Jiaying Chen Discussion 6

As the drama begins, the citizens of Thebes plead with their king Oedipus to lift the plague that threatens to destroy the city. He has sent his brother-in-law Creon to oracle that the plague will end when the murderer of Laius (the former king) is killed or banished. So the king set out to find the killer, who ironically was the killer but he didn’t know it.

who is the man proclaimed

by Delphi’s prophetic rock

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 Pegasus38

for the child of Zeus leaps in arms upon him

with fire and the lightning bolt,

and terribly close on his heels

are the Fates that never miss.(line545-550)

The chorus warns that the murderer will be pursued by the gods. If he does not stop what he is doing, he will be punished

I do not know what to say;

I am in a flutter of foreboding; (line570)

The choir represents the citizens, who have doubts about the revered king

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