Oedipus The King Major Themes in The Play English Assignment For NUML National University OF Modern Languages
Oedipus The King Major Themes in The Play English Assignment For NUML National University OF Modern Languages
Oedipus The King Major Themes in The Play English Assignment For NUML National University OF Modern Languages
Subject: Drama
Semester: First
son of a prosperous merchant, Sophillus and enjoyed all the comforts of a flourishing
Greek empire. He studied all of the arts. Till the age of sixteen, he became famous for his
good looks and elegance. Therefore he was preferred to lead a choir of boys at a
celebration of the victory of Salamis. After the completion of his studies, he was geared
up to participate in the City Dionysia, a festival which was held every year at the Theatre
of Dionysus in which new plays would be performed. In his first competition, Sophocles
received first prize and he defeated well-known Aeschylus in the contest. In his overall
Not only was he an author, he also performed in his own plays. Sophocles performed in
many of his own plays. In one of his plays namely ‘The Women Washing Clothes’, he
performed a juggling act that mesmerized his audience and it remained the talk of Athens
for several years. On the other hand, he was not much acclaimed by Athenian youth.
Sophocles also provided his services as a priest under the supervision of two local heroes,
Alcon and Asclepius for many years. He also served on the Board of Generals, a
committee that administered civil and military affairs in Athens, and for a time he was
He was a great innovator and he introduced the third actor for the first time. Moreover he
also put an end to the trilogy form. Unlike Aeschylus, he used one story to tell one
tragedy in one play instead of making a sequel of three plays to tell one tragedy.
He wrote almost 120 plays, but he extant works consists of only seven plays which are
Ajax, The Trachiniae, Electra, Philoctetes, Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus the King and
Antigone.
In the spring festival, the plays were a tradition to celebrate the spring. The author had to
present four plays including three tragedies and one comedy. And it was prevalent to
make plays in sequel, but author was not bound to it. Therefore Sophocles took the
liberty and wrote plays with different stories for one festival. He wrote Oedipus the King,
Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone for different spring festivals competitions which are
also called ‘The Theben Plays’ or the Oedipus cycle. These plays present a sequel series
and they were composed in thirty-six years. The interesting thing is that they were not
written chronologically. The order in which the plays were written is Antigone, Oedipus
Soon after the composition of Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles passed away at the age of
ninety-one. There are many different stories regarding the cause of his death as well. He
was buried in the family tomb on the way to Deceleia, about a mile from Athens, and
Oedipus the King is considered to be Sophocles’ best work, perfection of Greek tragedy
The play starts with an account of the history of the life of Oedipus. It is narrated how he
was thrown away from his home and hw he reaches to Corinth and becomes the son to
the king and then he leaves that kingdom as well when he grows up and becomes the king
of Thebes.
In the first scene, Oedipus talks to his citizens who are troubles because of the pestilence
in the city. His brother-in-law, Creon brings the news from Apollo that there is a bad
blood in city, and if not expelled, the city will keep suffering.
The bad blood is the killer of Laius who is King Oedipus is himself. The irony is the that
Oedipus vows to catch and expel the killer out unknowingly that he is talking about
himself. Tiresias, a blind prophet, is called for help, but at first he refuses to tell anything
to Oedipus. At his insist he tells that Oedipus is the killer of Laius and he has married
with own mother and makes the predictions regarding his future. Oedipus lays blame on
Knowing the allegations, Creon tries to explain his position and refuses to accept the
allegations, but Oedipus does not agree with him at all. Finally Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife,
sends Creon away. She tells him not to believe the oracle. She tells him that oracle
predicted about her son that he would murder his own father and marry his mother. But
Then Oedipus asks about how Laius’ death. Jocasta explains that Laius was killed by
robbers and there was one survivor who was with Laius when he was attacked. It even
In the meanwhile, Oedipus tells Jocasta about his life in Corinth that a man told him that
he was an adopted son to the king of Corinth. When he further inquired, a Delphic oracle
told him that he was to kill his father and sleep with his mother. Therefore he left Corinth
so he could avoid the predictions. On his journey to another town, he came to a place
where three roads meet. He has a quarrel with them and killed all, but left one alive.
At this time, a man from Corinth enters and asks Oedipus to come back to Corinth and
because his father has died. Oedipus refuses since he does not want the other prediction
to come true. He also explains the reason of not coming back. The Corinthian person tells
that Merope and Polybus were not Oedipus' real parents and he gave Oedipus to them. He
tells Oedipus that he was given to him by a Theben shepherd. When the survivor from
Laius' killing enters, the Corinthian recognises him as the man who gave the baby to him.
The survivor admits that Jocasta gave him the baby to kill, but he had pity in the baby
Knowing that all the prophecies have been fulfilled, Jocasta kills herself. Seeing the dead
body of Jocasta, Oedipus blinds himself. He hands over the kingship and his children to
aspects of human life and society. One major theme which influences the play is the role
of fate and free will of humans. Sophocles has tried to show that human free will cannot
overpower the gods and nature. A reason to do so is that in fifth century B.C. Athens, the
powers of the gods and prophets came under attack. Therefore the play conveys the
message that one has to face what fate has decided for him; no matter whatever he does
to avoid it. As we can see very clearly that Oedipus is always trying to escape from his
fate but finally meets what was prophesized for him. He is sent away from Thebes as a
baby and but saved and raised as a prince in Corinth. When he finds out, he would kill his
own father and marry his mother, he leaves Corinth. But he is not at all aware that he is
not escaping but approaching to his destiny. He fulfils one prophesy on his way to Thebes
by killing his own father unknowingly. Finally he enters Thebes and solves the Sphinx’s
riddle and remove the calamity of the city. Since there in no king now in Thebes, he is
crowned the king and fulfils the other prophesy when he marries the queen Jocasta who is
his own mother. And he becomes the father and brother to his own children. This is how
Oedipus tries to escape but gets closer to his fate. It is very evident here that human free
will is in fact not free at all, restricted to the boundaries mentioned by divine powers. It is
not human who can alter the fate and challenge to it, but gods who have the authority to
do so. All the efforts made by Oedipus to change his fate go in vain and he does not see
the truth which stares him in the face all the time.
Another theme observed in the play is the willingness to overlook the truth. When Jocasta
reveals the story of Laius’s killing that he was killed by robbers and there was only
survivor. Oedipus is also well aware and conscious that he had been in he same situation
while he was traveling and killed group of people leaving only one man. Oedipus calls
for the servant to verify the truth, though he develops doubts strongly. Jocasta pretends as
though the survivor’s story is undeniable and she tries to stop Oedipus to seek the truth
further. At that point she also tells him abut prophecy that her son would kill his father
and marry his mother making him believe that nothing like the prophecy came true. She
tells him how they tried to get rid of the child when he was born with feet tied together.
But Oedipus does not think of his own swollen feet. Here they try to pretend and delay to
get to the truth so that they can escape from prophesies while Jocasta keeps insisting him
not to go further in investigation and considers all the predications to be false. She
becomes affirmed in her statement when a Corinthian brings news of the death of
Polybus. She scorns the oracles considering them meaningless and false.
Other themes include sight and blindness. Oedipus is absolutely blinded to the truth about
his incestuous sin, but when he blinds himself physically, is able to see the truth vividly.
Besides Teiresias who is physically a blind man can see what Oedipus is not able to see,
not even ready to believe but considers it a plot against him. This situation is indeed
ironic that the blind man is able to see while the able-bodied Oedipus cannot do so.