Oedipus

=Title:Oedipus The King= =Author:= Sophocles

=Nationality/Ethnic Background:= Greek

=Genre and Sub-genres:= Athenian Tragedy

=Pertinent Biographical Information:= Ancient philosopher of the Ancient Greek time period.

=Literary Historical Period/Movement and Pertinent Background:= Written during the time period of Athenian Playwrights. Sophocles was the first of his time period to have scenery painting, and he introduces the third actor into Athenian plays.

=Major Characters, Their Relationships, Their Conflicts​:= Oedipus-The protagonist. Becomes king before the play begins. Renound for his intelligence and cleverness. Kills his father and marries his mother without knowledge that they are his parents. Jocasta- Wife and Mother of Oedipus. Antigone- Child of Oedipus and Jocasta. Creon- Oedipus's brother-in-law and also his uncle. Tiresias- Blind Oracle. Tells Oedipus that he killed the king/his father. Laius- Oedipus's biological father and former king of Thebes.

=Brief Plot Summary: =  A Plague stikes in Thebes and an Oracle says that the plague will end when the murderer of Laius is found and expelled from the city. Oedipus sends for Tiresias who eventually tells him that Oedipus is the murderer. After Tiresias leaves, Oedipus blames Creon for conspiring with the profit. Jocasta and Laius sent baby Oedipus away along time ago because a profit told them that their son would kill Laius. Baby Laius was raised by another family whom he thought was his own. A profit told him he was destined to kill his father and sleep with his mother so he flees his adopted family, thinking he was avoiding his destiny. while fleeing towards Thebes he kills a group of travelers in self defense. The traveler he killed was King Laius and as he arrives in Thebes he falls in love with Jocasta and marries her, without knowledge that she is his mother. A messenger informs Oedipus of his adopted fathers death, it happened because of natural causes, Oedipus is relieved, the messenger then tells him that Polybus, his adopted father, his not his real father. Oedipus gets a shepard to confirm that he is the son of jocasta and Laius and he stabs out his eyes with pens from Jocastas dress, exiles himself from Thebes, and puts Creon in charge.

=Motifs (Recurring Images, Ideas, Figures of Speech, Symbols, Colors) & Their Thematic Significance:=
 * Blindess**- Represents ignorance of the truth, many people in the play are "blind" to the truth. The profit who could "see" the future, was blind.
 * Fate vs. Free will**- Oedipus thinks he is escaping his fate by using free will to leave his home but his fate eventually catches up to him.
 * Incest**-Is seen throughout the play as Oedipus marries his mother. Represents the sin and shame that Oedipus causes.

=Other Significant Thematic Elements (Significant Character's Names, Significant Quotations, Significant Actions/Events):= The plague that happens in the beginning of the play foreshadows the uncleanliness of the city and the disaster that is soon to overtake the city.

The Three-way crossroads is mentioned many times throughout the play, it is where Oedipus kills his biological father. It represents the many choices that you can choose and the many directions you can go, however, in this play it also represents the power of fate over free-will.

=Major Themes:=
 * Power of unwritten law**- Made sacrafices to the Gods, believed in a devine power and fate. leads the lives of many Thebens. Moral duties of the people as they attempt to expell the murderer of Laius.


 * The limitations of free will-** We see this represented thoughout the play as Oedipus attempts to change his destiny and fate by running away, however, his destiny always catches up to him, and his prophacy never fails to be wrong.