The section from the chorus i decided on is 540-580 ” who is the man proclaimed by Delphi’s prophetic rock as the bloody handed murderer. The augur has spread confusion, terrible confusion; I do not approve what was said nor can I deny it. I do not know what to say; I am in a flutter of foreboding; I never heard in the present nor past of a quarrel between the sons of Labdacus and Polybus, that I might bring as proof in attacking the popular fame of Oedipus, seeking to take vengeance for undiscovered death in the line of Labdacus”. Teiresias is referred as the fate teller when he is the one who is responsible for indicating what happens to Oedipus. No one can comprehend how Oedipus is involved with the suffering that happens in the future when he is the responsible ruler for stopping Sphinx with the well known riddles. Oedipus was an exemplary character due to his help for the city, which is why it was others who were shocked and fearful that they would paint him as a killer.
Daily Archives: March 5, 2022
CHORUS: This is a terrible sight for men to see! I never found a worse! 1490 Poor wretch, what madness came upon you! What evil spirit leaped upon your life to your ill-luck—a leap beyond man’s strength! Indeed I pity you, but I cannot look at you, though there’s much I want to ask 1495 and much to learn and much to see. I shudder at the sight of you. In this passage, the line “What evil spirit leaped upon your life to your ill-luck-a leap beyond man’s strength!” shows the literary device known as hyperbole. Following with “I shudder at the sight of you”, this line may explain the possible exasperation Chorus has. This passage explains how Chorus is feeling towards Oedipus, expressing irritation and maybe even a bit of fury towards him and his actions. To express this, Chorus begun with “Poor wretch, what madness came upon you!”. This may state that Oedipus is blindsighted by negative emotions, and Chorus clearly seeing this.
why do you sit here with your suppliant crowns?2 the town is heavy with a mingled burden of sounds and smells, of groans and hymns and incense; 5 I did not think it fit that I should hear of this from messengers but came myself,– I Oedipus whom all men call the Great. This part explains “language enhanced by varying beauties.” and is an irony because of the way Oedipus uses that sentence to describe him and his children. At first, he said “Why do you sit… crown?(not sure what that means)” then “groans and hymns and incense” it seems like his children are wearing that crown for nothing because if the town is under peace and calm why do they wear that suppliant crowns? could it be all illusion? or is it just to certify something to help people?. Second part where the irony begins because their father(Oedipus) calls himself the great(in my way of understanding he might rule this place and everyone is being themself no chaos or anything), but with the first parts adds up. It is like they are challenging the father(Oedipus), so he is pretty mad now.
The purpose of the Oedipus King’s Choir is to create an atmosphere of tension and emphasize the effects of tragedy so that the reader can understand the essence of the play. Oedipus is known for his compassion, sense of justice, quick thinking and acting, and honesty. In this early stage of the play, Oedipus expresses what the Athenian masses, or even all masses, want of their citizens or leaders. In his first speech to an old priest who himself struggles to alleviate suffering, he constantly expresses his concern for the health and well-being of his people. The chorus may not tell you about a full-fledged character with a distinctive face and mannerisms, but it sets the tone of the story and adds tension to the difficult moments. Witnessing this would be the final step and appeal to the listener’s complete despair to complete the message. Oedipus is shocked and discouraged that the investigation into the king’s murder ended too soon (145-147). When Oedipus learns of the sufferings of his people and the unsolved murder of Leo, he is quick to panic, anticipating the chorus’s preferences and expecting someone to send someone to the Oracle and call forth Tiresias.
The passage I will analyze is (161-176). Before doing so, Oedipus insisted that all his people listen to what the oracle had to say, although Creon suggested that Oedipus should listen to him in private. When Creon retells the story of Laius’s murder, Oedipus is shocked and dismayed that the investigation into the king’s murder was dropped so quickly. Oedipus quickly made plans to deal with the suffering of his people and the unsolved murder of Laius, even anticipating the choir’s suggestion to send someone to the oracle and summon Teiresias. Finally, Oedipus strongly promises severe punishment for Laius’s murderer, even if the murderer is someone close to Oedipus himself. Oedipus’s frequent references to foresight and blindness create many moments of dramatic irony, as the audience knows that it is Oedipus’s metaphorical blindness about the relationship between his past and his present situation that ruins him. When the old priest told Oedipus that Thebes had died of the plague, Oedipus said that he could not help but see it.
The aim of the chorus in Oedipus the King is to create an atmosphere of tension and emphasize the effect of tragedy which will help the reader delve into the essence of the drama. Although the chorus cannot be called a full-fledged character with a unique personality and habits, it sets the narrative’s tone and increases the degree of tension in difficult moments. The proof of this will be the final scene, where the chorus addresses its message, full of despair, to the listeners: “Count no mortal happy till he has passed the final limit of his life secure from pain” (Oedipus the King, 2012, line 1727). The scene sounds as if Oedipus is dead and has found relief in his death. In fact, readers understand that Oedipus must be alive and in absolute ignorance of what to do and where to move on. The ability of the chorus to make people feel the emotions of the characters and create a magnificent and large-scale effect of tragedy is deeply noticeably from the first to the last line of the work.
Priest Lines 63-65 If you will rule this land, as now you rule it, better to rule it full of men than empty. For neither tower nor ship is anything 65 when empty, and none live in it together. Oedipus is warned by the Priest. This also means that the chorus never leaves the stage during the play, and so Oedipus is continually surrounded by his people, reminding us that what happens to him has consequences for the entire city. As a result, the ship of Thebes is losing its helmsman while Oedipus is realizing the nature of his connection with his mother and being a misery of man. When Creon returns from Delphi after consulting with the Oracle, he informs Oedipus that God has ordered the city to be cleansed. Since it is murder guilt that binds our city in this destructive tempest, the “rite of purification” will be carried out “by banishing a man, or expiation of blood by blood” (Lines 14-15). The gods, or the God, appear to be plainly presenting a choice of punishments—banishment, which entails exile, or some type of bloodletting, which may or may not include death. In any case, when Oedipus goes into exile and blinds himself, he fulfills both of those penalties.
In Oedipus The King lines “245 to me, yes, though he fears himself to take the blame on his own head; for bitter punishment he shall have none, but leave this land unharmed. or if he knows the murderer, another, a foreigner, still let him speak the truth.” The theme of this line would be guilt and shame. The death that happened no one wants to tell the truth about it and wants to keep it all a secret;however, some people arent strong enough to do that so they start to feel guilty, but they still remain quiet. in lines 250-260 I think the theme of that line would be power.
