god Dionysus for perceived disrespct by Cadmus' son Polydorus and grandson Labdacus. Consequently, Labdacus' son Laius, grandson Oedipus, and great grandchildren Eteocles and Polyneices will suffer the worst of all in son killing father and brother killing brother until the cumulative curses exhaust themselves.

His wife's golden brooches are what Oedipus uses to gouge out his eyes in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Oedipus thinks that blinding himself may give him insights that he misses with physical sight. He selects as the weapon the golden brooches holding together the robes of Queen Jocasta, his wife and mother. It is symbolic since the brooches are supposed to limit access of Jocasta's body to her husband and not make it at all available to her son.

That whoever has information but does not share and that whoever harbors or helps the guilty in Laius' murder will be executed or exiled is Oedipus' proclamation in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the Apolline oracle says that the pestilence ravaging Thebes will end with the identification and punishment of the guilty in Theban King Laius' murder. King Oedipus thinks that expanding the scope of punishment may encourage Thebans to help him get this murder mystery solved and the pestilence ended. He therefore wants Thebans to know that he means business and that he will hound and punish guilty and accessories alike even should they be found within the royal household.

The Sphinx is the mythical beast that proposes a riddle to Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the Sphinx is a gruesome combination of body parts from a woman and from wildlife. She has a hostile attitude to mortals, whom she likes to kill and eat fresh. She originally comes to ancient Greece from Egypt or Ethiopia.

Ankle rods, lustral water, oracle, pestilence and Sphinxare five terms whose meanings may be unfamiliar to the audience of "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, rods are run through ankles for ease in immobilizing, moving and throwing bodies. Lustral water is holy water that is blessed by priests and offered to the gods. Oracles predict the future and explain past, present and future events. Pestilence serves as another word for epidemic. The Sphinx unites disparate animal and human body parts into one unusual creature that has a human head, a lion's body and a raptor's wings.

The last day of Oedipus' life is the temporal setting of "Oedipus at Colonus" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Sophocles respects the unities of time, plot and place in ancient Greek drama by having a problem raised and solved in one onstage location within a 24-hour period. The time period therefore is the last 24 hour stretch in the life of disgraced former Theban King Oedipus. In terms of a specific date, no information is given, but it may be guesstimated to the thirteenth (13th) century B.C.E. since Oedipus is the grandfather of Thersander, King of Thebes and contemporary to if not participant in the Trojan War.