Economopoulos, E. Poulakou-Rebelakou, G. Androutsos, S. Tsiodras), Society of Junior Doctors, Athens (A.A. Kousoulis, K.P. $24.99 These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. The particularity of this reference (4), it seems that Sophocles correlates the epidemic that strikes Thebes with the plague of Athens, which, according to Thucydides, came about as a result of the Peloponnesian War (5). As for the clinical features, although Thucydides does not mention the pregnancy or labor pains as described in Sophocles text, he does refer to abdominal and vulvovaginal symptoms (5). In Oedipus Rex, how does Oedipus's tragic flaw lead to his downfall? Creon appears in order to abduct Oedipus, but, proving unsuccessful, he kidnaps Antigone and Ismene instead. 20% 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. Oedipus acts quickly to find the killer. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Oedipus and the Sphinx, by Gustave Moreau, 1864, The Met. He asks why Tiresias did nothing when Thebes suffered under a plague once before. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. DNA examination of ancient dental pulp incriminates typhoid fever as a probable cause of the Plague of Athens. Sophocles epidemic seems to have enough strength to appear as a historical base on which the theatrical economy of the play is evolving (12). At Jocastas summons, Oedipus comes outside, hears the news, and rejoices with her. 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. The story would have been a familiar one to Sophocles's audience. 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. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. Oedipus sends Creon to Delphi to consult the oracle, or priestess, there, about the cause of the plague in Thebes. The Thucydides syndrome. Please wait while we process your payment. 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). You'll be billed after your free trial ends. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." In Oedipus Rex the plague is a miasma that destroys everything, rather than just a disease. No one responds, and Oedipus furiously curses Laiuss murderer and anyone who is protecting him. The critical reading of Oedipus Rex, its comparison with Thucydides history, as well as the systematic review of the existing historical data, lead us to strongly suggest that this epidemic, for which the name Plague of Thebes may be used, was an actual historical fact, likely caused by B. abortus. Oedipus, king of Thebes, is determined to find out the cause of the plague ravishing the city, little suspecting the cause is him. These taunts provoke Tiresias into revealing that Oedipus himself is the murderer. 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. Jocasta tells him that Laius was killed at a three-way crossroads, just before Oedipus arrived in Thebes. At the beginning of the play, Thebes is struck with a terrible plague that ravishes the city, forcing citizens to petition King Oedipus to deliver them from the horrible epidemic. 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). Oedipus has already sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the Oracle of Delphi in order to ask Apollo why this is the case. Sophocles and The Oedipus Plays Background. $24.99 is the priest doing this there is a plague on the city oedipus asked him to the sphinx has attacked the city it s a holiday oedipus rex questions and answers enotes com Oedipus has a chance to cure the plague in Thebes, and its presented by the legitimate seer, Tiresias. The fate of Oedipus emerges as a truly tragic one, not so much because he caused the plague, but because of the characters own personal tragedy (Figure 2). The play shows that one cannot avert one's fate. Oedipus answers that he will lead the king to the place where he will die, and that Theseus must never reveal that spot, but pass it on to his son at his own death, who in turn must pass it on to his own son. Oedipus a Tragedy. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Teachers and parents! Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address: Antonis A. Kousoulis, History of Medicine Department, School of Medicine, University of Athens, 131 Lambrou Katsoni Str., Athens, 18344 Greece. Free trial is available to new customers only. Theseus returns to the stage, asking the daughters to stop their weeping. -Graham S. Oedipus is a hero and a man of action. Why is Thebes experiencing trouble at the start of Oedipus? M.A. Antigone freely confesses her act to Creon and says that he himself defies the will of the gods by refusing Polynices burial. Tiresias responds cryptically, lamenting his ability to see the truth when the truth brings nothing but pain. The play has been labeled an analytical tragedy, meaning that the crucial events which dominate the play have happened in the past (2,3). Eventually the city was infected by a plague. At that time, a Sphinx held the city captive and refused to leave until someone answered her riddle. But, when Oedipus sends Creon to discover the source of the plague, he learns it springs from a moral problem: the murderer of Laius, the . This is a supernatural phenomenon caused by harboring a cursed person. As the play Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, opens, the people of Thebes are dealing with a kind of plaguein this case, a famine. Oedipus' wife and mother hanged themselves when the truth of their relationship was known, although Oedipus continued to rule Thabs until his death. Creon enters, carrying Haemons body and wailing against his own tyranny, which he knows has caused his sons death. answer choices . After an interlude in which Oedipus tells the Chorus who he is, Oedipuss second daughter, Ismene, enters, having gone to learn news from Apollos oracle at Delphi. These diseases mainly include typhoid fever, epidemic typhus, smallpox, plague, measles, and influenza, all of which could be initial candidates for the plague in Oedipus Rex and have been taken into account in this study (Technical Appendix) (9,10). A central door and two lateral doors open onto a platform which runs the length of the facade. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Significant Myths and Structure of the Text. Latest answer posted April 01, 2021 at 5:20:02 PM, Latest answer posted November 20, 2019 at 12:42:51 AM. Figure 2. After blinding himself in anguish over what he has done, Oedipus allows himself to be exiled, and the plague ends. plague; the plague in Thebes has three features which are closely associated with supernatural forces and appear in re-ligious contexts. What is the cause of the plague in Thebes quizlet? He prays for the safety of his sisters and then leaves for Thebes. A critical reading of Oedipus Rex and a comparison with Thucydides history, as well as a systematic review of historical data, strongly suggests that this epidemic was an actual event, possibly caused by Brucella abortus. Before the palace of Oedipus, King of Thebes. 2 oedipus rex study guide practice test questions final . The plague symbolizes the effect that Oedipus's defiance of the will of the gods . Section 6: Oedipus the King, lines 338-706, Section 8: Oedipus the King, lines 1008-1310, Section 9: Oedipus the King, lines 1311-1684, Section 10: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 1-576, Section 11: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 577-1192, Section 12: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 1193-1645, Section 13: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 1646-2001. He praises Oedipus' intellect in solving the riddle of the Sphinx. The plague is an infestation of disease-carrying insects that spread rapidly through the population, killing many. Each man in the city grieves for himself, but the king grieves for the city and everyone in it. Oedipus eagerly attempts to uncover the truth, acting decisively and scrupulously refusing to shield himself from the truth. The play opens in front of Oedipus' palace at Thebes. A blight, the priest tells Oedipus, has destroyed their crops and livestock - and even rendered their women sterile, unable to have children. Joel Christensen is an associate professor of classical studies at Brandeis. Oedipus also discovers that he married his mother. PROLOGUE / THE SCENE. Oblivious to the truth, King Oedipus sets to find http://www.who.int/topics/disease_outbreaks/en/, The Plague of Thebes, a Historical Epidemic in Sophocles Oedipus Rex, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Kousoulis AA, Economopoulos KP, Poulakou-Rebelakou E, Androutsos G, Tsiodras S. The Plague of Thebes, a Historical Epidemic in Sophocles Oedipus Rex. creating and saving your own notes as you read. The plague that is described in Oedipus Rex could possibly be related to the plague that struck Athens in 430429 bc (11), the primary source for which is the papers of historian Thucydides (where he refers to an epidemic that has been named the plague of Athens) (5). He asks Creon to send him away from Thebes and to look after his daughters, Antigone and Ismene. His play, Oedipus Rex, tells the sad tale of a king who discovers that he has murdered his father and married his mother. Creons wife, Eurydice, hears this terrible news and rushes away into the palace. Having just escaped the Sphinx, searching out Laius's murderer seemed impossible to Creon. Creon threatens to kill anyone who tries to bury Polynices and stations sentries over his body. We adopted a critical approach to Oedipus Rex in analyzing the literary description of the disease, unraveling its 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. 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. Pedagogical Institute, Hellenic Ministry of Education. Creon says that he thinks some of the dissidents of the city bribed the sentry to perform the rites, and he vows to execute the sentry if no other suspect is found. LitCharts Teacher Editions. You can view our. SparkNotes PLUS Oedipus is so filled with pride or hubris that he can't imagine he could possibly be the wrongdoer. 20% When the seer Teiresias warns him not to investigate the matter any further, Oedipus pushes his advice aside. 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. Photo courtesy Effie Poulakou-Rebelakou. A plague followed and the stage was set for the action of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. There was an unexpected error. The first writing of Oedipus Rex most probably took place during the time of the plague of Athens. The Sphinx had the city under a spell. March 3, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. It was a popular subject for drama, and Sophocles himself wrote other plays about it. 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 had four children by Jocasta. Contact us Apparently, the gods have punished Thebes for the cruel murder of the former King Laius. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. There is a plague in Thebes, and many people are dying. Complete your free account to request a guide. Antigone wails that they will cry for Oedipus for as long as they live. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. The unsolved murder of Theban King Laius is the cause of the plague in Thebes. Through the character of the priest, Sophocles makes the audience/reader aware of the sacred and secular state of Thebes. The plague in Oedipus Rex is not just a disease that is making people sick, but it is actually ruining . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Oedipus asks who the other shepherd was, and the messenger answers that he was a servant of Laius. His guards lead him back into the palace. Just then, Creon arrives, and Oedipus asks what the oracle has said. Ismenus: A temple to Apollo Ismenios where burnt offerings were the basis for the priest's . SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. Antigone embraces Polynices, saying that he is condemning himself to death, but he resolutely says that his life remains in the hands of the gods. Latest answer posted November 11, 2019 at 3:50:28 AM. Instant PDF downloads. Oedipus, in Greek mythology, the king of Thebes who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. The citizens carry branches wrapped in wool, which they offer to the gods as gifts. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. Realizing who he is and who his parents are, Oedipus screams that he sees the truth and flees back into the palace. He accuses Creon and Tiresias of conspiring against his life, and charges Tiresias with insanity. The sentry soon exonerates himself by catching Antigone in the act of attempting to rebury her brother, the sentries having disinterred him. Oedipus and Antigone learn from a citizen that they are standing on holy ground, reserved for the Eumenides, goddesses of fate. Comment submitted successfully, thank you for your feedback. This assignment asks readers to pick a person to blame for the tragedy of Oedipus. Oedipus brags that he alone was able to solve the puzzle. Oedipus is so competent in the affairs of men that he comes close to dismissing the gods, although he does not actually blaspheme, as Creon does in Antigone. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Oedipus Plays! Sample A+ Essay: Are Humans Prisoners of Fate in Oedipus the King? Discount, Discount Code Oedipus vows to find the murderer and curses him for . Creon kneels and prays that he, too, might die. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Although we are able to see him as a mere puppet of fate, at some points, the irony is so magnified that it seems almost as if Oedipus brings catastrophe upon himself willingly. 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. In his first speech, which he delivers to an old priest whose suffering he seeks to alleviate, he continually voices his concern for the health and well-being of his people. Both Polynices and Creon are currently en route to try to take Oedipus into custody and thus claim the right to bury him in their kingdoms. Sophocles and The Oedipus Plays Background. Oedipus saved Thebes from the Sphinx by answering the Sphinx's riddle. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. At this early moment, we see Oedipuss dangerous pride, which explains his willful blindness and, to a certain extent, justifies his downfall. Theseus says that he believes Oedipus and asks what to do. Discuss the theme of sight and blindness in Oedipus Rex, how it is important, and how it affects the idea of truth. A new hypothesis for the cause of the plague of Athens. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. Continue to start your free trial. eNotes Editorial, 3 Jan. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-reason-plague-thebes-sophocles-oedipus-rex-662761. 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.. On the platform Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. 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). Oedipus is the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta and unknowingly marries his mother, who he ends up having four children with. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. 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). Hearing this, Oedipus resolves to solve the mystery of Laiuss murder. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% It's actually a case of a pestilence that's wiping out the city's people, livestock and harvests . Years passed while Oedipus was king of Thebes. Oedipus steps out of the royal palace of Thebes and is greeted by a procession of priests, who are in turn surrounded by the impoverished and sorrowful citizens of Thebes. Oedipus asks why the Thebans made no attempt to find the murderers, and Creon reminds him that Thebes was then more concerned with the curse of the Sphinx. Epidemics, stillbirths, and miscarriages caused by B. abortus have been reported since the time of Hippocrates, which is when this disease was initially described. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Why was there a terrible plague in Thebes? It would not be irrational to trust the historical credibility of a literary text. . Oedipus fears mass destruction of the city of Thebes (with the god's good help success is sure; 'tis ruin if we fail, line 146), while the words weltering surge of blood (line 24), fiery plague (line 166), the land is sore distressed (line 685), and wailing on the altar stair, wives and grandams rend the air, long-drawn moans and piercing cries blent with prayers and litanies (lines 184186) (2,3) all illustrate vividly the severity of the situation.