Oedipus
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The Mysterious Death of a King-Oedipus the King
In Oedipus The King, scene 2, Oedipus is steadily trying to figure out the death of Laios. Oedipus is the protagonist throughout the drama who is the King of Thebes. He is known for his intelligence in the play and also for his witty ability to solve riddles (add chorus line). Laios was the king of Thebes before Oedipus. Throughout the scene the writer keeps the question active of who killed Laios? In scene 1, Oedipus assures the Thebans that he will reward the man who knows who killed Laios, and will not harm the murderer, but will make sure to exile him from the city. Although Oedipus is trying to obtain evidence on who killed Laios, he still makes sure that no one in the town of Thebes be associated with that person.
Creon, brother-in-law of Oedipus, enters the scene asking the chorus if it is true Oedipus is accusing him of treason. Creon feels as if he should not be called disloyal for his actions. He also wonders if Oedipus knows if it were Creon who seduced the old prophet into lying. Soon all of Creon’s questions were to be answered because Oedipus had entered and waited no time to confront Creon. Face to face Oedipus accuses Creon of treason and states the following:
Do you think I do not know
That you plotted to kill me, plotted to steal my throne?
Tell me, in God’s name: am I coward, a fool,
That you should dream you could accomplish this?
A fool who could not see your slippery game?
A coward, not to fight back when I saw it?
You are the fool, Creon, are you not? hoping
Without support or friends to get a throne?
Thrones may be won or bought: you could do neither. (Fitzgerald 2.22-30)
Creon then rebuttals Oedipus’s statement with a speech of his own why he could never plot against Oedipus and that he basically deserves a share of power to rule the kingdom. In lines 63-65 he reiterates that because of the relationship between Oedipus and Iocaste, Creon’s sister, the privileges and rights...
In Oedipus The King, scene 2, Oedipus is steadily trying to figure out the death of Laios. Oedipus is the protagonist throughout the drama who is the King of Thebes. He is known for his intelligence in the play and also for his witty ability to solve riddles (add chorus line). Laios was the king of Thebes before Oedipus. Throughout the scene the writer keeps the question active of who killed Laios? In scene 1, Oedipus assures the Thebans that he will reward the man who knows who killed Laios, and will not harm the murderer, but will make sure to exile him from the city. Although Oedipus is trying to obtain evidence on who killed Laios, he still makes sure that no one in the town of Thebes be associated with that person.
Creon, brother-in-law of Oedipus, enters the scene asking the chorus if it is true Oedipus is accusing him of treason. Creon feels as if he should not be called disloyal for his actions. He also wonders if Oedipus knows if it were Creon who seduced the old prophet into lying. Soon all of Creon’s questions were to be answered because Oedipus had entered and waited no time to confront Creon. Face to face Oedipus accuses Creon of treason and states the following:
Do you think I do not know
That you plotted to kill me, plotted to steal my throne?
Tell me, in God’s name: am I coward, a fool,
That you should dream you could accomplish this?
A fool who could not see your slippery game?
A coward, not to fight back when I saw it?
You are the fool, Creon, are you not? hoping
Without support or friends to get a throne?
Thrones may be won or bought: you could do neither. (Fitzgerald 2.22-30)
Creon then rebuttals Oedipus’s statement with a speech of his own why he could never plot against Oedipus and that he basically deserves a share of power to rule the kingdom. In lines 63-65 he reiterates that because of the relationship between Oedipus and Iocaste, Creon’s sister, the privileges and rights...