The following 5 points support this correlation. As the play opens, Oedipus, the king of Thebes, asks from a group of people that why they are gathered there. Another example of Oedipus's strong leadership. Oedipus asks a priest why the citizens have gathered around the palace. Best Answer. Oedipus has a chance to cure the plague in Thebes, and its presented by the legitimate seer, Tiresias. These taunts provoke Tiresias into revealing that Oedipus himself is the murderer. He marries Jocasta, Laius' widow. The blight 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. n/a annes thomas tracy world lit oedipus the king writing assignment there is an old time saying, comes before the pride can lead to downfall. Ismenus: A temple to Apollo Ismenios where burnt offerings were the basis for the priest's . 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. Creons son then took a sword and thrust it at his father. answer choices . They plead to see their fathers tomb, but Theseus insists that Oedipus has forbidden it. Dont have an account? The Sphinx had been terrorizing Thebes for an undisclosed amount of time before Oedipus was able to defeat it. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Oedipus responds by sending his brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle of Apollo to discover how to save Thebes. Unfortunately, the story comes out that Oedipus murdered Laius on the road from Corinth to Thebes, when Laius and his party would not move aside to let him pass. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! Oedipus sends the citizen to fetch Theseus, the king of Athens and its surroundings. 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 Oedipus the King. He ends up blinding himself before being exiled from the city. As the protagonist approached his tragic catharsis, the moral order much desired by the ancient Greeks was restored with the end of the epidemic. Missing, he turned the sword against himself and died embracing Antigones body. Theseus promises Oedipus that he will get his daughters back. Lines 179181 turn out to be of high interest: wasted thus by death on death all our city perishes; corpses spread infection round (2,3). In Oedipus's new kingdom of Thebes, there was a plague that was hurting the kingdom, so Oedipus searched for answers. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Oedipus explains to Jocasta that the prophet has charged him with Laiuss murder, and Jocasta replies that all prophecies are false. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Oedipus replies that he is more eager than anyone to find out the cause of the pollution and remove it. King Oedipus vows to find King Laius's murderer and immediately remove him from Thebes to lift the curse. It is set in the kingdom of Thebes in The pathogen of the plague described in Oedipus Rex reflects the complexity of every historically emerging zoonosis. 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 play shows that one cannot avert one's fate. Latest answer posted September 14, 2020 at 1:34:55 PM. The writing of the tragedy Oedipus the King (original Greek title , most commonly known as Oedipus Rex) is placed in the first half of the decade 430420 bc. WebOedipus is the king of Thebes when the action commences, and one facing the crisis of a plague. 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. Theseus and the Chorus exit toward Athens; Antigone and Ismene head for Thebes. Oedipus then strides off with a sudden strength, taking his daughters and Theseus to his grave. 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. Creon, the brother of Jocasta, has learned from soothsayers that the city is being punished for harboring the murderer of the late King Laius. After consulting an oracle, Oedipus discovered that Thebes was under blood-guilt for the murder of the old king Laius: the plague would end only after the killer had been exiled from the city. A new hypothesis for the cause of the plague of Athens. Teachers and parents! Literature usually reflects the echo of the past. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Just as the messenger finishes his story, Antigone and Ismene come onstage, chanting a dirge. 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). 276-379: The blind priest Tiresias has information about the plague, which he refuses to divulge. Oedipus asks who the other shepherd was, and the messenger answers that he was a servant of Laius. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Creon goes on to tell the story of Laiuss murder. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. At the beginning of Sophocles'Oedipus Rex,there issterility and a plague at Thebes. You can view our. You'll also receive an email with the link. 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. Early in the play it is clarified that the disease is a cattle zoonosis of high mortality rate (a blight upon the grazing flocks and herds, line 26, with the herds being cattle,) (2,3). Free trial is available to new customers only. There was an unexpected error. Oedipus, now blind, entrusting his children to the gods. The messenger, a shepherd by profession, knows firsthand that Oedipus came to Corinth as an orphan. Creon, covetous of royal power, is all too happy to oblige. The priest begs Oedipus to help the city and rescue it from the clutches of famine, fire, and plague. Therefore, although the first part of the play is rife with references to the plague and its consequences, in the second part there are only sporadic referrals to the epidemic. A second messenger enters and describes scenes of suffering. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. His play, Oedipus Rex, tells the sad tale of a king who discovers that he has murdered his father and married his mother. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Oedipus encountered the Sphinx and quickly realized that the answer was "man". 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). The Plague in the Land of Thebes. Oedipus became king of Thebes and married Jocasta. Continue to start your free trial. . The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. on 50-99 accounts. It would not be irrational to trust the historical credibility of a literary text. The messenger remarks that Oedipus need not worry, because Polybus and his wife, Merope, are not Oedipuss biological parents. Creon threatens to kill anyone who tries to bury Polynices and stations sentries over his body. He asks Creon to send him away from Thebes and to look after his daughters, Antigone and Ismene. The limp marks Oedipus's fate, even though he does not know it yet. Not knowing where to go now, Antigone says they will have to wander forever alone. In the historical case (Athens) and the dramatic case (Thebes), the populace turned to the temples looking for a divine solution to the disaster. Thucydides and Sophocles use similar terms when describing attempts to deal with the epidemic. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. "The Murder of Laius by Oedipus," 1867, by Joseph Blanc. Oedipus castigates the citizens of Thebes for letting the murderer go unknown so long. Once Oedipus is banished from Thebes, the curse is lifted, and the plague ends. Oedipus, King of Thebes, sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to ask the advice of the oracle at Delphi, concerning a plague ravaging Thebes. In the end, it turns out that Oedipus has also murdered his father. 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. Wed love to have you back! Discount, Discount Code The first writing of Oedipus Rex most probably took place during the time of the plague of Athens. Wed love to have you back! The plague symbolizes the effect that Oedipus's defiance of the will of the gods . Economopoulos). (Spoiler alert: It's his own bad leadership.) 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. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Thus, the most probable cause of the plague in Thebes is B. abortus. He avidly begins an all-out manhunt. A. Greek playwright Sophocles first introduced us to this character in his trilogy series known as the "Theban Plays," which explore themes of fate, truth, and guilt. Oedipus brags that he alone was able to solve the puzzle. In the fifth century B.C., the playwright Sophocles begins "Oedipus Tyrannos" with the title character struggling to identify the cause of a plague striking his city, 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). Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Please wait while we process your payment. He must be driven out in order for the plague to end. Later in the play (300),Oedipus summons the blind prophet Tiresias so that he may discover the murderer. You can review and change the way we collect information below. Questioned further, he answers that the baby was in fact the child of Laius himself, and that it was Jocasta who gave him the infant, ordering him to kill it, as it had been prophesied that the child would kill his parents. In this way Theseus and his heirs may always rule over a safe city. for a group? The shepherd therefore passed the boy on to the shepherd in Corinth. At first he refuses to tell Oedipus what he knows. When Oedipus discovers the truth of his actions, he is wrought with horror and self-loathing. $24.99 Oedipus replies that he sees and understands the terrible fate of Thebes, and that no one is more sorrowful than he. Oedipus has already sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the Oracle of Delphi in order to ask Apollo why this is the case. 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. The messenger tells Creon that he has another reason to grieve: Eurydice has stabbed herself, and, as she died, she called down curses on her husband for the misery his pride had caused. Theseus says that he believes Oedipus and asks what to do. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. He's one step ahead of the suggestions his subjects make to him and has already sent for Tiresias. All the people were led by an old priest having garlands and flowers. Summary. So the tragic truth is that Oedipus, who unwittingly killed his father, the previous king, is the cause of the Theban plague. The plot - an old myth already known to most of the audience - was . He had four children by Jocasta. 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). The Altmetric Attention Score for a research output provides an indicator of the amount of attention that it has received. Kousoulis AA, Economopoulos KP, Poulakou-Rebelakou E, et al. After a close inspection of the characteristics, the pathogens that include most (5 of 7) of the features described by Sophocles in Oedipus Rex are Leishmania spp., Leptospira spp., Brucella abortus, Orthopoxviridae, and Francisella tularensis. Oedipus curses and insults the old man, going so far as to accuse him of the murder. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. After much prodding from Oedipus, Tiresias claims that Oedipus is the source of . 6. 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. The citizens gather outside the palace of their king, Oedipus, asking him to take action. In the city of Thebes, there is a plague of infertility that strikes. In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Oedipus' biological father is Laius, the King of Thebes prior to Oedipus. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unsterilized milk or meat from infected cows or close contact with their secretions. At this mention of his parents, Oedipus, who grew up in the distant city of Corinth, asks how Tiresias knew his parents. We adopted a critical approach to Oedipus Rex in analyzing the literary description of the disease, unraveling its Oedipus the King: What is the significance of the plays title? Tiresias advises that Creon allow Polynices to be buried, but Creon refuses. He has the answers Oedipus is looking for, and can help cure the plague, but, rather than . M.A. Regarding the specific clinical features of the disease, it is clear that the causative pathogen leads to miscarriages or stillbirths (a blight on wives in travail, lines 2627, meaning women give birth to dead babies) (2,3). Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Despite the warning, Theseus agrees to help Oedipus. Outside the palace, a messenger approaches Jocasta and tells her that he has come from Corinth to inform Oedipus that his father, Polybus, is dead, and that Corinth has asked Oedipus to come and rule there in his place. When Laius' herald ordered Oedipus to stand aside and make way for the King to pass, Oedipus grew angry and killed both the herald and Laius. Oedipus himself remained in Thebes for a few years, a blind and aging misfit cared for only by his daughters, Antigone and Ismene. He tells Jocasta that, long ago, when he was the . Jocasta rejoices, convinced that Polybuss death from natural causes has disproved the prophecy that Oedipus would murder his father. 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). C. The sphinx was terrorizing Thebes, so citizens couldn't investigate. In the most familiar version, first attested in Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus Tyrannus, Oedipus' downfall all began with a plague. At the moment that Tiresias reveals to Oedipus that the king himself is the cause of the plague (lines 350353), the epidemic becomes a secondary issue, and, as a result, there are only occasional references to the plague during the remainder of the play (lines 665666, 685686, 13801383, 14241428) (2,3). $24.99 At the beginning of the play Oedipus Rex, Thebes is being devastated by a city-wide plague. 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 . Purchasing Already a member? . He asks that they provide him with a proper burial should he die in battle. The epidemic, in fact, is mostly a matter that serves the theatrical economy by forming a background for the evolution of the plot. 2 Pallas: Pallas Athena. Sophocles told how Oedipus was saved from death as an infant and raised in Corinth. 2 (CC) BY-NC-SA, Ian Johnston 2004 1 Cadmus: legendary founder of Thebes. Subscribe now. It is an unfair punishment over the sins of one man (Chapter 22 . His guards lead him back into the palace. This skirmish occurred at the very crossroads where Laius was killed. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. They give up their pleas but ask for safe passage back to Thebes, so that they may prevent a war between their brothers. 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. We take your privacy seriously. Oedipus replies that he is more eager than anyone to find out the cause of the pollution and remove it. Who is Creon? 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). 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. The guilt for the murder of Laius preexists Oedipus's shame. Each man in the city grieves for himself, but Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. Oedipus' wife and mother hanged themselves when the truth of their relationship was known, although Oedipus continued to rule Thabs until his death. Many people are falling ill, and Oedipus begins to believe that there is a divine cause for the plague. SparkNotes PLUS Creon now rules the city, and he has ordered that Polynices, who brought a foreign army against Thebes, not be allowed proper burial rites. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. On the platform The Sphinx placed a great plague over Thebes and refused to remove it until someone correctly answered its riddle. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. Oedipus is so filled with pride or hubris that he can't imagine he could possibly be the wrongdoer. Oedipus asks Theseus to drive Polynices away, but Antigone convinces her father to listen to his son. Just as the plants do not grow so is women not able to bear children. Alternatively, the plague of Thebes could be a composite of >2 causative agents, as it has been suggested for the contemporary plague of Athens (6,7). Ironically, Oedipus thought that by leaving Corinth he was beating the prophecy that he would murder his father and marry his mother. He sends Creon, his brother-in-law, to the oracle at Athens. Oedipus must find the killer of former King Laius to save the city. Economopoulos, E. Poulakou-Rebelakou, G. Androutsos, S. Tsiodras), Society of Junior Doctors, Athens (A.A. Kousoulis, K.P. Epidemics, stillbirths, and miscarriages caused by B. abortus have been reported since the time of Hippocrates, which is when this disease was initially described. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Oedipus Plays! Oedipus sends for the man who survived the attack, a shepherd, in the hope that he will not be identified as the murderer. Figure 1. A messenger enters and recounts the tragic events: Creon and his entourage first gave proper burial to Polynices, then heard what sounded like Haemons voice wailing from Antigones tomb. Hellenic holocaust: a historical clinico-pathologic conference. In doing so, he unwittingly fulfilled the first half of the prophecy: he has killed his own father. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Finally, although many of the features of the plot and passages have been interpreted as historical allusions, the plague seems to be recognized as the most critical element that reflects a historical event, with enough strength and clarity to be used even for the dating of the tragedy (12). We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. The shepherd refuses to disclose anything, and Oedipus threatens him with torture. A severe plague is described in Sophocles drama Oedipus Rex. Latest answer posted December 09, 2017 at 3:30:49 PM. He sends Creon, his brother-in-law, to the oracle at Athens . In their final words, the chorus reminds the audience that it was Oedipus who solved the riddle of the sphinx. The characteristics of pathogens that might be responsible for the plague on the basis of Sophocles descriptions in Oedipus Rex are summarized in the Technical Appendix. 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). (one code per order). Accessed 4 Mar. The Chorus enters, calling on the gods Apollo, Athena, and Artemis to save Thebes. Creon informs King Oedipus that until the killer of King Laius is identified, the plague cannot be ended. Message not sent. 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. On the surface, the problem afflicting Thebes is a plague. 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. katlynn havens humanities 201 week summary and response the tragedy of. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Subscribe now. Creon condemns both Antigone and Ismene to death. Acting blindly, he curses himself. A plague has stricken Thebes. Terrible thunder sounds, and the Chorus cries out in horror. What does it suggest about the authors overall emphasis? A somewhat similar example is that of archeologist Heinrich Schlieman; before Schlieman, the writings of Homer had been considered a collection of mythological poems. Creon returns with a message from the oracle: the plague will end when the murderer of Laius, former king of Thebes, is caught and expelled; the murderer is within the city. That baby was Oedipus. The stage directions state that. Skip to document. Creon returns to report that the plague is the result of religious pollution, since the murderer of their former king, Laius, has never been caught. Creon curses him and threatens to slay Antigone before his very eyes. The aforementioned aspects strongly support the notion that the disease was incurable at this time. The play opens in front of Oedipus' palace at Thebes. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. There is death in the land as the story begins. The date of the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles. What is the conflict or problem the people of Thebes face as the play opens? The devastating plague that dominates Thebes is presented to the audience through the dialogue between Oedipus and the Priest (lines 167) (2,3). Her description of Laiuss murder, however, sounds familiar to Oedipus, and he asks further questions. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Q. Oedipus sends for Tiresias who reveals that Oedipus is the cause of the plague. 2 oedipus rex study guide practice test questions final . But his change of heart comes too late. Oedipus (UK: / i d p s /, also US: / d -/; Greek: "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes.A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family.. He now feels much more inclined to agree with the queen in deeming prophecies worthless and viewing chance as the principle governing the world. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Saving Lives, Protecting People, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece (A.A. Kousoulis, K.P. 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. Oedipus arrives in Thebes, solves the riddle of the Sphinx, and is made their king. The plague in Oedipus Rex is not just a disease that is making people sick, but it is actually ruining . Jocasta tells him that Laius was killed at a three-way crossroads, just before Oedipus arrived in Thebes. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. The priest glorifies his honor and describes that a plague is destroying the whole city: blight in the city causing famine and sickness. The people of Thebes honored and worshipped the gods, surely there is an easier way to play detective. for a group? At this early stage in the play, Oedipus represents all that an Athenian audienceor indeed any audiencecould desire in a citizen or a leader. The shepherd then enters. He has already sent Creon to ask the Delphic Oracle's advice. Creon enters, carrying Haemons body and wailing against his own tyranny, which he knows has caused his sons death. 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 returns from the oracle to deliver what explanation he has been given, and WebOedipus met Jocasta and they were married, unknowingly completely fulfilling the prophecy. In fact, it is noteworthy that there is no other historic or poetic reference that links Ares to the spreading of a disease (4). Contact us 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). Creon asks Oedipus if he wants to hear the news in private, but Oedipus insists that all the citizens hear. The shepherd and the messenger slowly exit the stage. The messenger took the baby to the royal family of Corinth, and they raised him as their own. The priest begs Oedipus to save Thebes, just as Oedipus . Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. She bore two sons, Polynices and Eteocles, and two daughters, Antigone and Ismene. Ancient typhoid epidemic reveals possible ancestral strain of. As proof, she notes that the Delphic oracle once told Laius he would be murdered by his son, when in fact his son was cast out of Thebes as a baby, and Laius was murdered by a band of thieves. No one responds, and Oedipus furiously curses Laiuss murderer and anyone who is protecting him. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Citizens are dying from plague, crops fail, women are dying in childbirth and their babies are stillborn. Wailing on the altar stair, wives and grandams rend the air, long-drawn moans and piercing cries blent with prayers and litaniesSophocles, Oedipus Rex, lines 184186. Kousoulis, A. Thebes has been struck by a plague, the citizens are dying, and no one knows how . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. In the post-Homeric tradition, most familiar from Sophocles' Oedipus Rex (or Oedipus the King) and . The story would have been a familiar one to Sophocles's audience. The oracle has predicted that the burial place of Oedipus will bring good fortune to the city in which it is located, and both sons, as well as Creon, know of this prophecy. 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. She tells him that, back in Thebes, Oedipuss younger son, Eteocles, has overthrown Polynices, the elder, and that Polynices is now amassing troops in Argos for an attack on his brother and on Creon, who rules along with Eteocles. Haemon seems at first to side with his father, but gradually admits his opposition to Creons stubbornness and petty vindictiveness. But while Oedipus finds great comfort in the fact that one-half of the prophecy has been disproved, he still fears the other halfthe half that claimed he would sleep with his mother. 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 . Joel Christensen is an associate professor of classical studies at Brandeis. Oedipus, in Greek mythology, the king of Thebes who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. Immediately following the ode, Oedipus enters and says that he will answer the Choruss prayers. oedipus s position in thebes ii his certainty of his own innocence iii. Tiresias responds cryptically, lamenting his ability to see the truth when the truth brings nothing but pain. He asks if anyone knows who killed Laius, promising that the informant will be rewarded and the murderer will receive no harsher punishment than exile. 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). 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. When Creon returns from the oracle, he informs Oedipus that the person responsible for murdering the former King Laius must be banished from Thebes in order to put an end to the devastating plague.
