Sophocles seizes every opportunity to exploit this dramatic irony. Sophocles told how Oedipus was saved from death as an infant and raised in Corinth. Oedipus promises to solve the mystery of Laiuss death, vowing to curse and drive out the murderer. What is the cause of the plague in Thebes quizlet? Hence, the citizens of Thebes were often called children of Cadmus or Cadmeians. Creon enters, carrying Haemons body and wailing against his own tyranny, which he knows has caused his sons death. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. 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. He prays for the safety of his sisters and then leaves for Thebes. In line 28 the word plague () appears for the first time, with the Greek word for disease () being used in lines 150, 217, and 303 (2,3). Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. 6. Creon asks him his opinion on the issue. A plague has stricken Thebes. Creon curses him and threatens to slay Antigone before his very eyes. The king has already taken some action to deal with this harm by sending his brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle at Delphi to ask for a salvation plan (lines 6872). Apparently, the gods have punished Thebes for the cruel murder of the former King Laius. The priest glorifies his honor and describes that a plague is destroying the whole city: blight in the city causing famine and sickness. In fact, it is noteworthy that there is no other historic or poetic reference that links Ares to the spreading of a disease (4). He knows that the city is sick with plague. creating and saving your own notes as you read. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Sophocles, a preeminent ancient Greek tragedian, authored plays that have enthralled audiences for over two thousand years. 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. Soon, a nervous sentry arrives at the palace to tell Creon that, while the sentries slept, someone gave Polynices burial rites. 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). Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. New Plague in Thebes 560 BCE % complete There is a new plague in Thebes. Discount, Discount Code Just then, Creon arrives, and Oedipus asks what the oracle has said. Oedipus swears he will never give his support to either of his sons, for they did nothing to prevent his exile years ago. He has already sent Creon to ask the Delphic Oracle's advice. In a moving speech, a priest tells Oedipus the city's woes: the crops are ruined, cattle are sick, women die in labor and children are stillborn, and people are perishing from the plague. Sophocles, one of the most noted playwrights of the ancient world, wrote the tragedy Oedipus Rex in the first half of the decade 430420 bc. Theseus returns to the stage, asking the daughters to stop their weeping. Oedipus the King. According to the Oracle, Apollo regards religious or moral pollution (miasma) resulting from the murder of the former king, Laius,to be the cause of the plague and that the cause of it (i.e. 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). 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). At the beginning of the play Oedipus Rex, Thebes is being devastated by a city-wide plague. Oedipus the King opens with a priest describing the terrible plague that has come upon Thebes and begging Oedipus for help. The Leader of the Chorus suggests that Oedipus call for Tiresias, a great prophet, and Oedipus responds that he has already done so. A., Economopoulos, K. P., Poulakou-Rebelakou, E., Androutsos, G., & Tsiodras, S. (2012). Then, before leaving the stage, Tiresias puts forth one last riddle, saying that the murderer of Laius will turn out to be both father and brother to his own children, and the son of his own wife. Figure 1. The date of the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles. They plead to see their fathers tomb, but Theseus insists that Oedipus has forbidden it. The Chorus calls on various Olympians to aid Thebes. Answer: Oedipus married his mother. Before the palace of Oedipus, King of Thebes. Q. Oedipus sends for Tiresias who reveals that Oedipus is the cause of the plague. Subscribe now. A blight, the priest tells Oedipus, has destroyed their crops and livestock - and even rendered their women sterile, unable to have children. 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. What is the conflict or problem the people of Thebes face as the play opens? He praises Oedipus' intellect in solving the riddle of the Sphinx. Oedipus castigates the citizens of Thebes for letting the murderer go unknown so long. Jocasta tells him that Laius was killed at a three-way crossroads, just before Oedipus arrived in Thebes. Oedipus, now blind, entrusting his children to the gods. Having just escaped the Sphinx, searching out Laius's murderer seemed impossible to Creon. A plague besets the city, and Oedipus enters to find a priest and crowd of children praying to the gods to free them from the curse. Best Answer. Polynices, realizing he will never win his fathers support, turns to his sisters. Creon informs King Oedipus that until the killer of King Laius is identified, the plague cannot be ended. An oracle warned Laius, the king of Thebes prior to Oedipus, that his son would murder him. Regarding the plays approach to treatment of the disease, reading through the drama we once again come across with the theocratic perceptions of ancient Greece. Creon kneels and prays that he, too, might die. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! 276-379: The blind priest Tiresias has information about the plague, which he refuses to divulge. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Oedipus sends for the man who survived the attack, a shepherd, in the hope that he will not be identified as the murderer. Oedipus is notable for his compassion, his sense of justice, his swiftness of thought and action, and his candor. 2 Pallas: Pallas Athena. The blight Dr Kousoulis is a research assistant in the History of Medicine Department of the University of Athens and the general secretary of the Society of Junior Doctors. Blind and frail, he walks with the help of his daughter, Antigone. Sophocles audience knew the ancient story of Oedipus well, and would therefore interpret the greatness Oedipus exudes in the first scene as a tragic harbinger of his fall. During the time the play is set, Laius is deceased, but he is a critical . . Yet in saying he would fight for Laius as if he were his own father, Oedipus further displays his own blindness to the truth. Pedagogical Institute, Hellenic Ministry of Education. Creon asks Oedipus if he wants to hear the news in private, but Oedipus insists that all the citizens hear. oedipus s position in thebes ii his certainty of his own innocence iii. In Oedipus Rex, how does Oedipus's tragic flaw lead to his downfall? Finally, Oedipus is vehement in his promises of dire punishment for Laiuss murderer, even if the murderer turns out to be someone close to Oedipus himself. . In this way Theseus and his heirs may always rule over a safe city. Creon reports that the gods have caused this plague in response to the murder of Laius, the previous king of Thebes, and they demand that the murderer ("the pollution of this land") be killed or exiled. Data is collected weekly and does not include downloads and attachments. PART I: Before Reading STATEMENT RESPONSE (3-5 sentences) It is important to know who we truly are, where we came . The messenger remarks that Oedipus need not worry, because Polybus and his wife, Merope, are not Oedipuss biological parents. 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. Contact us Oedipuss wife, Jocasta (also the widow of King Laius), enters and asks why the men shout at one another. PROLOGUE / THE SCENE. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. When Creon retells the story of Laiuss murder, Oedipus is shocked and dismayed that the investigation of the murder of a king was so swiftly dropped (145147). Given the potential medical interest of Oedipus Rex, we decided to adopt a critical perspective by analyzing the literary descriptions of the plague, unraveling its clinical features, defining the underlying cause, and discussing possible therapeutic options. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. on 50-99 accounts. Oedipus, king of Thebes, is determined to find out the cause of the plague ravishing the city, little suspecting the cause is him. It bemoans the state of Thebes, and finally invokes Dionysus, whose mother was a Theban. Oedipus arrives in Thebes, solves the riddle of the Sphinx, and is made their king. It is an unfair punishment over the sins of one man (Chapter 22 . The plague in Oedipus Rex is not just a disease that is making people sick, but it is actually ruining . Comment submitted successfully, thank you for your feedback. The shepherd therefore passed the boy on to the shepherd in Corinth. The first event that elicits emotions of fear and pity is found in the prologue where the people of Thebes suffer from a plague. Oedipus sends Creon to Delphi to consult the oracle, or priestess, there, about the cause of the plague in Thebes. 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 reference to the Sphinx reminds the audience that Oedipus is a genuine hero. 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. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! 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 . Oedipus, the king of Thebes, has sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the house of Apollo to ask the oracle how to end the plague. When Oedipus discovers the truth of his actions, he is wrought with horror and self-loathing. Oedipus, King of Thebes, sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to ask the advice of the oracle at Delphi, concerning a plague ravaging Thebes. The opening of the drama, with the city of Thebes in the midst of plague has often been, historically, taken as a reference to the plague that devastated Athens in the opening years of the Peloponnesian War and has been used to assist in the dating of this play (13). Oedipus' wife and mother hanged themselves when the truth of their relationship was known, although Oedipus continued to rule Thabs until his death. A. Oedipus curses himself, proclaiming that should he discover the murderer to be a member of his own family, that person should be struck by the same exile and harsh treatment that he has just wished on the murderer. Tiresias defends his skills as a prophet, noting that Oedipuss parents found him trustworthy. 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. The shepherd refuses to disclose anything, and Oedipus threatens him with torture. Despite his anger and harshness, Oedipus is a noble figure because he really does feel the grief of his people and is utterly single-minded in tracking down the source of their distress. Another example of Oedipus's strong leadership. 2012;18(1):153-157. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1801.ad1801. Greek audiences would have known the Oedipus story, and so in this scene Oedipus would seem to be describing his own fate, or even bringing this fate upon himself. The citizens gather outside the palace of their king, Oedipus, asking him to take action. This article is republished from The Conversation.Read the original article.. Creon now rules the city, and he has ordered that Polynices, who brought a foreign army against Thebes, not be allowed proper burial rites. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Creon returns, bearing good news: once the killer of the previous king, Laius, is found, Thebes will be cured of the plague (Laius was Jocasta's husband before she married Oedipus). Eventually the city was infected by a plague. After much prodding from Oedipus, Tiresias claims that Oedipus is the source of . 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 mortality rate for untreated brucellosis is difficult to determine from the literature of the preantibiotic era (6); nevertheless, an 80% rate has been reported in situations of comorbidity with endocarditis (7). The citizens carry branches wrapped in wool, which they offer to the gods as gifts. The stage directions state that. His primary research interests include history of medicine, medical sociology, and epidemiology. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. 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. King Theseus arrives and says that he pities Oedipus for the fate that has befallen him, and he asks how he can help Oedipus. 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. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Jocasta tells him that Laius was killed at a three-way crossroads, just before Oedipus arrived in Thebes. Saving Lives, Protecting People, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece (A.A. Kousoulis, K.P. 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. 20% Now "a black sea of terror" has overwhelmed him because he was all too successful in solving this latest riddle of the pestilence upon Thebes. In this case scenario, we could assume that cattle in Thebes may have been having brucellosis, leptospirosis, or listeriosis, while humans could have been affected by a different pathogen such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (8,9). 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). You'll also receive an email with the link. Surely it suggests exactly the opposite. At the beginning of Sophocles'Oedipus Rex,there issterility and a plague at Thebes. 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. Creon goes on to tell the story of Laiuss murder. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. 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). His guards lead him back into the palace. 2 oedipus rex study guide practice test questions final . Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. Why was there a terrible plague in Thebes? Ace your assignments with our guide to The Oedipus Plays! Realizing who he is and who his parents are, Oedipus screams that he sees the truth and flees back into the palace.