Last Updated on March 19, 2020, by eNotes Editorial. When the play opens, Thebes is suffering an epidemic that leaves its fields and ladies barren. Pages 160-170 Summary. It was the second one he wrote in 429 B.C.E., but is the first in the sequence of events. Word Count: 805. Summary of Oedipus Rex Prologue. Many years after Oedipus has become the King of Thebes by saving the city from a vicious monster called the Sphinx, a plague of infertility has stricken “the fruitful blossoms of the land, the herds among the pastures, the barren pangs of women.” In Oedipus Rex, one finds the journey of Oedipus’s self from pride, hubris, anger, annoyance, self-disbelief and self-ignorance to self-discovery, self-realization and self-knowledge. Oedipus Rex is an ancient Greek tragedy by Sophocles that tells the tale of King Oedipus of Thebes which previously performed in around 429 BCE. Oedipus, the king of Thebes, has sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the house of Apollo to ask the oracle the way to end the plague. Homer related that Oedipus’s wife and mother hanged herself when the truth of their relationship became known, though Oedipus apparently continued to rule at Thebes until his death. oedipus rex Summary and overview. Summary The ‘Prologue’ of Oedipus Rex, extends from the opening of the play to the opening Choral ode or Parodos (Line 151). He warns them to bring forth the killer if they find him, and he admonishes them not to shelter the murderer. This news gives Jocasta hope that the prophecy is not true because Polybus was not killed by his son. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Summary. The play is a tragedy highlighting the role of fate and chance as well as the pride which often times combine to bring a disastrous end much beyond human imagination. Oedipus, in Greek mythology, the king of Thebes who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus means “swollen foot” and originated from the Greek word “Oidípous”. Oedipus Rex Summary. Summary. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. In the ‘Prologue,’ Oedipus comes out of his palace to find a crowd gathered. A messenger comes to tell her that Polybus, who is supposedly Oedipus's father, has died of natural causes. Oedipus Rex was one of three plays that Sophocles, a Greek dramatist, penned on the Oedipus myth. Oedipus Rex Summary and Study Guide. Updated February 6, 2020. Oedipus Rex Pages 160-198 Summary & Analysis. Since this is the case, it is a traditional tragedy, and if a story takes place in Greece, the time of the story is the fifth century, BCE. A good king, he wants to ease their pain if he can. Oedipus—the King of Thebes, who rose to power by solving the riddle of the Sphinx—asks a crowd of his wailing, lamenting citizens what’s wrong. Oedipus Rex Summary. Oedipus orders his people to tell him what they know about Laius's killer. Jocasta comes to the altar of Apollo and places an offering there, hoping to stop her husband from thinking about the past and listening to the prophecies. Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex deals with the tragedy of Oedipus and one understands that his tragedy was predetermined by fate. Geographically the story takes place in Athens, Greece. The story of “”Oedipus Rex takes place in front of the palace, Thebes, which is a doomed city-state. Plays that Sophocles, a Greek dramatist, penned on the Oedipus myth when the opens. Ladies barren story takes place in Athens, Greece Oedipus Rex was one of three plays that,. 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