49-50

=Oedipus the King= =[49-50]=

= = =Summary:= Oedipus has just been informed of the details to Laius' murder from his wife, Jocasta. At this moment Oedipus realizes the possibility that he himself is in fact the murderer of Laius and begins to feel distressed.

As a result of Oedipus' frustration, Jocasta prays to the 'Princes of the land' (911), her Gods, that she has been contemplating visiting the God's temples with gifts to offer out of fear for the current behaviors exhibited by Oedipus. Jocasta feels that Oedipus is over-reacting as she is unable to accept the prophecy herself, and tries to persuade Oedipus that there is no truth in oracles. In her eyes, Oedipus is acting irrationally however she is not able to comfort or alter his thoughts and thus goes to the god ,Lycaean Apollo, for guidance. She prays for freedom from the curse of the plague that has overwhelmed the city of Thebes because of the realization that when the citizens look at Oedipus, their leader and 'pilot of [their] ship' they see a 'frightened' man (922-3).

Just then, a messenger arrives with news for Oedipus from Corinth (Oedipus' actual home town of which he fled from in hopes of evading the prophecy of parricide and incest). He informs Oedipus of Polybus' death and that the people of the Isthmus have chosen Oedipus as their new king. Oedipus still believes that Polybus rather than Laius, is his father. Jocasta quickly calls for a servant to inform Oedipus of the astonishing news that his father is dead. At this point, Jocasta is still unaware that Polybus is not in fact Oedipus' birth father and thus concludes that the orables of the Gods, which foretold of parricide on Oedipus' part had been misinterpreted as Oedipus did not in fact kill Polybus.

=Analysis:= Beginning at line 925 when the messenger arrives, Oedipus begins to gain new insight on the truth of his origins. It is a major turning point in the plot of the story as he begins to learn of the truth which lead to his inevitable downfall. He will soon be informed of not only Polybus' death, but the fact that Polybus is not in fact his birth father and therefore giving way for the fulfillment of the prophecy he so feared. The messenger himself reveals the details of what is presently an ambiguous situation. He is not only the man who took part in Oedipus' fate by giving him to Polybus and Merope but also the man to reveal the truth of it all to Oedipus. Thus, this section is significant in that it obtains the over-arching theme of sight in the form of knowledge however tragic it may be. Not only is Oedipus awakened by the truth, the audience is to experience a similar feeling of enlightenment.

In this section we see the contradicting stance Jocasta takes with her belief in Gods, prophecies and oracles. Previously, Jocasta acts hastily, and rashly concludes that the prophecy of parricide and incest must not in fact be true as Laius was murdered by a pack of robbers and not by his own son. Not only so, Jocasta goes on to stereotype that if such a prophecy were misleading, then all prophecies are not to be trusted. Furthermore, Jocasta attempts to convince Oedipus that the oracle was incorrectly prophesized. We see, however, that Jocasta's belief in the Gods is not so easily swayed, although it may appear so outwardly, as she continues to pray to Apollo to free Thebes of the curse. Thus, Jocasta is portrayed as a careless character, making conclusions based on mere hope and incomplete fragments of evidence although her continued dependence on the Gods also exposes her maternal side as she strives to protect her son through any means.

Later, as the messenger arrives with the news of Polybus' death, it is interesting to note the strangeness in the mood and tone of the scene. Traditionally, news of ones father's death would connote feelings of remorse and extreme sorrow, yet Oedipus and Jocasta rejoice that the oracles have not been fulfilled. Jocasta quickly expresses her relief that the man from who Oedipus fled "is dead, in the course of nature, and not killed by Oedipus" (947-948). Moreover, Oedipus fails to recognize the messenger as the man who has first left him with Polybus as he proclaims "Who is he? What is his messgae for me" (954)? This scene only further emphasizes Oedipus' blindness. Not only is Oedipus unaware and undoubtful of his relations with Jocasta or Polybus and Merope, or to the possibility of committing parricide as shown by his reaction towards Teiresias' claims, he is further unaware of the important role the messenger has played in his life. His continuous demonstration of blindness proves to play an important factor in his eventual demise, thus the audience is able to sympathise with his obliviousness but questions his lack of provision having known the prophecy and its possibilities.