The critical reading of Oedipus Rex, its comparison with Thucydides history, as well as the systematic review of the existing historical data, lead us to strongly suggest that this epidemic, for which the name Plague of Thebes may be used, was an actual historical fact, likely caused by B. abortus. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. "What is the reason for the plague in Thebes in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex?" The reference to the Sphinx reminds the audience that Oedipus is a genuine hero. They want King Oedipus to save the city. Data is collected weekly and does not include downloads and attachments. Oedipus asks the priests why they have come. A Summary and Analysis of the Oedipus Myth - Interesting Literature Sophocles seizes every opportunity to exploit this dramatic irony. Oedipus then advises his subjects to search and apprehend the murderer before he consults with the blind seer, Teiresias, who cautions Oedipus about searching for the truth. The citizens carry branches wrapped in wool, which they offer to the gods as gifts. Want 100 or more? Eventually the city was infected by a plague. An oracle warned Laius, the king of Thebes prior to Oedipus, that his son would murder him. $24.99 Theseus and the Chorus exit toward Athens; Antigone and Ismene head for Thebes. The audience is not surprised, therefore, but is watching Oedipus intently for the dawning realization that he himself is the source of the pollution and the plague. Finally, he answers that the child came from the house of Laius. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the warning, Theseus agrees to help Oedipus. Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unsterilized milk or meat from infected cows or close contact with their secretions. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. C. The sphinx was terrorizing Thebes, so citizens couldn't investigate. The priest responds that the city is dying and asks the king to save Thebes. Oedipus zealously takes up the case, and questions the blind prophet Tiresias, only to hear that he, Oedipus, is the canker in the . Theseus promises Oedipus that he will get his daughters back. Creon, the brother of Jocasta, has learned from soothsayers that the city is being punished for harboring the murderer of the late King Laius. Free trial is available to new customers only. According to the World Health Organization, an epidemic is defined as a disease outbreak and, therefore, the occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined community, geographic area, or season (15). It is an unfair punishment over the sins of one man (Chapter 22 . Saving Lives, Protecting People, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece (A.A. Kousoulis, K.P. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Oedipus castigates the citizens of Thebes for letting the murderer go unknown so long. 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. Terrible thunder sounds, and the Chorus cries out in horror. Credit: Wikipedia/Public domain. The plot - an old myth already known to most of the audience - was . 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. Photo courtesy Effie Poulakou-Rebelakou. In the first scene of the play, Sophocles presents the basic social and historical axes around which he will unfold the plot. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Best Answer. He inadvertently killed his father, solved the riddle of the Sphinx, and became king of Thebes. This fact has been used to suggest that there is no connection between the plague in Thebes and the plague in Athens. Jocasta rejoices, convinced that Polybuss death from natural causes has disproved the prophecy that Oedipus would murder his father. 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). Homer related that Oedipus's wife and mother hanged herself when the truth of their relationship became known, though Oedipus apparently continued to rule at Thebes until his death. In Oedipus Rex the plague is a miasma that destroys everything, rather than just a disease. Oedipus the King: The Story of the Consequences of a Curse Placed on It should be noted that exploring the diseases of history requires examining the social, economic, and demographic aspects of each era because this is the only way to better understand how diseases work over centuries (10). M.A. Creon informs King Oedipus that until the killer of King Laius is identified, the plague cannot be ended. 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). plague; the plague in Thebes has three features which are closely associated with supernatural forces and appear in re-ligious contexts. No one responds, and Oedipus furiously curses Laiuss murderer and anyone who is protecting him. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Continue to start your free trial. Seven Against Thebes, in Greek mythology, the seven champions who were killed fighting against Thebes after the fall of Oedipus, the king of that city. Renews March 10, 2023 Tiresias responds cryptically, lamenting his ability to see the truth when the truth brings nothing but pain. The priest begs Oedipus to help the city and rescue it from the clutches of famine, fire, and plague. Sophocles - Oedipus Rex, Prologue | Genius What is the reason for the plague in Thebes in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex The ultimate goals of our study were to clarify whether the plague described in Oedipus Rex could reflect an actual historical event, compare it with the plague of Athens, which was described by the historian Thucydides as occurring not long before the time that Sophocles work appeared (4), and propose the most likely causative pathogen. Oedipus interrogates him, asking who gave him the baby. Name: Ariel De Lucas `Oedipus Rex Guided Reading Notes DIRECTIONS: As we read the tragic play Oedipus Rex together, complete the following notes. Oedipus is so competent in the affairs of men that he comes close to dismissing the gods, although he does not actually blaspheme, as Creon does in Antigone. 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 . Tiresias tragically reveals to Oedipus that the king himself is the cause (since he had killed King Laius). Oedipus promises to solve the mystery of Laiuss death, vowing to curse and drive out the murderer. Oedipus sends Creon to Delphi to consult the oracle, or priestess, there, about the cause of the plague in Thebes. SparkNotes PLUS Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Polybus, is dead, and that Corinth has asked Oedipus to come and rule there in his place. The Sphinx had the city under a spell. At the start of the play, the city of Thebes is suffering terribly. 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). 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). $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Oedipus replies that he sees and understands the terrible fate of Thebes, and that no one is more sorrowful than he. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Many people are falling ill, and Oedipus begins to believe that there is a divine cause for the plague. The aforementioned aspects strongly support the notion that the disease was incurable at this time. The words of Tiresias strike fear into the hearts of Creon and the people of Thebes, and Creon reluctantly goes to free Antigone from the tomb where she has been imprisoned. . Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Oedipus Plays! 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). Theseus does in fact return with Oedipuss daughters shortly. The limp marks Oedipus's fate, even though he does not know it yet. The Theban Plays Oedipus the King (or Oedipus Rex) is one of three surviving plays by Sophocles centering on the Greek myth of Oedipus (EHD ih puhs), king of Thebes; the other two are Oedipus at . How Did Oedipus First Save Thebes? - Reference In their final words, the chorus reminds the audience that it was Oedipus who solved the riddle of the sphinx. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. He asks that they provide him with a proper burial should he die in battle. Oblivious to the truth, King Oedipus sets to find It bemoans the state of Thebes, and finally invokes Dionysus, whose mother was a Theban. 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. Arriving at Thebes, Oedipus was confronted by the Sphinx: a monster that was half woman and half lion. Oedipus the King opens with a priest describing the terrible plague that has come upon Thebes and begging Oedipus for help. Oedipus replies that he already sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle at Delphi to learn how to help the city. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. We adopted a critical approach to Oedipus Rex in analyzing the literary description of the disease, unraveling its clinical features, and defining a possible underlying cause. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. . Oedipus In Greek mythology and literature, son of Laius (king of Thebes) and Jocasta; father of Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles and Polynices by his own mother. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Oedipus sends for the man who survived the attack, a shepherd, in the hope that he will not be identified as the murderer. Who is Oedipus' Father? | Laius in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex - Study.com The story of Oedipus is perhaps the most tragic story of ancient Greece.The mythological character was the king of Thebes and lived under the shadow of a curse that could not be avoided to the end of his days. Subscribe now. . "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." However, with his excavations in Troy, which used the Iliad as a guide, Schlieman provided a perfect example of how literary work can have a factual base (16). Creon condemns both Antigone and Ismene to death. Creon decides to pardon Ismene, but vows to kill Antigone by walling her up alive in a tomb. Creon, covetous of royal power, is all too happy to oblige. There was an unexpected error. Immediately following the ode, Oedipus enters and says that he will answer the Choruss prayers. As the protagonist approached his tragic catharsis, the moral order much desired by the ancient Greeks was restored with the end of the epidemic. He prays for the safety of his sisters and then leaves for Thebes. 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. As Eteocles' turn came first, Polyneices withdrew to . However, taking into account that in modern times brucellosis in humans is a severe granulomatous disease characterized by extremely rare direct transmission from person-to-person, insidious onset in sporadic cases (mainly among veterinarians), and low mortality rates, it may be difficult for 21st century physicians and veterinarians to accept B. abortus as the causative agent of the plague of Thebes. Oedipus the King: What is the significance of the plays title? 2 (CC) BY-NC-SA, Ian Johnston 2004 1 Cadmus: legendary founder of 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. 3. Economopoulos, E. Poulakou-Rebelakou, G. Androutsos, S. Tsiodras), Society of Junior Doctors, Athens (A.A. Kousoulis, K.P. The story of Oedipus begins in Thebes, the Greek city founded by Cadmus, at a time when Laius had been restored to the throne.Laius would wed Jocasta, sister to Creon, and descendant of one of the Spartoi, but almost immediately a prophecy was made that said that the son of Laius . SparkNotes PLUS At the beginning of the play, Thebes is struck with a terrible plague that ravishes the city, forcing citizens to petition King Oedipus to deliver them from the horrible epidemic. Consequently, a solution for the situation is requested from the oracle at Delphi (lines 6872), while the Chorus plead for Athena, Zeus, Artemis, and Apollo to save the town from the disaster (lines 160165) (2,3). Thebes has been struck by a plague, the citizens are dying, and no one knows how to put an end to it. But his change of heart comes too late. Ismenus: A temple to Apollo Ismenios where burnt offerings were the basis for the priest's . A somewhat similar example is that of archeologist Heinrich Schlieman; before Schlieman, the writings of Homer had been considered a collection of mythological poems. 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 date of the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles. Creon was told by Apollo that in order to be free of the plague, they must "Pay the killers back- whoever is responsible" (Sophocles 1430). Creon asks Oedipus if he wants to hear the news in private, but Oedipus insists that all the citizens hear. In lines 167215 the Chorus stays on stage to summarize the situation and beg for salvation (2,3). Week 6 Summary and Response - Katlynn Havens Humanities 201 11/28/ Week 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). PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Sophocles describes the main characteristics of the epidemic through sporadic sentences. Guilt sits with regard to actionin the case of Oedipus, the action of killing his father and marrying his mother. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! The people of Thebes honored and worshipped the gods, surely there is an easier way to play detective. The play has been labeled an analytical tragedy, meaning that the crucial events which dominate the play have happened in the past (2,3).
Austin Brown Olena Noelle Split,
How Did Mccall's Wife Die In Equalizer,
Articles W