 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
PLAYS: Oedipus |
 |
| The trilogy begins with a prophecy
to Laius, King of Thebes, that his son will slay
Laius and marry the Queen. Later the Queen has a
son who is left on a mountain to die, but the
baby is taken in by shepherds and given to the
King of Corinth, who raises him as his own. When
Oedipus is grown, he hears of the prophecy to
Laius, and upon fleeing from what he thinks is
his father’s house, he unwillingly kills
Laius. When he arrives in Thebes he answers the
riddle of the Sphinx and is made King of Thebes
by the people, who are grateful for his help. He
then marries the Queen Jocasta, his mother. When another plague falls on the city the oracle tells Oedipus to rid himself of blood guiltiness. Oedipus is blind to the fact that it is his crime and searches for the criminal. When Oedipus realizes the truth, he blinds himself with the brooch of his late wife and mother, who committed suicide when she discovered the crime. In the second part of the trilogy, Oedipus is hoping to find a final resting place and is led by his daughter, Antigone, to Colonus. The people, however, have heard of him and ask him to leave. Oedipus refuses and when he pleads with the King Theseaus, he is allowed to stay. While there, he is met by one of his unnatural sons, whom he denounces, and then leaves them all so he can die alone except for the presence of King Theseus. The last part of the trilogy is set in Thebes, where Creon is now ruling. Antigone has defied the King by burying her unnatural brother, and so she is locked away in a rock tomb. Haemon, Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiance, pleads for her life, but Creon repents too late and finds them both dead in the tomb, then he finds his wife dead over the death of her son. Oedipus is unable to resist his fate, yet he has flaws such as rashness, arrogance, and a short temper, which make him partially responsible for it. The plot is the killing of his father and the the marriage of his mother, but aside from that, there is the violation of many cultural taboos: patricide, incest, regicide, and infanticide. This is all the result of Oedipus’ conflict with his fate and the gods (God). It raises an eternal question: If the gods (God) know the future, is there such a thing as free will? The conflicts between characters in each play lead them to their fates, through revenge, incest, justice vs. vengeance, and a divine mission. The Oedipus trilogy by Sophocles consists of three plays: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. The trilogy is one of Greek tragedy. It possesses themes common in Greek literature, such as the powerful gods (God) having an interest in everyday affairs. These plays, and Greek plays in general, use symbolism and dramatic irony as an integral part. The trilogy contains a vast amount of symbolism, and there are some main points that run throughout the whole story. The three most important symbols are the use of a double-hilted sword, the blindness of Oedipus, and the ironic reference to Antigone’s tomb as her "wedding chamber." The symbolism in Antigone is the idea of womb to tomb, as the trilogy is a story of her life from beginning to end. Antigone is born in the first part, and tragically dies in the last. In this way, the trilogy is the story of Antigone and her short life. The trilogy contains many essential elements to a memorable play. There are things such as a complex plot, suspense, irony, and symbolism. Because of these devices, the reader is able to delve more deeply into the plot and enjoy it more. |