Now night is driven away the hesitant sun returns, and rises, sadly veiling his beams in murky cloud with woeful flame he brings a light of gloom and will look forth upon our homes stricken with ravening plague, and day will reveal the havoc which night has wrought. And while he waits his messenger’s return the murky dawn still finds him grieving for his kingdom’s wretched plight. Oedipus has sent Creon to consult the oracle, to learn the cause and seek the means of deliverance from the scourge. But now a dreadful pestilence afflicts the State. Now other years have passed, and sons and daughters have been born to the royal pair. Upon arriving at the Theban land he read the riddle of the Sphinx, and so destroyed that monster which Juno had sent to harass the land which she hated and for this service Oedipus was made the husband of Jocasta, the widowed queen of Laïus (recently slain, so said report, by a band of robbers, on the high road), and set upon the vacant throne. As he fared northward he met and slew an old man who imperiously disputed the narrow way with him. Years later a reputed son of Polybus, Oedipus by name, fearing an oracle which doomed him to slay his father and wed his mother, fled from Corinth, that so he might escape this dreadful fate. But the tender-hearted rustic gave the babe instead to a wandering herdsman of Polybus, the king of Corinth. When, therefore, a son was born to him, he gave the infant to his chief shepherd to expose on Mount Cithaeron. ARGUMENTĪn oracle once came to Laïus, king of Thebes, that he should perish by his own son’s hands.

THE SCENE is laid before the royal palace of Thebes the play opens in the early morning of the day within which the tragedy is consummated. MESSENGER, who announces the self-inflicted blindness of Oedipus and the suicide of Jocasta. PHORBAS, shepherd in charge of the royal flocks of Thebes. OLD MAN, sent from Corinth to announce to Oedipus the death of Polybus. TIRESIAS, the prophet of Thebes, now old and blind.

JOCASTA, wife of Oedipus, found to be also his mother.ĬREON, a Theban prince, brother of Jocasta. OEDIPUS, king of Thebes the son, as he supposed, of Polybus, king of Corinth, and Merope his wife, but found to be the son of Laïus and Jocasta. TROADES OEDIPUS, TRANSLATED BY FRANK JUSTUS MILLER DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Oedipus the king of thebes