16-18

In lines 118-132, Creon is telling Oedipus about the murder of Laius. Creon reveals two details about the murder: there was a survivor of the murdered party and that the survivor "knew, nothing, but one thing only" (119) that the murderer was not a single man, but a band of robbers. To this, Oedipus asked Creon how a lowly robber dare commit such a crime, as to killing the king. Oedipus assumed that the only way was that the robber was backed by "money and treachery" (125) from the someone within the city; to him the murder was an act of politics. Creon tells Oedipus that it was plausible and had been considered, however, the fact that the king was dead and there was no one to aid them through the troubles made the situation even more difficult. Oedipus, confused, asks Creon why they committed no effort to find the ones who were guilty of the crime. Creon explained that because of the plague and the curse of the Sphinx, the leaders of the city were too busy dealing with the “troubles at our feet” (132).Determined, Oedipus sets his heart out to solve the mystery of Laius’ death.
 * //p16-18//**
 * __Summary__**

After they exit, the Chorus, oblivious to the information that Creon had just provided, seek the guidance of Artemia, Apollo, and Athena. They lament the extremity of the situation and how awful a state in which the city and its people are.

After Creon tells Oedipus about the murder of Laius, Oedipus becomes extremely determined to search for the one responsible (138-140); however, because Sophocles’ audience was familiar with the story of Oedipus and that he was actually the one who killed Laius, Oedipus’ determination for exterminating the murderer is fairly ironic. From this, it is seen that Oedipus set himself up for the tragic fate that is to come. The Chorus prays to the gods to save the city of Thebes from the tragic plague (151-168), hopeful and desperate for the situation to turn to the better
 * __Analysis__**

by Stacey Lu