The citizens of Thebes are the chorus in Oedipus the King, and they may be considered background voices as well as the jury in the community since they are listening to both sides of the narrative and even begin to question and confront some of their questions and views. The chorus is used to convey emotion, sentiments, opinions, and even to answer audience questions. (470)”We look at this man’s words and yours, my king, and we find both have spoken them in anger. We need no angry words but only thought how we may best hit the God’s meaning for us.” I chose this passage because it exemplifies the chorus’s thoughts and how honest they are; they are basically expressing that the King and Creon have both shared some words out of fury and pride at first, I felt as if although the citizens are loyal to the king, I felt as if the chorus was on Creon’s side as if they believed him until a certain point of time. I believe that the chorus provides the necessary back-and-forth to keep the play flowing.
Daily Archives: March 1, 2023
The Chorus, as it was said, represents the collective voice of citizens. Their feelings: worries, fears and suffering, and through the chorus we can see the “mood flow” of this tragedy. Firstly the chorus is furious in search of the culprit of all their troubles. It is realised through the examples of “language enhanced by varying beauties”. “as the bloody handed murderer, The doer of deeds that none dare name? Now is the time for him to run with a stronger foot than Pegasus for the child of Zeus leaps in arms upon him with fire and the lightning bolt”(544-550). Words about Pegasus and Zeus mean that the murderer can not escape retribution, as Pegasus is bringing lightning bolts for Zeus to cut him him off. The next line also supports their belief that retribution will overtake the villain. “are the Fates that never miss” (552). The fate destined by the Gods and Oedipus is “a lightning bolt” which does justice. However, after the conversation between the prophet and Oedipus, citizens are seized with fear and uncertainty. It is depicted by another example of enhanced language. “I am in a flutter of foreboding” (569). They feel that something is going to happen. They start to doubt in Oedipus, they can not choose whom to believe, but they remember that Oedipus is a savior of the city. “saw his wisdom and in that test he saved the city. So he will not be condemned by my mind.” (590-592). So in this passage transition to anxiety and foreshadowing of something terrible is implied.
The King of Thebes, Oedipus is a hero amongst many men. The king’s country was thought to come to an end, since Thebes was undergoing a plague. Oedipus sends his brother-in-law, Creon to ask a prophecy for advice. When the king’s brother returns from speaking to Apollo, Creon informs Oedipus that the plague was a curse by the gods. Lauis, the former king of Thebes was murdered, as a result, the gods plagued his country for the killer. Oedipus later on starts questioning citizens, including a blind prophet, Teiresias. The current king of Thebes may be a hero among many men, but he is suspected to be the murderer of the former king while trying to solve the murder mystery himself. “I forbid that man, whoever he be, my land, my land where I hold sovereignty and throne; and I forbid any to welcome him or cry him greeting or make him a sharer in sacrifice or offering to the Gods, or give him water for his hands to wash. I command all to drive him from their homes, since he is our pollution, as the oracle of Pytho’s God proclaimed him now to me. So I stand forth a champion of the God and of the man who died. Upon the murderer I invoke this curse—whether he is one man and all unknown, or one of many—may he wear out his life in misery to miserable doom!” (255-269). Presumably, this curse by the gods is affecting Oedipus as the current king of Thebes. In my opinion, for Oedipus to get where he is now, he murdered the former king Lauis. Oedipus hides behind messengers, citizens and prophets.
