Oedipus Rex - Sophocles’ masterpiece tragedy

Dr Senarath Tennakoon

‘He, that came seeing, blind shall he go...’ (Oedipus Rex, Sophocles)

Aristotle (384-322BC) described Oedipus Rex as a masterpiece and used it as an example of perfect form (McNamara, 2003). Sophocles (496-404BC) was a dancer, musician and playwright. But he is best known as a writer and great tragedian. He composed around 120 plays which were mostly based on Greek traditional stories. These were written in brilliant verse Oedipus Rex was written in 429BC and till now remains as his best known creation. It forms one of a trilogy known as “The Theban Plays”, the other two being Oedipus at Colonus (401BC) and Antigone (441BC).

According to the legend Laius and Jocasta the childless king and queen of Thebes were warned by god Apollo that their son would kill the father and marry the mother. A son was born to them. But in order to evade Apollo’s prophesy Laius drove a metal pin across the infant’s ankles and handed it to a shepherd and ordered him to leave the infant at the mountain Cithaeron to die of exposure. But the shepherd took pity over the infant and handed it to a shepherd whom he met at the mountain. He was from Corinth on the other side of the mountain. He took the infant and gave it to the childless king and queen of Corinth, Polybus and Merope. The infant was adopted as their son. He was named Oedipus which in Greek meant “swollen foot”.

The infant’s feet have been injured by the pin. While Oedipus grew in Corinth, Laius and Jocasta in Thebes believed that Apollo’s prophesy has been proved false. Oedipus became a young man and one day a drunkard told him that he was not the real son of king Polybus and queen Merope.

Although Polybus and Merope reassured him he was not satisfied/ So he went to Delphi in the north of Greece to ask Apollo about his true parents. The oracle declared that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus was utterly confused and he decided to leave Corinth and on his way reached a place where three main roads met. There he was driven off and attacked by a driver of a chariot. But he fought back and killed an old man in the chariot and his attendants. In the fight only one person escaped. Who took the news to Thebes. The old man who was killed by Oedipus was none other than his real father, Laius, the king of Thebes. But he did not know it. Oedipus continued his way and reached Thebes. He was amazed to find the city people in great fear and distress as a monster called Sphinx – part bird, part lion, part woman – has been killing young men of Thebes. She has been killing them as they could not answer her riddle. The Thebans have offered the throne of Thebes and the hand of the widow queen Jocasta as the reward to any one who could answer the riddle. Oedipus volunteered. The riddle ran like this.

There is a creature who is two footed, four footed and three footed. It has one voice. When it moves with most feet it moves most slowly. Who is this creature?’ Oedipus answered the riddle correctly. It is man as he moves on all fours as a child, on two feet as an adult and uses a walking stick to help him to move about during old age...Oedipus married Jocasta and became king of Thebes. Thus the prophesy was fulfilled. But he did not know that he has killed his father (Laius) and married his mother (Jocasta). He ruled Thebes as a just ruler for many years. He had two daughters and two sons. All went well until a plague broke out when the city people died, the cattle died and the crops rotted (Knox, 1959).

Classical Greek plays arose from the traditional rituals of the Dionysian festival. To begin with there were no actors-just a chorus (0r choir). In 501BC a performer called Thespis was introduced to it, for the purpose of conversing with the chorus. Later during the golden age of classical drama the famous playwright Aeschylus introduced a second actor. Later Sophocles introduced a third actor. All actors wore masks and specific dresses to suit their roles and characters; they wore high boots to make them visible and to emphasize the status of the actor. Each tragedy was structured in the traditional design and Oedipus Rex typically follows the set design.

In the prologos (prologue to begin with a group of elders appear before the Royal Palace of Thebes to complain to Oedipus, the king of a pestilence that is gripping the city. Oedipus already knows about it and he is awaiting the arrival of Creon, his queen’s brother.

To be continued