Oedipus+the+King

Literapedia Book Notes for
=//Oedipus the King// by Sophocles=

Scene Summaries

 * __Prologue (lines 1–168__) **Oedipus** enters and asks the **Priest** what is wrong. **Creon** reports from Delphi that Laius’s killer must be found.
 * __Parodos—intro ode (lines 168–244__) The **Chorus**, the citizens of Thebes, begs the gods for release from the plague.


 * __1st scene (lines 245–526__) Oedipus exhorts the crowd and their **Leader** to deliver the killer. **Tiresias** arrives and under pressure tells Oedipus that he is the killer he seeks. Oedipus angrily accuses Tiresias of conspiring with Creon against him.
 * __1st ode (lines 526–572__) The Chorus sings of their confusion at the prophesy but end with support of Oedipus.


 * __2nd scene (lines 573–953__) Creon defends himself to the Leader and the chorus and then to Oedipus. **Jocasta** enters and calms Oedipus with the story of how the prophet was mistaken about her son. Oedipus realizes that he could have killed Laius and tells the story of why he left Corinth. They wait for the shepherd who was present at Laius’s death.
 * __2nd ode (lines 954–997__) The Chorus sings against those who ignore the gods and the prophecies.


 * __3rd scene (lines 998–11947__) Jocasta makes offering to the gods. The Leader presents to her a **Messenger from Corinth**, who tells her and Oedipus of the death of Polybus. The Messenger goes on to tell of how he found Oedipus when he was an infant. Jocasta, guessing the truth, exhorts Oedipus to stop his investigation, but he ignorantly refuses.
 * __3rd ode (lines 1195–1214__) The Chorus celebrates Oedipus’s imminent happiness at finding his true parents.


 * __4th scene (lines 1215–1310__) The **Shepherd** arrives and is recognized by the Messenger. Under the threat of torture, the Shepherd reveals to Oedipus that he is the son of Jocasta, who tried to have him killed as a baby.
 * __4th ode (lines 1311–1350__) The Chorus bewails the fate of Oedipus, a man who had achieved so much, only to become so miserable.


 * __epilogue (lines 1351–1677__) A **Messenger (a different one)** tells the Leader of the suicide of Jocasta and Oedipus's discovery of the body. Oedipus explains to the Chorus why he blinded himself. Creon takes charge and allows Oedipus to "see" his daughters.
 * __exodus (lines 1678–1684__) The Chorus exhorts the audience to “count no man happy till he dies.”

Book Note Creator
Hal Waller, instructor