Oedipus Rex/Oedipus the King Scene 1 Summary
Oedipus Rex/Oedipus the King was written by Sophocles and is a Greek ancient tragedy. I'll provide an author's note at the end. Let's learn the summary of the play's first section.
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Scene 1 summary:
In the beginning of this play, it is told that a plague was present in Thebes. The citizens of the city gathered outside the palace of their king, Oedipus, and requested him to take some action to solve their issue. Their king replied that he already sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle at Delphi to learn how to help the city. Creon returned with the oracle's message. According to the message, the plague could be ended with the banishment of the person who murdered Laius, the former king of Thebes. Oedipus questioned Creon about the murder of Laius and was informed that the king was murdered on his way to consult an oracle. Only one of his fellow travellers could save his life. On hearing this, Oedipus promised to solve the mystery of the king's murder, cursed the criminal, and vowed to expel the murderer from the city.
Then, Oedipus demanded the assistance of a blind prophet, Tiresias, to solve the mystery of the murder. The prophet refused to tell him the truth at first because of the pain that the truth could bring for Oedipus. However, when Oedipus cursed and insulted the old man and even uttered that the prophet was the murderer he was looking for, Tieresias had to tell him the truth in anger. The prophet stated that Oedipus was the murderer he was looking for. Oedipus refused to believe in his words and accused the prophet and Creon of the conspiracy against him for their mutual benefit. The king also charged Tiersias with insanity.
Oedipus asked why the prophet couldn't assist Thebes when Sphinx (a monster) attacked it. He also bragged about his ability to solve the puzzle of the monster. Tieresias defended his skill as a prophet by stating that the king's parents found him to be a credible man. At this mention, Oedipus asked the prophet how he knew about his parents. But the prophet did not respond him clearly. However, before the departure, Tiresias uttered that the murderer of Laius was the father and brother of his children and the son of his wife. The scene comes to an end afterwards.
Introduction of Sophocles:
Sophocles was born in 496 BC in Colonus and died in 406 BC in Athens. He was a Greek playwright. With Aeschylus and Euripides, he was one of the three famous tragic playwriters of classical Athens. Also, he is highly popular for some of his plays that include Oedipus Rex, Electra, and Antigone.