eNotes Editorial, 3 Jan. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-reason-plague-thebes-sophocles-oedipus-rex-662761. The Oedipus Plays Oedipus the King, lines 1-337 Summary & Analysis 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. Economopoulos, E. Poulakou-Rebelakou, G. Androutsos, S. Tsiodras), Society of Junior Doctors, Athens (A.A. Kousoulis, K.P. Oedipus steps out of the royal palace of Thebes and is greeted by a procession of priests, who are in turn surrounded by the impoverished and sorrowful citizens of Thebes. In the city of Thebes, there is a plague of infertility that strikes. Oedipus interrogates him, asking who gave him the baby. He calls it a plague that disrupts the production of humans and crops. Oedipus asks Theseus to harbor him in Athens until his death, but warns that by doing him this favor, Theseus will incur the wrath of Thebes. Terrible thunder sounds, and the Chorus cries out in horror. Oedipus limps because Laius and Jocasta (who he doesn't know are his parents) pinned his ankles together when he was an infant to thwart the prophecy that he would kill Laius (they failed). Oedipus sends Creon to Delphi to consult the oracle, or priestess, there, about the cause of the plague in Thebes. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Sophocles and The Oedipus Plays Background. (one code per order). 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. The shepherd then enters. The play has been labeled an analytical tragedy, meaning that the crucial events which dominate the play have happened in the past (2,3). The Oedipus Trilogy Timeline | Preceden Oedipus, stunned, tells his wife that he may be the one who murdered Laius. The plague of Athens: epidemiology and paleopathology. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Hence, the citizens of Thebes were often called children of Cadmus or Cadmeians. He has the answers Oedipus is looking for, and can help cure the plague, but, rather than . Blind and frail, he walks with the help of his daughter, Antigone. Classical Literature Quiz: Oedipus Rex By Sophocles $24.99 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). In fact, it is noteworthy that there is no other historic or poetic reference that links Ares to the spreading of a disease (4). The Sphinx placed a great plague over Thebes and refused to remove it until someone correctly answered its riddle. Historical certainty can be added by studying the alliances and the warfare involving Thebes during the era of Sophocles (e.g., Boeotian prefecture, Athenian dynasty, Spartan alliance, Persian wars) (14). Message not sent. plague; the plague in Thebes has three features which are closely associated with supernatural forces and appear in re-ligious contexts. He has sent Creon, his brother-in-law and fellow ruler, to the Delphic oracle to find out how to stop the plague. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. A Summary and Analysis of the Oedipus Myth - Interesting Literature Purchasing He tells Jocasta that, long ago, when he was the prince of Corinth, he overheard someone mention at a banquet that he was not really the son of the king and queen. Creon, the brother of Jocasta, has learned from soothsayers that the city is being punished for harboring the murderer of the late King Laius. Oedipus the King: The Story of the Consequences of a Curse Placed on Oedipus asks why the Thebans made no attempt to find the murderers, and Creon reminds him that Thebes was then more concerned with the curse of the Sphinx. The particularity of this reference (4), it seems that Sophocles correlates the epidemic that strikes Thebes with the plague of Athens, which, according to Thucydides, came about as a result of the Peloponnesian War (5). There is a plague in Thebes, and many people are dying. The following 5 points support this correlation. Tiresias responds cryptically, lamenting his ability to see the truth when the truth brings nothing but pain. This is presented to the audience through the dialogue between Oedipus, the king, and the Priest (167). 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 Rex Quotes Project - 900 Words | Internet Public Library Can you give me more details about the plague? | Oedipus Rex or Oedipus From the start of the drama, the plague in Thebes is a serious matter, as in line 23 where it is referred to as weltering surge of blood ( ). Oedipus, Bad Leadership, and the Plague. - Medium But the shepherd pitied the child, and decided that the prophecy could be avoided just as well if the child were to grow up in a foreign city, far from his true parents. Before the palace of Oedipus, King of Thebes. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Sophocles is one of the most noted playwrights of the ancient world and, along with Aeschylus and Euripides, belongs to the trinity of the Attic tragedians who flourished during the golden century of Pericles in Athens (Figure 1). Although the Choruss first ode (168244) piously calls to the gods to save Thebes from the plague, the answer they get to their prayer arrives in human form. 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. The lethality of this epidemic is particularly terrifying for the protagonists of the play, and the diseases severity is evinced by the first sentences of the tragedy (reek of incense everywhere, line 4). This hypothesis regarding the source of the disease seems the most reasonable in medical terms, contrary to the philological approach, which declares that the epidemic derived from the gods. Plagues follow bad leadership in ancient Greek tales Oedipus asks the citizens to stop praying and focus on finding the cure (lines 142146) (2,3). A plague followed and the stage was set for the action of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Our goals were to clarify whether the plague described in Oedipus Rex reflects an actual historical event; to compare it with the plague of Athens, which was described by Thucydides as occurring around the same time Sophocles wrote; and to propose a likely causative pathogen. -Graham S. Oedipus is a hero and a man of action. Sophocles describes the main characteristics of the epidemic through sporadic sentences. Oedipus - Wikipedia Immediately following the ode, Oedipus enters and says that he will answer the Choruss prayers. 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). Oedipus now emerges from the palace, bleeding and begging to be exiled. Sophocles - Oedipus Rex, Prologue | Genius A plague has stricken Thebes. A central door and two lateral doors open onto a platform which runs the length of the facade. The chorus, which represents the elders of Thebes, appeals to the gods as the agents of fate and rulers of the world to save the city. Credit: Wikipedia/Public domain. Thucydides and Sophocles use similar terms when describing attempts to deal with the epidemic. When the seer Teiresias warns him not to investigate the matter any further, Oedipus pushes his advice aside. Theseus promises Oedipus that he will get his daughters back. Shame was believed to have real-world consequences. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. At the beginning of Sophocles'Oedipus Rex,there issterility and a plague at Thebes. Summary of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) - Literary English Oedipus saved Thebes by answering correctly, "Man, who crawls in infancy, walks upright in his prime, and leans on a cane in old age." Outraged, the Sphinx destroyed herself, and Oedipus became King of Thebes The Chorus enters, calling on the gods Apollo, Athena, and Artemis to save Thebes. Oedipus acts quickly to find the killer. Instant PDF downloads. (Spoiler alert: It's his own bad leadership.) The gods serve punishment for Oedipus's guilt by inflicting a plague on Thebes. Contact us Oedipus encountered the Sphinx and quickly realized that the answer was "man". PROLOGUE / THE SCENE. The priest glorifies his honor and describes that a plague is destroying the whole city: blight in the city causing famine and sickness. A., Economopoulos, K. P., Poulakou-Rebelakou, E., Androutsos, G., & Tsiodras, S. (2012). Oedipus and the Plague: The Will to Endure If you are present, being an active listener, and taking part in class discussions, you will be able to complete all of this in class. The twins Eteocles and Polyneices, who had been cursed by their father, Oedipus, failed to agree on which of them was to succeed to the Theban throne and decided to rule in alternate years. Oedipus the King opens with a priest describing the terrible plague that has come upon Thebes and begging Oedipus for help. Comment submitted successfully, thank you for your feedback. The Plague in the Land of Thebes. Eventually the city was infected by a plague. The knowledge of the existence of a highly contagious and fatal disease is phrased clearly in these rhymes, strongly suggesting that Thebans were aware of the oncomingmost possibly from the adjacent city of Athensdanger (24). Free trial is available to new customers only. One such instance of this irony is when Oedipus proclaims proudlybut, for the audience, painfullythat he possesses the bed of the former king, and that marriage might have even created blood-bonds between him and Laius had Laius not been murdered (294300).