Oedipus king
See also: Oedipus (homonymy)
Oedipus king (in Greek old Οἰδίπoυς τύρανν O / Oidípous Týrannos , in Latin Œdipus Rex ) is a Greek Tragédie of Sophocle, of unknown date. Some thin indices suggest that it could be written in the immediately posterior years with 430 av. J. - C.
The tetralogy in which it is integrated is supposed to have obtained only the second place with the dramatic contest, although Oedipus king itself is regarded by much as the masterpiece of Sophocle and was particularly admired by Aristote.
It is also this episode which the psychoanalysts evoke when they speak about “Oedipus complex” although the relevance of the bringing together is problematic.
Victor-Henri Debidour is his most recent translator of French language.
Summary
In the episode treated by the tragedy, Oedipus, to have removed Thèbes from the Sphinx by giving answer to the enigma posed, received the throne of Thèbes and taken Jocaste, the widowed queen, like wife. When it is discovered that he is the son of same Jocaste and the preceding king, Laïos (which he assassinated), Oedipus bursts the eyes and Jocaste commits suicide.
The Oracle de Delphes learns in Oedipus that the Peste which devastates the city is due to the presence in its walls of the murderers of king Laïos. It invites all those which have information on these events to reveal them.
Tirésias, the blind soothsayer, is convened the first. He knows the truth but he initially refuses to reveal it. Shown by Oedipus to plot against him with Créon, the brother of Jocaste, it reveals the truth then, but it appears too incredible to be accepted.
Oedipus turns himself then against Créon, which he shows to want the détrôner. He is deeply disturbed by the description which Jocaste of the scene of dead of Laïos and the escort gives which accompanied it then: all corresponds to the circumstances in which Oedipus formerly killed an unknown.
On a point, it then seems to receive a decisive explanation: a messenger come from Corinthe announces the death of the king Polybe and the choice of Oedipus to him to succeed to him. Oedipus, still fearing to marry his mother involuntarily, which would achieve oracle then, hesitates to turn over to Corinthe. But the messenger reveals whereas actually, Oedipus is not the son of Polybe; it is him in person which gave Oedipus, still baby, with the king and his wife Mérope, after having received it from a shepherd of the Mont Cithéron.
Who were his/her parents? Jocaste guesses the truth and is withdrawn. All the remainder is revealed when one sends to seek an old shepherd, the only survivor of the escort of Laïos at the time of its death. It is him which had carried Oedipus child, the son of Laïos and of Jocaste, on Cithéron and had it, by pity, given to the Corinthian.
Oedipus precipitates inside the palate, discovers that Jocaste was hung, and bursts the eyes with its pin.
Créon takes again the capacity and Oedipus, applying to itself the punishment which it had required against the criminal, leaves Thèbes. He will finish his exile with Colone, subject of the second part of Sophocle.
Note
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