 VCCS Litonline Introduction to LiteratureEnglish 112 (English Composition II) |
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Oedipus the Wreck
Objective for this Page: To summarize episode 2 and stasimon 2.
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Summary of Oedipus the King
Episode 2: Oedipus accuses Creon of conspiring with Tiresias to take the throne, and Jocasta, trying to soothe her husband, offers the first corroboration that he may really be the murderer. (Lines 573-953)
Creon comes to refute the conspiracy theory, mainly by claiming that he has all the power and perks of being royal without all of the decisions and worries of being king. Oedipus is not persuaded and wants Creon dead. Jocasta pleads with Oedipus to back off because Creon takes an oath, because Creon is her brother, and for the good of Thebes.
| Oedipus vs. Creon
See archived answers to these questions by clicking on the picture. |
Kommos: Thebes wants its leaders to relent because there is trouble enough in town without political troubles shaking the foundation of the city. Oedipus relents. (954-997)
Oedipus notes here for the first time that he must
believe his conspiracy theory--or that he really is the murderer, doomed to death or
exile. The Thebans just want him to desist because his unproven accusations are
making them crazy. They need a leader, not bickering.
Jocasta wants to convince her beloved husband that prophecy is worthless. To do so she mentions that her previous husband was prophesied to die at his son's hand--but robbers killed him where three roads meet [scroll to map after clicking the link]. [For an explanation of how this place where three roads meet echoes the incest theme, click here or on the button at the bottom of the page.]
Oedipus gets nervous and wants to know what the former king looked like. Jocasta says he was built like Oedipus. More nervous, Oedipus asks with what size troop the king traveled. The answer that there were five sets Oedipus to checking the source of this information--a servant from the house of Laius, who, after seeing Oedipus on the throne, had asked to be sent to work in the farthest possible fields.
Oedipus relates his own past--he left Corinth where he was raised when he found out the prophecy. (Note his motive: lines 801-802; is this selfishness or selflessness?) Where three roads meet, some old guy in a chariot tried to run him down. So he killed them all. Oedipus hopes the herdsman will confirm that several men attacked Laius, not just one.
Stasimon 2: The people of Thebes are rocked, so torn by the words of Oedipus to see that their great leader may fall, that they claim religion itself is at stake. (998-1214)
The Thebans hope that they may live a righteous life. The tyrant, spoiled by power, will fall, they say, and turn to the gods for protection. On the other hand, if a tyrant can escape the force of prophecy and prosper, why should anyone believe in prophecy or divine retribution--religion must be a sham. They resolve to stop being religious if bad tyrants go unpunished by the gods, but they lament the loss of religion.
