oedipus the king summary essay

To briefly recap on the background to the play:

Shortly after Oedipus ’ birth , his father, King Laius of Thebes, learned from an oracle that he, Laius, was doomed to perish by the hand of his own son , and so ordered his wife Jocasta to kill the infant.

However, neither she nor her servant could bring themselves to kill him and he was abandoned to elements . There he was found and brought up by a shepherd, before being taken in and raised in the court of the childless King Polybus of Corinth as if he were his own son.

Stung by rumours that he was not the biological son of the king, Oedipus consulted an oracle which foretold that he would marry his own mother and kill his own father. Desperate to avoid this foretold fate, and believing Polybus and Merope to be his true parents, Oedipus left Corinth . On the road to Thebes, he met Laius, his real father, and, unaware of each other’s true identities, they quarrelled and Oedipus ‘ pride led him to murder Laius, fulfilling part of the oracle’s prophecy. Later, he solved the riddle of the Sphinx and his reward for freeing the kingdom of Thebes from the Sphinx’s curse was the hand of Queen Jocasta (actually his biological mother) and the crown of the city of Thebes. The prophecy was thus fulfilled , although none of the main characters were aware of it at this point.

As the play opens , a priest and the Chorus of Theban elders are calling on King Oedipus to aid them with the plague which has been sent by Apollo to ravage the city. Oedipus has already sent Creon , his brother-in-law, to consult the oracle at Delphi on the matter, and when Creon returns at that very moment, he reports that the plague will only end when the murderer of their former king, Laius, is caught and brought to justice. Oedipus vows to find the murderer and curses him for the plague that he has caused.

Oedipus also summons the blind prophet Tiresias , who claims to know the answers to Oedipus ‘ questions, but refuses to speak, lamenting his ability to see the truth when the truth brings nothing but pain. He advises Oedipus to abandon his search but, when the enraged Oedipus accuses Tiresias of complicity in the murder, Tiresias is provoked into telling the king the truth, that he himself is the murderer. Oedipus dismisses this as nonsense, accusing the prophet of being corrupted by the ambitious Creon in an attempt to undermine him, and Tiresias leaves, putting forth one last riddle: that the murderer of Laius will turn out to be both father and brother to his own children, and the son of his own wife.

Oedipus demands that Creon be executed, convinced that he is conspiring against him, and only the intervention of the Chorus persuades him to let Creon live. Oedipus ‘ wife Jocasta tells him he should take no notice of prophets and oracles anyway because, many years ago, she and Laius received an oracle which never came true. This prophecy said that Laius would be killed by his own son but, as everyone knows, Laius was actually killed by bandits at a crossroads on the way to Delphi. The mention of crossroads causes Oedipus to give pause and he suddenly becomes worried that Tiresias ‘ accusations may actually have been true.

The messenger turns out to be the very shepherd who had looked after an abandoned child, which he later took to Corinth and gave up to King Polybus for adoption. He is also the very same shepherd who witnessed the murder of Laius. By now, Jocasta is beginning to realize the truth, and desperately begs Oedipus to stop asking questions. But Oedipus presses the shepherd, threatening him with torture or execution, until it finally emerges that the child he gave away was Laius’ own son , and that Jocasta had given the baby to the shepherd to secretly be exposed upon the mountainside, in fear of the prophecy that Jocasta said had never come true: that the child would kill its father.

With all now finally revealed , Oedipus curses himself and his tragic destiny and stumbles off, as the Chorus laments how even a great man can be felled by fate. A servant enters and explains that Jocasta , when she had begun to suspect the truth, had ran to the palace bedroom and hanged herself there. Oedipus enters, deliriously calling for a sword so that he might kill himself and raging through the house until he comes upon Jocasta ‘s body. In final despair, Oedipus takes two long gold pins from her dress, and plunges them into his own eyes.

Now blind, Oedipus begs to be exiled as soon as possible , and asks Creon to look after his two daughters, Antigone and Ismene , lamenting that they should have been born into such a cursed family. Creon counsels that Oedipus should be kept in the palace until oracles can be consulted regarding what is best to be done, and the play ends as the Chorus wails : ‘Count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last’ .

The play follows one chapter (the most dramatic one) in the life of Oedipus , King of Thebes , who lived about a generation before the events of the Trojan War, namely his gradual realization that he has killed his own father, Laius, and committed incest with his own mother, Jocasta . It assumes a certain amount of background knowledge of his story, which Greek audiences would have known well, although much of the background is also explained as the action unfolds.

“Oedipus the King” is structured as a prologue and five episodes , each introduced by a choral ode . Each of the incidents in the play is part of a tightly constructed cause-and-effect chain, assembled together as an investigation of the past, and the play is considered a marvel of plot structure. Part of the tremendous sense of inevitability and fate in the play stems from the fact that all the irrational things have already occurred and are therefore unalterable.

The main themes of the play are: fate and free will (the inevitability of oracular predictions is a theme that often occurs in Greek tragedies); the conflict between the individual and the state (similar to that in Sophocles ’ “Antigone” ); people’s willingness to ignore painful truths (both Oedipus and Jocasta clutch at unlikely details in order to avoiding facing up to the inceasingly apparent truth); and sight and blindness (the irony that the blind seer Tiresius can actually “see” more clearly than the supposedly clear-eyed Oedipus , who is in reality blind to the truth about his origins and his inadvertent crimes).

Sophocles makes good use of dramatic irony in “Oedipus the King” . For example: the people of Thebes come to Oedipus at the start of the play, asking him to rid the city of the plague, when in reality, it is he who is the cause; Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius out of a deep anger at not being able to find him, actually cursing himself in he process; he insults Tiresius ’ blindness when he is the one who actually lacks vision, and will soon himself be blind; and he rejoices in the news of the death of King Polybus of Corinth, when this new information is what actually brings the tragic prophecy to light.

• English translation by F. Storr (Internet Classics Archive): http://classics.mit.edu/Sophocles/oedipus.html
• Greek version with word-by-word translation (Perseus Project): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0191

[rating_form id=”1″]

Oedipus the King

Table of contents.

Tiresias says to Oedipus, “Creon is not your downfall, no, you are your own.” What is the extent of Oedipus’ guilt in his own downfall?

• “Oedipus the King demonstrates that the quest for truth only leads to self-destruction.” Discuss.
• What does the play have to say about fate and free will?
• “The play is about Oedipus’ search for his identity.” Discuss.
• “What should a man fear? It’s all about chance, / chance rules our lives.” Discuss Jocasta’s philosophy about life.
• Discuss the dual role of the Chorus.
• What do the choral odes have to say about the relationship between humans and the gods?
• What are Oedipus’ feelings about family?
• Evidence Bank

Oedipus the King is a classic Greek tragedy by Sophocles about the downfall of Oedipus, a heroic yet ill-fated character who was prophesied to slay his father and marry his mother. Oedipus finds himself caught in a dilemma between his determination to unwind the tangled threads of his history, or avoid undermining everything he knows about his life. The premise of the ancient play reminds audiences of the cruel nature of fate and the importance of making good decisions. Yet Oedipus himself is a complex character who does his best to exercise free choice within the restraints of his fate, which lends itself to the argument surrounding the extent of his guilt in his eventual downfall. To a large extent, Oedipus is responsible for his horrible actions that drive him to fulfil the prophecy given to him at birth, such as his violent nature which drives him to slay his father, as well as his incessant drive to seek the truth about himself. Yet as the ancient Greeks would have it, despite taking extensive manoeuvres to avoid his terrible future, Oedipus may have been a prisoner of his own fate and thus remain guiltless.

Oedipus the King, a timeless Greek tragedy penned by Sophocles, unfolds the tragic descent of Oedipus, a heroic figure ensnared in the ominous prophecy of patricide and matrimony with his mother/incest. Confronted with the formidable choice between unraveling the intricacies of his lineage and preserving the foundation of his perceived reality, Oedipus grapples with a profound dilemma. The narrative serves as a poignant reminder of the inexorable cruelty of destiny and the consequential significance of judicious decision-making.Oedipus, a character of intricate depth, endeavors to wield volition amidst the constricting threads of his foretold destiny, thereby fueling debates about the degree of culpability in his eventual downfall. While Oedipus bears considerable responsibility for the grievous deeds that propel him toward the fulfillment of his preordained fate—such as his proclivity for violence leading to the slaying of his parents—he also exhibits an unwavering determination to unveil the veracity of his existence.Yet, adhering to the ancient Greek ethos, Oedipus, despite his concerted efforts to circumvent the ominous prophecy, remains ensnared in the inexorable web of fate, prompting contemplation about his potential innocence. In essence, Oedipus, despite his extensive manoeuvres to avert a calamitous destiny, emerges as a captive of his predetermined path, thereby challenging conventional notions of guilt and culpability.

Oedipus’ violent and aggressive nature, as shown by his various impulsive actions, can be said to be a defining factor which led him to the actions of his downfall. Even considering the audience’s knowledge of his horrible fate, there is no question that his nature lends itself to his questionable actions. For example, Oedipus testifies to Jocasta that the man he killed, Laius, was “accompanied by a herald”, thus announcing to the world that he was a king. Yet Oedipus, despite having been raised as royalty himself, does not hold himself back in the slaughter of Laius, the herald, and multiple others. This can be interpreted in several ways: either his impulsivity and pride led him to rashly kill Laius and his followers, thus cementing his guilt in his own fate, or that the threads of fate led him to make that decision in that moment. Either way, there is little doubt that it was simply part of Oedipus’ nature, as there is little other justification for his violent actions. In a similar way, his dogged determination to uncover the truth of his past turns him hostile and abusive, revealing his hubris; when Tiresias does tell him the truth about what he seeks, he does not listen as he is consumed by paranoia. His aberrant character flaws are thus determinant of his guilt in his own downfall.

Oedipus’ propensity for violence and aggression, manifested through impulsive actions, emerges as a pivotal factor contributing to his eventual downfall. Despite the audience’s awareness of his inexorable fate, there is an unequivocal acknowledgment that his inherent nature propels him towards morally ambiguous deeds. Notably, Oedipus, while recounting to Jocasta the slaying of Laius, explicitly highlights the regal stature of his victim, accompanied by a herald. Paradoxically, even though Oedipus himself was nurtured in royal surroundings, he fails to restrain his carnage, perpetrating the ruthless murder of Laius, the herald, and others. This dichotomy invites interpretations that either his impetuosity and pride precipitated the hasty annihilation, cementing his culpability in his tragic destiny, or that the inexorable threads of fate coerced him into that fateful decision.Moreover, Oedipus’ unwavering commitment to unraveling the truth of his origins transforms him into a hostile and abusive figure, laying bare the depths of his hubris. When Tiresias imparts the veracious revelation he seeks, Oedipus, ensnared by paranoia, remains deaf to reason. His anomalous character flaws thus serve as decisive elements substantiating his complicity in the tragic unraveling of his own fate.

In addition to his violent nature, Oedipus’ incessant seeking of the truth also leads him to his downfall. As the play opens, the audience learns that Oedipus is at the height of his success, as he had already become a great ruler of Thebes, revered by many for “defeating the Sphinx”. This only lends itself to demonstrate the great downfall that he will face at the hands of his own curiosity. Later, when Jocasta tells the tale of Laius’ death to Oedipus, he begins to doubt himself, in that he is indeed the murderer he is seeking. However, despite understanding the consequences, this does nothing to stop the momentum of his investigation. Oedipus refuses to consider Jocasta’s advice that he “live at random, best we can” and according to chance. Instead, he is so fixated on getting to the bottom of the truth by calling for the old shepherd who saved him when he was a baby. Oedipus is aware of the consequences, that “if he refers to one man, one alone, / clearly the scales come down on me: / I am guilty”. Even as the shepherd, like Tiresias, demonstrates reluctance to tell Oedipus what he knows, he insists that the truth must come out. Moreover, when Jocasta collapses in despair, Oedipus remains fervent in his determination to discover his true identity, proclaiming that “I must know it all, / must see the truth at last”. In the end, it is this unwavering confidence and determination for the truth that ultimately leads him to his downfall.

However, despite these interpretations, it can also be said that Oedipus was merely a prisoner of his own fate, indicating that all the questionable actions he took were merely part of his destiny, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it. Through this interpretation, Oedipus is guiltless as there was no way to avoid his fate. Many attempts to avoid Oedipus’ tragic fate appear in the play, yet he still fulfilled it regardless. Jocasta and Laius cast him out as a mere infant; Oedipus exiles himself from his adopted parents in fear that ill would befall them (and not his birth parents). Yet it is fate that drives him towards Thebes and to the crossroads where he slew Laius, where there was no reason to kill Laius, but he was driven to do so anyway. Fate rewards him cruelly with Jocasta as a wife after besting the Sphinx. Lastly, fate drives him to pursue the truth of his past, driving home the final punishment of exile and blindness set by himself. There appeared the illusion of free will in his choices, but Oedipus was ultimately driven to make horrible choices which resulted in the fulfillment of the prophecy. Hence, Sophocles presents the cruel reality that even though characters may take extensive manoeuvres to avoid committing the crimes of their fate, they will be compelled to commit abhorrent acts in order to fulfill their destinies.

Overall, Oedipus himself is a complex character: the extent of his guilt depends on how much the audience places value on his personal choices or the prison of his fate. It is true that his nature lends itself to the interpretation of his own guilt in his actions. However, given the context of ancient Greece where individuals were commonly understood to be prisoner of their own fate, there may have been no way for him to avoid the consequences. Hence, while Oedipus was ill-fated from birth, Sophocles aimed to imbue audiences with the moral that one’s choices are highly important to the outcome of their lives.

“ Oedipus the King demonstrates that the quest for truth only leads to self-destruction. ” Discuss.

Oedipus Rex

Introduction.

Oedipus Rex is a famous tragedy written by Sophocles. It is also known by its Greek name “Oedipus Tyrannus” or “Oedipus the king”. It was first performed in 429 BC. Sophocles is now placed among the great ancient Greek Tragedians. He wrote three famous tragedies that include Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone that describe the sufferings of a king and his children after him.

Definition of a tragedy

Oedipus rex summary.

The play starts outside the palace of King Oedipus. The city of Thebes is shown suffering a plague because of which people are terrified. The fields become barren and people start suffering from different diseases. The people of Thebes gather along with a priest and other elders to request Oedipus, the king of Thebes, to help them and save them from this plague.  They come to the king to ask for help because he saved them once from the sphinx too. The sphinx was a monster with the woman’s head, lioness’ body, eagle’s wings and serpent’s tale.

Oedipus appreciates the chorus for their prayers. Oedipus then addresses to all the people and forbids them to give shelter to the murderer of king Laius. He also announces that if the murderer is present in the crowd, he can come forward and admit his crime. However, he promises not to kill the person if he comes forward to surrender and he only suggests banishment for him. The chorus suggests Oedipus to call Teiresias, the blind prophet, to resolve this matter. Oedipus tells them that he has already sent someone to call him.

Jocasta and Oedipus feel relief on this news. Jocasta becomes happy and tells Oedipus that this is another proof that proves the prophecies wrong. Oedipus believes her but he tells her that he is still worried about the other prophecy that he will marry his mother. The messenger tells Oedipus that now he doesn’t need to stay away from his home, Corinth. He tells him that he can come back any time without any fear because his mother, Merope, is not his real mother and Polybus was not his real father either.

Finally, Oedipus’ men come with a shepherd. Seeing the terrible condition of Jocasta, the chorus also starts thinking that something bad is going to happen so they also start begging Oedipus to leave the mystery unsolved but Oedipus doesn’t listen to them either. The shepherd looks terrified and doesn’t want to answer the king’s question. Oedipus forces him to tell the truth. He tells Oedipus it is true that he gave a baby boy to another shepherd. He admits that the baby was king Laius’ son whom Jocasta and Laius left to die on a hillside because they were terrified of an oracle’s prophecy.

Creon also enters the palace after hearing the whole story. He consoles Oedipus and asks him to come inside so that no one can see him. Oedipus also begs Creon to let him leave the city but he suggests meeting Apollo first. Oedipus refuses to meet anyone. Oedipus says that the only punishment for the sinner is banishment.  He requests Creon to bring his daughters to him as he wants to meet them before leaving. He also asks Creon to take care of them. 

Themes in Oedipus Rex

It is the main theme of this play and fate plays an important role in the whole play.  When king Laius and queen Jocasta hear the prophecy that their son will kill his father and marry his mother, they leave their son to die but the child doesn’t die and is taken to Corinth. When Oedipus grows up, he also comes to know about this prophecy so he leaves that place but he doesn’t know that his fate is taking him towards his real parents. No matter how hard he tries to escape his fate, he does the same as was written. The role of fate remains prominent in the play and in the end, Oedipus finds that he is only a puppet in the hands of gods and prophets.

Individual will/action

Pity and fear, plague and health, self-discovery and memories of the past, search for truth.

Oedipus promises people to find out the truth and punish the culprit so he starts his search. Many people request him to stop his search but he doesn’t listen to them. Teiresias begs him not to ask him about the truth because it will only bring pain to everyone. He forces him to speak. Later when things start to become clear, Jocasta also requests Oedipus to stop finding the truth but he doesn’t listen to her either. Then he finds out the bitter truth and ends up punishing himself. 

Guilt and Shame

Blind faith, oedipus rex characters analysis.

Creon remains a loyal friend to Oedipus. He even forgives him when he accuses him of treason and gives the order to execute him.  He claims that he never thought of turning against Oedipus. In every decision about the city of Thebes, he shares an equal part as Oedipus and Jocasta. At the end of the play, when Oedipus requests him to let him leave the city, he tells him that they should go to the oracle first but Oedipus doesn’t agree. Creon brings the daughters of Oedipus to meet their father for the last time according to his will and he also promises Oedipus to take care of them after him. Creon becomes the ruler of Thebes after king Oedipus. 

Teiresias then leaves the palace saying his last riddle. He tells that the murderer is in front of them, he is the killer of his father and the husband of his mother, he is the brother of his own children and the son of his own wife, a man who came seeing but will leave this world in blindness. His prophecy proves to be true at the end of the novel when the truth gets revealed in front of everyone and Oedipus blinds himself. 

A chorus is a group of singers that includes the elder citizens of Thebes. As the play starts, they come to Oedipus along with a priest to request the king to save their city from the plague. They become satisfied as the king assures them that he will save them from the trouble. The chorus plays an important role in the play. They sing choral odes after every scene that helps to connect different scenes of the play. Moreover, their choral odes add to the beauty of the play and entertain the readers. 

The chorus also prays to different gods to save their city from the plague. They forbid the king to take any strict decision against Creon and stop him from executing Creon. When the truth starts revealing, they also try to stop the king to stop his search for truth because they also start feeling that something wrong is going to happen. In the end, they lament on the king’s fate and the play ends when the Chorus says, “Count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last”.

Antigone and Ismene

The messenger from corinth.

Oedipus gets shocked on hearing this news and asks him who told him about this. He tells Oedipus that years ago someone from Thebes gave him a child as a gift and he presented it to the king and queen of Corinth as they had no children of their own. Oedipus further asks him about the person who gave him the child. He tells Oedipus that he was one of Laius’ servants. He also helped Oedipus in recognizing the servant. 

The Herdsman

The herdsman is the person who gave the child of king Laius and queen Jocasta to the messenger of Corinth on their orders. He is also the witness of king Laius’ death. Initially, he lied to everyone that king Laius was murdered by some robbers but later when king Oedipus calls him in his palace and forces him to speak the truth, he tells that he witnessed the killer of King Laius and he is Oedipus. 

The Second Messenger

Oedipus rex literary analysis.

“Oedipus Rex” is a classical work in which Sophocles has skillfully shown a straightforward interpretation of a Greek myth. Throughout the play, the use of dramatic irony makes this play a great success and masterpiece. The play discusses how fate plays its part in the life of the characters. The main character tries hard to escape his fate but in his effort to run away from it, he actually comes nearer to what gods have decided for him and ends up doing what already was prophecized.

Title of the play

Setting of the play, ending of the play.

He leaves the city as he himself announced banishment as a punishment for the criminal. Now he wins the hearts of people again and becomes the real hero at the end. Creon treats him gently forgetting about what he did to him and takes the charge of Thebes afterwards.

Writing style

Plot analysis, initial situation  , conflict   , complication.

Oedipus starts realizing that he has some link with the murder of Laius. The more he learns about the truth, the more he shows interest to solve this mystery. As he comes close to the truth, he hurts no one but himself in the entire process.

The three unities in Oedipus Rex

Unity of action, unity of place.

“Oedipus Rex” also follows the unity of action as the whole play occurs at a single place. The play is restricted to a single location that is in front of the king’s palace in the city of Thebes.

Unity of Time

Three act plot analysis.

Oedipus knows that the city is cursed so he sends Creon to an oracle to find out the solution. Creon tells that the only solution to lift the plague is to find the murderer of King Laius and punish him. Oedipus promises people to find the culprit and save them from trouble.

Oedipus investigates Jocasta, Teiresias, the messenger and the shepherd to know about King Laius’ murderer. Slowly he starts solving the mystery.

Analysis of the Literary Devices used in Oedipus Rex

Dramatic irony.

One example of the dramatic irony is that throughout the play Oedipus struggles to find the murderer of King Laius but in reality, he himself murdered his father and then he searches for the murderer here and there. The irony here is that he searches for himself. 

The scars on Oedipus’ feet

When Oedipus was three days old, an oracle told his father, King Laius, that the child will kill his father in the future and then he will marry his mother.  King Laius bound his feet by a pin due to which they got swollen and later some scars were left on them. The scars on his feet are symbolic. They symbolize that Oedipus was marked for all the sufferings right from the time of his birth. These scars are also ironic. Although the name of Oedipus clearly points towards his feet, still he fails to discover his true identity. 

The Crossroads

Oedipus killed a stranger at a place where three roads met. Unknowingly he killed his father. Sophocles made the point of murder unique. Oedipus’ fate followed him. The three roads actually symbolize the choices that a person has while making any decision. In the play, the three roads symbolize the choice or the path that Oedipus could have taken instead of killing a man just because of his short temperament. The three roads also symbolize the present, past and future. It is said that the Greek Goddess of the crossroads had 3 heads. One head could see the past, one the present and one the future.  

Eyes, Vision and Blindness

More from sophocles.

Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King

By sophocles, oedipus rex or oedipus the king study guide.

The Oedipus myth goes back as far as Homer and beyond, with sources varying about plot details. The play that Sophocles presents is merely the end of a dramatically long story, and some plot background must be provided to make the story understandable for modern audiences (please see the section on ‘Oedipus and Myth’ for this full backstory). The real myth begins a few generations before Oedipus was born. The city of Thebes was founded by a man named Cadmus, who slew a dragon and was instructed to sow the dragon's teeth in order to give birth to a city. From these teeth sprang a race of giants who were fully armed and angry; they fought each other until only five were left, and these five became the fathers of Thebes.

Ancient Greek audiences would already know the background, and in fact the entirety, of the Oedipus story. Therefore what makes this particular play so great is its ability to present this material in an evocative and powerful manner, in order to nullify the reality that most of the audience already knew its contents. Modern audiences might recognize the name Oedipus from Sigmund Freud's famous "Oedipus Complex" - particularly his theory that young boys lust after their mothers and see their fathers as competition for their mothers' favors. This theory springs from Jocasta 's comment that killing your father and marrying your mother are the kinds of things men often dream of (981). Freud's theory has been hotly debated and, indeed, is currently dismissed by most classical scholars – though the fact that the issue remains the subject of much psychological debate is proof that the Oedipus story continues to be powerful even thousands of years after the advent of Sophocles' play.

Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What does Oedipus seem to believe about his ability to control his own destiny?

It is important to remember that, even at this first stage of the play, Oedipus’ pride does not bring about any of the events that cause the plague. The murder of Laius, after all, happened many years ago, and he already has four children fathered...

Character analysis please?

Oedipus is the king of Thebes, married to Jocasta. He is unaware, at the start of the play, that he has murdered his father and slept with his mother. Soon he learns that it was he that put his kingdom at such terrible risk, and blinds himself...

• Oedipus the King

Jocasta is both Oedipus' wife and mother, though, she is unaware that she has married her son. When she learns that her son was not killed, and was in fact her husband, Jocasta takes her own life.

Study Guide for Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King

Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) study guide contains a biography of Sophocles, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King
• Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King Summary
• Character List

Essays for Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King

Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) by Sophocles.

• Hubris in Antigone and Oedipus
• Hubris in Greek Mythology
• Anagnoresis
• Poetics and the Great Greek Tragedy: Oedipus Rex
• The Vision of Blindness: Sight Versus Insight in Sophocles' Oedipus the King

Lesson Plan for Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King Bibliography

E-Text of Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King

Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) e-text contains the full text of Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) by Sophocles.

Wikipedia Entries for Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King

• Introduction
• Relationship with mythic tradition

Experience the Joy of Learning

• Just Great DataBase
• Study Guides
• Oedipus the King

Oedipus the King Summary

The play is based on the myth about Oedipus, which was well-known to the ancient Greeks. But Sophocles reinterprets the myth in his own way. Understanding that the audience knows the ending well enough, he changes the accent from the final tragedy to the feelings of Oedipus himself, showing how he, acting as a noble and righteous king, doing what he was raised for, curses himself and traps himself in a horrifying situation.

The play starts with the fact that the horrible curse hit the ancient Greek city of Thebes. The oracle says that the curse can be lifted only when the murderer of the previous king, Laius, will be found and punished. The citizens of Thebes come to the palace of the current king, Oedipus and his wife (and the widow of the former king) Jocasta, asking to save the city. Oedipus appears before his people promising that he himself will do anything to find the murderer and curses him aloud. He sends Creon, his brother-in-law to bring the most experienced oracle from Delphi to find the killer.

Creon brings Tiresias, the blind oracle. Tiresias, though knowing the truth, refuses to tell it to the king, knowing that would ruin his life. But Oedipus becomes more and more impatient, going as far as accusing Tiresias of covering the murderer. Than Tiresias bitterly says that Oedipus himself is the murderer of the former king, Laius.

Oedipus is stunned. He doesn’t believe his ears and suspects that it was Creon plotting against him. He could pay the oracle to frame the king, so that he could become king himself. Oedipus accuses Creon, the insults become worse and the fight to death is averted only by Jocasta’s appearance. Jocasta is a wise and respected queen. She calms her husband down, saying that prophecies can eventually lie. She tells a story about one prophecy that ruined her life and hurted her so much.

When Thebes was still ruled by her first husband, king Laius, she was waiting for her firstborn son. But the oracle of Apollo gave Laius a terrible prediction: if he had a son he would kill Laius and sleep with his wife. Horrified, Laius waited until his wife gave birth to their baby and it was a boy. In grief, the king took the baby away from his mother and gave his only heir to the accidental shepherd, ordering him to bring the child to the mountains and leave there for his death.

Jocasta bitterly concludes that she lost her only child for nothing - Laius was killed by some random stranger on the crossroad.

But the story told to calm Oedipus down only raises more anxiety. He remembers the times when he, a prince of a neighboring city, was travelled to Thebes because of exactly same reason. He grew up in loving family of the King and Queen of Corinth, considering himself a heir and a son of his parents, but the more he heard the rumors about him being just an adopted orphan the more curious young Oedipus became. He decided to solve that question once and for all and went to the oracle, who said that the fate of Oedipus was to murder his father and sleep with his mother. Frightened by that prophecy, the young man fled away from his country afraid to harm his father and offend his mother who he loved very much.

During his journey Oedipus came to the crossroads. A luxurious chariot was riding towards him, with a rich elderly man in it. He proudly demanded Oedipus to step back and not to stay in the way of the noble man. The young man didn’t have time to step back and the chariot driver hit him with the staff. Enraged, Oedipus fought back, accidentally killing the man with his first strike. He had no choice than to continue fighting for his life and killing all the old man’s servants except the last one, who managed to escape. He didn’t think about the fight too much, deciding that the old man got what he deserved for his vanity.

How could he be the son of Laius and Jocasta if their baby was murdered by some shepherd? In despair, Oedipus start searching for the last servant of the old man from the crossroads. He wanted to ask: was he the murderer or was there another road fight, so common during that times? But the servant left the city long ago, taking the last chance to know the truth with him.

Another shocking message comes with the messenger from Corinth. Oedipus father - or the man he thought was his father - is dead and Oedipus is asked to return and take the crown. Oedipus still hesitates. His father is dead but his mother isn’t and he by no means want to be a danger to her. The naive messenger tells him not to worry, because the queen of Corinth isn’t his mother by blood, the prince was adopted. The messenger once was a shepherd who himself brought baby Oedipus to the king of Corinth. 

Jocasta understands first what the messenger is going to say. She rushes to Oedipus asking her husband not to ask anymore for his own life and her love. But the king is obsessed with solving the mystery and refuses to step back, ordering the messenger to continue. Jocasta goes back to her chambers in blackest despair.

The servants of Oedipus enter the room saying that they managed to find the missing servant of Laius and bring him with them. The servant enters the room - and not only he recognizes his new king as Laius’s murderer, but the messenger from Corinth as fellow shepherd!

The servant says that he didn’t know anything about the prophecy when Laius ordered him to kill his son. In the mountains he met another shepherd from the neighboring city - who is now promoted to a messenger - and gave the baby to him, asking to hide the innocent child from the king’s unexplainable rage. The shepherd from Corinth brought the baby to his king, giving him the right to decide the baby’s fate. The king didn’t have any children, so he took the baby to his palace and raised him as his own son, giving him the name Oedipus.

Now the king knows the truth. He indeed is the killer of his father Laius and the husband of his mother Jocasta. Jocasta never leaves her chambers again. She commits suicide out of shame and grief leaving her son and husband to cry over her and crave her body.

The rumors are spread that the king is the source of the curse of Thebes. He is the lover of his mother and killer of his father, he went mad from the revelation, blinding himself with Jocasta’s hairpins taken from her dead body. But then the king himself enters the hall his face covered by blood dripping from the empty eye sockets. As a king, he kept his word and punished the murderer of Laius, blinding and exiling him.

Oedipus asks to bring his son and daughters. He says his farewells to them with all the heartbreaking tenderness the father can give to his children in such a dire situation. He asks Creon to take care of them and bury Jocasta properly. Then he leaves, exiled forever, and according to his own order no one will provide him with food or shelter.  

Author: Arnold Campbell

Oedipus the King Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Man versus man conflict, man versus nature, man versus himself, works cited.

‘Oedipus the King’ is a play written by Sophocles in Ancient Greek at around 430 B.C. set in a fabulous past of the ancient Greek. Throughout the play, the king is determined to understand several issues about the community and himself.

As a result, he seeks help from the Theban chorus; Tiresias, the blind prophet; Creon, his brother in-law; Jocasta, the Oedipus wife and the shepherd. Throughout the play, conflict stands out as the main theme as exposited by exploring the three elements of conflict from the play viz. man versus man, man versus himself and man versus nature.

A conflict exists between the king and the prophet Tiresias. The play begins by investigation into the cause of death of Laius, the former Theban king. When the Oedipus King seeks advice from the prophet Tiresias, to his surprise, the prophet tells him that Oedipus was responsible for the murderer of Laius.

In disbelief, the King becomes annoyed with Tiresias and they end up into a heated argument. The king blames the prophet for accusing him for the murder (Sophocles 306). While the King maintains his innocence, Tiresias holds that the murderer of Laius is a Theban citizen whom they have a blood relationship. The manner in which Tiresias leaves the palace evidences unhidden conflict between him and the Oedipus King.

In addition, the king is in conflict with his brother in-law, Creon. When the prophet accuses Oedipus for the murder, the king blames Creon for masterminding the accusations. The king believes that Creon is determined to undermine him. As a result, the king calls for Creon’s execution.

Another conflict exists between Jocasta and the prophets. Jocasta believes that prophets are liars and the king should take none of their advice. “Listen and I’ll convince thee that no truth in these prophets” (Sophocles 316). This quote reveals that Jocasta does not believe in prophets any more. There is also conflict between the king and the shepherd. When the shepherd refuses to give information on murder, the king threatens to execute him.

Theban community is in conflict with nature. Oedipus king is determined to fight the plague, which has affected the community. As Sophocles indicates in the Creon’s conversation with the king, the leadership of Theban community is investigating the cause of the plague: “Let me report then all what god declared.

King Phoebus bids us straightly extirpate Fell pollution that infests the land, and no more harbor an inveterate sore” (Sophocles 315). From this quotation, it is clear that the people of Theban are determined to fight to the end the plague that runs through the community.

As illustrated on the first scene, the priest and the Theban choir have also visited the palace to seek aid for the plague. The king gives them hope by noting that “but I grieve at once both for the general, myself and you” (Sophocles 267). To grieve in ancient Greek meant cooperation with the suffering. Plague is a natural disease and therefore fighting it evidences this kind of conflict.

The king is in conflict with himself. The community expects exemplary behavior from their king, especially in such ancient setting. As the play illustrates, the king killed his father and slept with his mother. The king’s behavior is in conflict with the character of Oedipus king. It is therefore vivid that the king is in conflict with himself.

The shepherd is also in conflict with himself. Once requested to come and testify on the murder of Laius, he agrees and in fact provides some information to the king; however, after sometime, he begs to leave without further questions (Sophocles 300). This illustrates the shepherd’s conflict with himself.

The major conflict arises when the prophet accuses the Oedipus for the murder of the former king. Since the entire play revolves about the murder, it is therefore justifiable that conflict is the major theme in the play ‘Oedipus the King’. King’s conflict with the prophet and Creon illustrates man versus man conflict while the community’s battle with the plague evidences the man versus nature conflict. The king’s behavior is in conflict with what is expected of him thus underscoring the man versus man conflict.

Sophocles. “Oedipus the King.” The Collection. Trans. Francis Storr. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1912.

• Oedipus the King - Characters and Performance
• "When Children Grieve" Overview and Analysis
• Oedipus the King by Sophocles Literature Analysis
• A Play "Hamlet" by William Shakespear
• Othello as the Outsider
• Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs
• "The Sound of a Voice" by Henry Hwang
• The Function of the Soliloquies in Hamlet
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2018, September 10). Oedipus the King. https://ivypanda.com/essays/oedipus-the-king-3/

"Oedipus the King." IvyPanda , 10 Sept. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/oedipus-the-king-3/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Oedipus the King'. 10 September.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Oedipus the King." September 10, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/oedipus-the-king-3/.

1. IvyPanda . "Oedipus the King." September 10, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/oedipus-the-king-3/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Oedipus the King." September 10, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/oedipus-the-king-3/.

• The Oedipus Trilogy
• Literature Notes
• Essay Questions
• Play Summary
• Oedipus the King
• Oedipus at Colonus
• About the Oedipus Trilogy
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis: Oedipus the King
• Lines 1-168
• Lines 169-244
• Lines 245-526
• Lines 527-572
• Lines 573-953
• Lines 954-996
• Lines 997-1194
• Lines 1195-1214
• Lines 1215-1310
• Lines 1311-1350
• Lines 1351-1684
• Summary and Analysis: Oedipus at Colonus
• Lines 1-141
• Lines 142-268
• Lines 269-576
• Lines 577-616
• Lines 617-761
• Lines 762-817
• Lines 818-1192
• Lines 1193-1239
• Lines 1240-1377
• Lines 1378-1410
• Lines 1411-1645
• Lines 1646-1694
• Lines 1695-1765
• Lines 1766-1788
• Lines 1789-2001
• Summary and Analysis: Antigone
• Lines 1-116
• Lines 117-178
• Lines 179-376
• Lines 377-416
• Lines 417-655
• Lines 656-700
• Lines 701-878
• Lines 879-894
• Lines 895-969
• Lines 970-1034
• Lines 1035-1089
• Lines 1090-1237
• Lines 1238-1273
• Lines 1274-1470
• Character Analysis
• Sophocles Biography
• Critical Essays
• The Power of Fate in the Oedipus Trilogy
• Ritual and Transcendence in the Oedipus Trilogy
• Full Glossary for The Oedipus Trilogy
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

Study Help Essay Questions

1. Near the end of each play in the Oedipus Trilogy, a messenger describes what has happened offstage, usually the most important action in the play. Why do you think Sophocles handles the action in this way? How does the off-stage action — left to the imagination — function in the play?

2. Choose one tragedy and discuss the role of the chorus. Does the chorus change over the course of the play? How does the chorus affect the action? How does it focus and intensify the audience's responses?

3. In Antigone , who is the real main character — Antigone or Creon? Make a case to support your choice.

4. In Oedipus the King , Jocasta, like Oedipus, sees the horror of her identity unfolding. Compare Jocasta to the tragic hero. What are her own ideas about Fate and prophecy? How does she react to her suspicions about Oedipus' birth? How does her final despair differ from Oedipus'?

5. Discuss the differences between Antigone and Ismene in their views of women in society. How does each sister's view shape the choices she makes in the play? How consistent is each in her view?

6. Choose a character who appears in two or more plays of the Oedipus Trilogy, and discuss the similarities and differences in characterization in the plays.

7. Write an essay in which you agree or disagree with the following statement: Antigone is primarily a drama of politics, not of fate.

8. As a prophet, Tiresias speaks for the gods and for Fate. How does the character of Tiresias function dramatically in Oedipus the King and Antigone ?

Previous Full Glossary for The Oedipus Trilogy

Next Practice Projects

Oedipus Rex

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

At the start of the play, the city of Thebes is suffering terribly. Citizens are dying from plague, crops fail, women are dying in childbirth and their babies are stillborn. A group of priests comes to the royal palace to ask for help from Oedipus , their king who once saved them from the tyranny of the terrible Sphinx. Oedipus has already sent his brother-in-law, Creon , to the oracle of the god Apollo to find out what can be done. (A little background: before Oedipus arrived in Thebes, the previous king, Laius, was murdered under mysterious circumstances and the murderer was never found. When Oedipus arrived in Thebes and saved the city, he was made king and married the widowed queen, Jocasta , sister of Creon.) Now Creon returns with the oracle's news: for the plague to be lifted from the city, the murderer of Laius must be discovered and punished. The oracle claims that the murderer is still living in Thebes.

Oedipus curses the unknown murderer and swears he will find and punish him. He orders the people of Thebes, under punishment of exile, to give any information they have about the death of Laius. Oedipus sends for Tiresias , the blind prophet, to help with the investigation. Tiresias comes, but refuses to tell Oedipus what he has seen in his prophetic visions. Oedipus accuses Tiresias of playing a part in Laius's death. Tiresias grows angry and says that Oedipus is the cause of the plague—he is the murderer of Laius. As the argument escalates, Oedipus accuses Tiresias of plotting with Creon to overthrow him, while Tiresias hints at other terrible things that Oedipus has done.

Convinced that Creon is plotting to overthrow him, Oedipus declares his intention to banish or execute his brother-in-law. Jocasta and the chorus believe Creon is innocent and beg Oedipus to let Creon go. He relents, reluctantly, still convinced of Creon's guilt. Jocasta tells Oedipus not to put any stock in what prophets and seers say. As an example, she tells him the prophecy she once received—that Laius, her first husband, would be killed by their own son. And yet, Laius was killed by strangers, and her own infant son was left to die in the mountains. But her description of where Laius was killed—a triple-crossroad —worries Oedipus. It's the same place where Oedipus once fought with several people and killed them, one of whom fit the description of Laius. He asks that the surviving eyewitness to Laius's murder be brought to him. He tells Jocasta that oracles have played a big part in his life as well—he received a prophecy that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, which is why he left Corinth, the city he was raised in, and never returned.

An old messenger arrives from Corinth with the news that Oedipus's father, King Polybus, has died of old age. This encourages Oedipus. It seems his prophecy might not come true, but he remains worried because his mother is still alive. The messenger tells him not to worry—the king and queen of Corinth were not his real parents. The messenger himself brought Oedipus as a baby to the royal family as a gift after a shepherd found the boy in the mountains and gave him to the messenger. The shepherd was the same man Oedipus has already sent for—the eyewitness to Laius's murder. Jocasta begs Oedipus to abandon his search for his origins, but Oedipus insists he must know the story of his birth. Jocasta cries out in agony and leaves the stage. The shepherd arrives but doesn't want to tell what he knows. Only under threat of death does he reveal that he disobeyed the order to kill the infant son of Laius and Jocasta, and instead gave that baby to the messenger. That baby was Oedipus, who in fact killed his father Laius and married his mother. Oedipus realizes that he has fulfilled his awful prophecy. Queen Jocasta kills herself and Oedipus, in a fit of grief, gouges out his own eyes. Blind and grief-stricken, Oedipus bemoans his fate. Creon, after consulting an oracle, grants Oedipus's request and banishes him from Thebes.

32 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Act Summaries & Analyses

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Act I Act Summaries & Analyses

Act i summary.

The main character, King Oedipus, ruler of Thebes , opens the play with a soliloquy, a speech in which an actor appears to speak aloud to the audience while alone. Oedipus is worrying about Thebes, which is being ravaged by a deadly plague. Oedipus mentions a prophecy that also worries him. This prophecy—which he received before he came to Thebes—states that he will kill his father and marry his mother. As a result, Oedipus fled his homeland, Corinth, ruled by his father Polybus. At first, Oedipus was relieved, optimistic that he had avoided his predicted fate. However, Oedipus now wonders if his avoidance of the prophecy has caused the plague in Thebes.

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now

Related Titles

Letters from a Stoic

On the Shortness of Life

Featured Collections

View Collection

Popular Study Guides

Spanish Literature

Tragic Plays

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

Essays on Oedipus The King

Table of Contents

About oedipus the king book.

Oedipus Rex is also known for its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus or Oedipus the King. It was written by Sophocles and is an Athenian tragedy that was first performed around 429 BC. It was first premiered in Athens at the Theatre of Dionysus and is a series of Theban Plays. Oedipus the King book revolves around the life and happenstance of a young boy named Oedipus who was to grow up to fulfill a tragic prophecy.

Foretold by the Oracle that her son would murder his father and marry his mother, Queen Jocasta orders him to be killed. However, Oedipus isn’t killed but grows up in another city raised by another parent. He goes to the Oracle Delphi to have a look at his fate and is told of his ill-fate. In an attempt to not fulfill his destiny, he unknowingly fulfills it.

Oedipus the King Summary

Oedipus The King is a Greek tragedy that tells the story of King Oedipus of Thebes. King Oedipus is fated to marry his mother and also kill his father. The city of Thebes is struck by a plague that will only be lifted if the man who killed the former King is exiled. Oedipus calls for the prophet Tiresias to reveal their identity, and the prophet claims that the murderer is Oedipus.

An oracle had told Queen Jocasta that her son would kill her husband and marry her, so she left her son, Oedipus, to die. Unknowingly to her, Oedipus survives and kills his father without knowing, marrying his mother and becoming King. Queen Jocasta hangs herself when the truth is revealed, and King Oedipus uses her pins to blind himself and goes into exile. These are the focal points that are meant to be discussed in an essay on Oedipus the King.  

Oedipus the King Quotes

Essay questions for Oedipus the King sometimes involve common quotes from the text. Below are a few of these:

“Thou lov’st to speak in riddles and dark words.”

“King as thou art, free speech at least is mine. To make reply; in this, I am thy peer.”

“Closer, it’s all right. Touch the man of grief. Do. Don’t be afraid. My troubles are mine, and I am the only man alive who can sustain them.”

“Whose tale sadder than thine, whose lot more dire? O Oedipus, discrowned head, Thy cradle was thy marriage bed.”

“Weep not; everything must have its day.”

“How dreadful the knowledge of the truth can be. When there’s no help in truth.”

“To throw away an honest friend is, as it were, to throw your life away.”

“Time, which sees all things, has found you out.”

“Fear? What has a man to do with fear? Chance rules our lives, and the future is all unknown. Best live as we may, from day to day.”

  Essay Structure on Oedipus the King

Introduction.

When writing an introduction, have it at the back of your mind that your main aim is to lay a foundation for your position, thesis, and argument to your reader about the book and the issue you hope to tackle. This will help you develop a powerful opening. For this, it is always best to start with a “hook.”

An example of a compelling hook could be striking quotations from the book ( “Weep not, everything must have its day,” “Time, which sees all things, has found you out,” or “Thou lov’st to speak in riddles and dark words.” ).

With your reader’s attention hooked, you can move on to writing your thesis statement. Your thesis statement must clearly show your readers the position you are standing with.

  The Body Paragraphs

The main goal of the body paragraphs is to explain the examples chosen to support your argument in detail. The first body paragraph must have the strongest point or the most significant example. The opening sentence should also be the main sentence of the paragraph.

It is also essential to write in context and explain to your reader each topic sentence. Explain to them why you have chosen a character as an example, why you have chosen a symbol as an example, and the significance of the examples chosen. 

Now note, while the conclusion comes last, it is not an afterthought. It is the final piece of the puzzle and impresses upon your readers that you have arrived at the end. Make it solid and use concluding transition words, such as finally, in conclusion, in the end, etc.

You can also add a memorable quote or allusion to this statement and use it to reemphasize your thesis statement. End your conclusion with a call to action that spurs your readers into duty.

Tips to Consider While Writing An essay About Oedipus the King

Read the book thoroughly.

It goes without saying that if you want to write a book, you have to first read it. So when writing an essay about Oedipus the King, you need to read the book. While reading the book or even after reading it, you will have questions about different parts of the book. This does not just help you understand the book; it also helps you with your essay.

Several questions will come to your mind about the characters’ attributes, motives, vices, virtues, morals, what dictates their actions and statement, desires, and what the story’s message is. It will also help you understand the author and the message conveyed in the book.

Find a compelling topic

After thoroughly reading the book, you can develop a compelling topic that drives your readers to want to keep reading. The questions that you have raised and the ones that you will still raise will give you a foundation on which your essay topic will be found. Several questions will pop up, such as the following:

•       What is the story about?
•       Were there any social problems the author tried to convey in the novel?
•       Were there any solutions to those problems?
•   What messages did the author try to communicate regarding humanity, perception of reality, and shared human experiences?
•       Did the story use symbols?
•       What do the symbols represent?

When you find the answers to these questions, you will have found a great topic for your essay.

Write the thesis statement

The next thing to do is to write a thesis statement. Your thesis statement has to be specific and robust. It includes all of the arguments that you have provided as supporting points for the thesis statement that you have written and also the relevant examples in the book.

The relevant examples added to your thesis statement will help you enhance your arguments and maintain your stance on the issue. Choose an anecdote or allusion that reinforces your stance and position.

  Create the outline

After your thesis statement, you must organize your thoughts by creating an outline. Have a picture of the structure you want to create, and you will be able to create an outline from it. This outline serves as the basis for all the contents you will create and the arguments you will make.

An outline usually contains three major parts; the introduction or introductory paragraphs, the body paragraphs, and the concluding paragraphs or conclusion. These have been explained in the previous section.

Outlines are to help you create a detailed, coherent, and logical structure that helps you seamlessly turn ideas and thoughts into words, sentences, and paragraphs. A strong outline has to have a series of main ideas. These ideas are what you plan on presenting in your essay PDF.

Here, you’ll have to create multiple ideas from either resources, research or questions about your essay topic and ideas you’ll want to touch on in the essay. Your outline prompts the paragraphs in your essay, so you need to ensure that they are also well organized.

Single out all of your main ideas from the supporting ideas and make them as original as you can. Expand on them and make them fully developed.

  Include a lesson or moral

The moral of your story is always interlinked with the story’s theme. So also, the lesson or the moral of your essay is always interlinked with the theme of your essay. It is interlinked with the central idea and position you have taken and is what you leave with your reader to take home. 

  Conclusion: Proofread your work

In conclusion, proofread your work. This will help you correct all the grammar and spelling errors you might have made and also improve the style and clarity you desire.

Go through your essay, review it, edit it, revise it, reorganize your ideas and sentences and modify your sentences to improve and make it as tight as possible.

If you are having a drag writing an essay about Oedipus the King, our writers are here to help you with a perfect essay in no time while you enjoy reading the book.

What is the message of Oedipus the King?

The message of Oedipus the King is that which says that it is impossible to escape one’s fate. The Delphi Oracle had told Oedipus about his ill fate, but he ran to fulfill it, thinking he was running away.

  Why is Oedipus a tragic hero essay?

Oedipus is considered a tragic hero because he is not perfect but has tragic flaws. This is according to the terms of the Aristotelian theory of tragedy. Aristotle shows us that the tragic flaw of Oedipus is from self-righteousness and hubris.

How is Oedipus the King relevant today?

Although it was written over 2,000 years ago, Oedipus Rex reminds us of the role of fate and destiny in our lives and also how the arrogance and blindness of anyone, no matter how powerful, can lead to their downfall.

What is the major theme of Oedipus the King?

The major theme of Oedipus the King is fate vs. free will. Oedipus had received a prophecy that he would marry his mother and kill his father. Still, in his free will, he decided to escape the prophecy, only to end up fulfilling the prophecy regarding his fate.

Save to my list

Remove from my list

FAQ about Oedipus The King

Oedipus: the King of Thebes

This essay will provide an in-depth analysis of the character Oedipus in Sophocles’s play “Oedipus the King.” It will explore Oedipus’s role as the king of Thebes, his journey of self-discovery, and his tragic downfall. The piece will discuss the themes of fate, free will, and the search for truth, examining how Oedipus’s character embodies these themes. On PapersOwl, there’s also a selection of free essay templates associated with Oedipus.

How it works

Oedipus is the king of Thebes, having solved the riddle of the Sphinx and saved the city from destruction. But now a plague is devistraing Thebes, and various oracles and bird entrails suggest it is because the murderer of the old king, Laius, still lives in the kingdom unpunished. Oedipus decides to investigate the murder to alleviate everyone, including himself, only to discover he himself is the one who killed Laius and married his queen, Jocasta. Then he finds out he and Laius have a relationship, he is his true father, and Jocasta is his mother, meaning Oedipus has had four children with his mother, tying back to an earlier prognostication, because bird entrails are never wrong.

As a result of this, Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus gouges out his own eyes with her jewelry, then goes into exile. Sophocles, the playwright of this blank and blank play,

As the audience, who is fully equipped with the plot of this particular story, listens to Jocasta’s self-confident and in-denial words, they become uncomfortable She tries to convince Oedipus, and herself, that incest is of a commonplace, by the utilization of a startling lightness that will return back to her, only to haunt her. These lines are of catastrophic nature, because Jocasta has no indication that her baffling words are ironic, inaccurate to the highest degree, and absurd. While one continues to see the story unfold, their opinion is of similarity with Tiresias, knowledge enriched, resulting in pain for others as well as the person itself. Formerly, it is of significance to realize, a fraction of the irony in the lines is dependent upon the play, and the audience, condemning Jocasta for her lack of sight. She makes a declaration of “”Since Fate rules us.. and suggest that her husband, Oedipus “”…should live only for the present day, hit the nail exactly on the head when it comes to beliefs of just about everyone related to the piece, no limited to Jocasta herself.

Oedipus sent his brother-in-law Creon to the oracle, and would not have done so if if he had faith in events that were determined unsystematically. Neither would Oedipus flee Corinth after laying his ears upon the prophecy of the oracle, stating that he would be the one at the hands of his father’s death and the man in his mother’s bed. Similarly, Jocasta would not have tied her baby’s ankles and told one to get rid of it, resulting in the abandonment of this baby in the mountains. The play continuously come back to the fact of prophecies coming true, and the expressions of the high powers must be listened to and obeyed. The audience sees Jocasta, as she truly is, one who only believes in the prophecies that suit her. It is exemplified in her abandoning her son in the mountains, because it was prophesied that her son would be the murderer of her husband, Laius, even though she wholeheartedly believed her husband’s blood was not shed by her son. Jocasta finds the words of the oracle to be of no value, worthless, making her ignorant to the inevitable truth. She does this exact thing again with Oedipus, when the truth steers into a horrific disclosure and tries to steer it another way, by saying everything is at random, including one’s actions.

Cite this page

Oedipus: the King of Thebes. (2019, Sep 03). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/oedipus-the-king-of-thebes/

"Oedipus: the King of Thebes." PapersOwl.com , 3 Sep 2019, https://papersowl.com/examples/oedipus-the-king-of-thebes/

PapersOwl.com. (2019). Oedipus: the King of Thebes . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/oedipus-the-king-of-thebes/ [Accessed: 11 Jun. 2024]

"Oedipus: the King of Thebes." PapersOwl.com, Sep 03, 2019. Accessed June 11, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/oedipus-the-king-of-thebes/

"Oedipus: the King of Thebes," PapersOwl.com , 03-Sep-2019. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/oedipus-the-king-of-thebes/. [Accessed: 11-Jun-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2019). Oedipus: the King of Thebes . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/oedipus-the-king-of-thebes/ [Accessed: 11-Jun-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Summary Of Sophocles ‘Oedipus The King’ Essay

Oedipus the King by Sophocles The painting was created by Collin Mills, also known as Rezurekted from the famous art site Deviant Art. In the painting the absence of Oedipus’s eye did not becloud him, but yet his spirit was lightened, there were puzzles he was trying to piece together. Although the windows of his soul were missing, but Oedipus was no longer blind. He freed his mind so he could grasp his thoughts clearly once for all. The artist portrayed the character neatly with details. The pieces of the puzzle that Oedipus had figured out were bright and clear and the rest were dark and still all over the places waiting to be solved. In the painting Oedipus looks soulless and emotionless, but he had transcended from his destiny. “Oedipus…

After Oedipus found out the tragedy truths about his birth and the facts he still killed his father and married his mother, Apollo made Oedipus blind himself, but this time he didn’t run from his fate instead he obeyed and like how Goldhill described how Oedipus freely bears the punishment. Throughout Oedipus’s life he was escaping from his fate, but yet he didn’t know he was doing the exact opposite. Instead of fleeing away from the Oracle of Delphi, Oedipus pushed himself toward the life that was already planned out for…

Life was a tremendous chain made of variety of decisions and everything we did was tightly congregated to one another. Our actions put us in the circumstances we were involved today. Every flash was the turning point and every second was life changing. There would be no way to know the future, but we could accept our thoughts and feelings. Oedipus spent his whole life, suffering and trying to evade from his fate like a lot of us trying to run away from the fate that nobody’s youth would remain for the eternity. If we already knew how it would end why don’t we fill our lives with the joys and colors? We all had the power to create sparkles like fireworks in our lives. Instead we got caught up in the itty bitty tiny problems and lived the lives unhappily. I believe Oedipus eventually understood the true meaning of life which was that you could not get out of life alive, so if he could do it again he would try his best to live gratefully and live it to the fullest no matter what the outcome was. It didn’t matter if he killed his father or married his mother, he could have done it joyfully. He could be one of the southern redneck who enjoyed the “beauty” of incest, but he ended up sad and lonely with a miserable story to…

More Essays

• Sophocles “Oedipus the King”
• Analysis Of Sophocles Oedipus The King Essay
• Essay about The Gods In Sophocles Oedipus The King
• Tragic Hero In Oedipus The King Essay
• Sophocles play Oedipus Rex
• Oedipus The King Analysis Essay
• Essay on Theme Of Fate In Oedipus The King
• Oedipus: Fate vs. Free Will
• Symbolism In Oedipus The King Essay
• Essay about Tragedy In Oedipus The King