Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

31

Title

Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Sophocles' tragic masterpiece follows Oedipus, a king cursed by a prophecy to kill his father and marry his mother. After solving the Sphinx's riddle and saving Thebes, he reigns until a plague strikes. Pursuing the murderer of the former king, he discovers his own horrific lineage. Blinded by the truth, he is exiled but finds a strange sanctuary in Colonus, where his final fate remains shrouded in mystery.

Summary up to 500 words

Sophocles' *Oedipus the King* opens with Thebes ravaged by a plague. King Oedipus, recently crowned after solving the Sphinx's riddle, consults the oracle at Delphi, which commands the purification of the land by punishing the murderer of the former king, Laius. Oedipus vows to find the killer, suspecting a foreigner or a conspirator, and issues a decree demanding justice. The Chorus laments the city's suffering, describing blights on crops and livestock. Oedipus interrogates the blind prophet Teiresias, who initially accuses Oedipus of the crime. Enraged, Oedipus drives the prophet away. His wife and mother, Jocasta, attempts to calm him, revealing that an oracle once predicted her own death, which she believes has not yet come true, arguing that oracles are often false. A messenger from Corinth arrives, confirming that Oedipus's biological parents were Polybus and Merope, not Laius and Jocasta. Jocasta, relieved, suggests the prophecy was false. However, the messenger reveals that Laius was killed by robbers at a crossroads. Oedipus recalls a similar incident from his youth where he killed a man and his companions at a crossroads. The realization begins to dawn on him. Jocasta hangs herself, unable to bear the truth. A second messenger arrives, reporting the death of Oedipus's son, Eteocles, and the suicide of his wife, Eurydice. Oedipus is then confronted with the full horror of his existence: he has unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. He blinds himself with the pins from Jocasta's dress and begs to be exiled. Before his departure, Oedipus is approached by Theseus, King of Athens, who offers him sanctuary. Oedipus chooses to stay in Colonus, a sacred grove near Athens, where he is welcomed by the local spirits. The play concludes with Oedipus dying in this holy place, his body destined to become a source of power for Athens, while his sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, are left to fight a bloody war over the throne of Thebes.

LLM editorial rating

4.5/5

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Categories

• Classics
• Drama