Transcript Slides
Œdipus at Colonus OC Overview – Dramatis Personæ • • • • • • • Œdipus Antigone Ismene Creon Polynices Theseus Chorus of Athenians – Date: 405 B.C. – Dramatic Date: Just before that of Antigone – Plot: Œdipus reaches Athens and realizes he has reached the end of his long wandering. The last events of his life. His miraculous death. OC Plot Summary – I. O and A arrive at the fated end of O’s wanderings (1-116) • A. Backstory (1-8) • B. O sits down in an Athenian “park” (9-27) • C. An Athenian stranger tells them it’s a sacred precinct and orders them out (28-43) • D. O recognizes the fulfillment of an oracle; he has reached his final resting place (44-47) • E. O learns about Athens and Theseus from the stranger (48-69) OC Plot Summary (cont.) • F. O asks the stranger to summon Theseus; he leaves (70-80) • G. O prays to the Eumenides (81-110) – II. Parodos: the chorus searches for O (117137) – III. Dialogue between O and the chorus (138309) • A. The chorus call him out from the sacred precinct (155-169) • B. O trusts them and obeys (170-202) OC Plot Summary (cont.) • C. O reluctantly reveals who he is (203-225) • D. The chorus, horrified, order him to leave (226236) • E. A tries to change their minds, but fails (237-253) • F. O defends himself and convinces the chorus (254291) • G. The chorus is convinced, tells O to wait for the king (292-309) – IV. Dialogue between O and I (310-460) • A. I arrives (310-324) OC Plot Summary (cont.) • B. The tearful reunion (324-332) • C. O praises his daughters, reviles his sons (337357) • D. I’s news (361-420) – 1. Backstory on Thebes (361-384) – 2. The latest oracle (385-395) – 3. Creon’s impending visit (396-420) • E. O rages against his sons and tells the story of his exile (421-449) • F. O asks the chorus for refuge (450-460) OC Plot Summary (cont.) – V. Expiation rite (461-509) • A. The chorus explain the rite (461-493) • B. I exits to perform the rite (494-409) – VI. Kommos (510-549) – VII. Dialogue between O and T (550-667) • A. T arrives, behaves as a noble king (551-568) • B. O asks for refuge and promises an unspecified reward in return (569-586) • C. O warns T of the impending trouble with his sons, i.e. Thebes (587-629) OC Plot Summary (cont.) – VII. Dialogue between O and T (550-667) • A. T arrives, behaves as a noble king (551-568) • B. O asks for refuge and promises an unspecified reward in return (569-586) • C. O warns T of the impending trouble with his sons, i.e. Thebes (587-629) • D. T makes O a citizen of Athens (631-641) • E. T promises O his protection (657-667) OC Plot Summary (cont.) – VIII. Patriotic Stasimon (668-719) • A. Praise of Colonus (668-693) • B. Praise of Attica’s olive trees (694-706) • C. Praise of Athens, her horses, her fleet (707-719) – IX. Creon (720-1043) • A. Creon’s apparently friendly introductory speech (728-760) • B. Œdipus retort (761-799; cf. 396-406) • C. They argue (800-815) • D. Creon kidnaps Antigone and Ismene (816-856) OC Plot Summary (cont.) • E. Creon tries to seize Œdipus as well (857-886) • F. Theseus returns (887-1043) – 1. Sends guards to intercept Antigone and Ismene (897904) – 2. Theseus hold Creon captive (905-938) – 3. Creon feigns modesty again (939-959) – 4. Œdipus rebuts him (960-1013) » a. Defense of his past (963-999) » b. Praise of Athens (1005-1013) – 5. Theseus leads Creon off (1016-1043) OC Plot Summary (cont.) – X. Stasimon (1044-1095) • A. Their confidence in Theseus (1044-1071) • B. Confident appeal to the gods for help (10721095) – XI. Theseus returns with Antigone and Ismene (1096-1210) • A. Œdipus rejoices (1096-1112) • B. Œdipus praises Theseus (1113-1138) • C. Theseus tells Œdipus he has a visitor (1150-1166) OC Plot Summary (cont.) • D. Œdipus realizes it’s Polynices and refuses to see him (1167-1180) • E. Antigone changes his mind (1181-1210) – XII. Stasimon on the miseries of life, Œdipus’ life most of all (1211-1248) – XIII. Polynices • A. Asks forgiveness for not helping Œdipus earlier (1254-1279) • B. Speaks of events in Thebes (1291-1325) • C. His appeal (1326-1345) OC Plot Summary (cont.) • D. Œdipus’ retort and curse (1349-1396) • E. Polynices mourns his coming death and asks his sisters for burial (1399-1446) – XIV. Œdipus blesses Athens (1447-1669) • A. Kommos between Œdipus and the chorus as lightning crashes all around (1447-1499) • B. Theseus arrives and Œdipus blesses Athens (1500-1555) – XV. Stasimon praying to the gods of the underworld on Œdipus’ behalf (1556-1578) OC Plot Summary (cont.) – XVI. Messenger speech describing Œdipus’ death (1579-1669) – XVII. Kommos with Antigone and Ismene (1670-1779) • A. They mourn Œdipus (1670-1736) • B. Theseus forbids them to visit the place Œdipus died (1737-1767) • C. Antigone and Ismene ask to return to Thebes (1768-1779)