Excerpt

Excerpt from Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone, by Sophocles

Suppliants of all ages are seated round the altar at the palace doors,
at their head a PRIEST OF ZEUS. To them enter OEDIPUS.

OEDIPUS.
My children, latest born to Cadmus old,
Why sit ye here as suppliants, in your hands
Branches of olive filleted with wool?
What means this reek of incense everywhere,
And everywhere laments and litanies?
Children, it were not meet that I should learn
From others, and am hither come, myself,
I Oedipus, your world-renowned king.
Ho! aged sire, whose venerable locks
Proclaim thee spokesman of this company,
Explain your mood and purport. Is it dread
Of ill that moves you or a boon ye crave?
My zeal in your behalf ye cannot doubt;
Ruthless indeed were I and obdurate
If such petitioners as you I spurned.

PRIEST.
Yea, Oedipus, my sovereign lord and king,
Thou seest how both extremes of age besiege
Thy palace altars—fledglings hardly winged,
and greybeards bowed with years; priests, as am I
of Zeus, and these the flower of our youth.
Meanwhile, the common folk, with wreathed boughs
Crowd our two market-places, or before
Both shrines of Pallas congregate, or where
Ismenus gives his oracles by fire.
For, as thou seest thyself, our ship of State,
Sore buffeted, can no more lift her head,
Foundered beneath a weltering surge of blood.
A blight is on our harvest in the ear,
A blight upon the grazing flocks and herds,
A blight on wives in travail; and withal
Armed with his blazing torch the God of Plague
Hath swooped upon our city emptying
The house of Cadmus, and the murky realm
Of Pluto is full fed with groans and tears.
Therefore, O King, here at thy hearth we sit,
I and these children; not as deeming thee
A new divinity, but the first of men;
First in the common accidents of life,
And first in visitations of the Gods.
Art thou not he who coming to the town
of Cadmus freed us from the tax we paid
To the fell songstress? Nor hadst thou received
Prompting from us or been by others schooled;
No, by a god inspired (so all men deem,
And testify) didst thou renew our life.
And now, O Oedipus, our peerless king,
All we thy votaries beseech thee, find
Some succor, whether by a voice from heaven
Whispered, or haply known by human wit.
Tried counselors, methinks, are aptest found1
To furnish for the future pregnant rede.
Upraise, O chief of men, upraise our State!
Look to thy laurels! for thy zeal of yore
Our country’s savior thou art justly hailed:
O never may we thus record thy reign:—
“He raised us up only to cast us down.”
Uplift us, build our city on a rock.
Thy happy star ascendant brought us luck,
O let it not decline! If thou wouldst rule
This land, as now thou reignest, better sure
To rule a peopled than a desert realm.
Nor battlements nor galleys aught avail,
If men to man and guards to guard them tail.

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Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Oedipus the King (Sophocles)

This passage is the opening scene of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex), one of the most famous tragedies in ancient Greek literature, written by Sophocles (c. 496–406 BCE). The play is part of the Theban Cycle, which also includes Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone, though each was written as a standalone work. Oedipus the King explores themes of fate, free will, hubris, truth, and suffering, and is a foundational text in the study of tragic irony and dramatic structure.

The excerpt depicts Oedipus’s first appearance as king of Thebes, confronted by a group of suppliants (citizens seeking divine or royal intervention) who beg him to save the city from a devastating plague. The dialogue between Oedipus and the Priest of Zeus establishes key elements of the play’s conflict, character, and foreshadowing.

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Context of the Scene

• Setting: The royal palace of Thebes, where citizens of all ages gather at the altar of Zeus, holding olive branches wrapped in wool (symbols of supplication).
• Background:
  • Oedipus became king after solving the Riddle of the Sphinx, freeing Thebes from a monstrous curse.
  • Now, a plague ravages the city, and the people turn to Oedipus as their savior once again.
  • Unbeknownst to Oedipus (and the audience at this point), he is the unwitting cause of the plague—his patricide and incest (fulfilling a prophecy) have angered the gods.

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Themes in the Excerpt

1. Leadership and Responsibility

   • Oedipus presents himself as a compassionate and proactive ruler, immediately addressing his people’s suffering.
   • The Priest’s speech reinforces Oedipus’s past heroism (defeating the Sphinx) but also raises the stakes—if he fails now, his legacy will be tarnished.
   • The line “He raised us up only to cast us down” foreshadows Oedipus’s tragic fall—his very attempts to save Thebes will lead to his ruin.

2. Divine vs. Human Agency

   • The Priest suggests that Oedipus was divinely inspired when he saved Thebes before (“by a god inspired”).
   • Now, the people seek both divine guidance (“a voice from heaven”) and human wisdom (“known by human wit”).
   • This duality sets up the play’s central tension: Is Oedipus a victim of fate, or does his hubris (pride) contribute to his downfall?

3. Suffering and Collective Trauma

   • The Priest’s description of the plague is visceral and apocalyptic:
     • “Our ship of State… foundered beneath a weltering surge of blood.” (Thebes as a sinking ship, a common metaphor for a failing state.)
     • “A blight is on our harvest… a blight upon the grazing flocks… a blight on wives in travail.” (Total societal collapse—agriculture, livestock, and reproduction all failing.)
     • “The God of Plague… emptying the house of Cadmus.” (Hades is “full fed” with the dead, emphasizing the scale of death.)
   • The imagery reinforces the urgency of the crisis and the desperation of the people.

4. Hubris (Excessive Pride)

   • Oedipus’s opening lines (“I Oedipus, your world-renowned king”) subtly hint at his self-assurance, which will later blind him to the truth.
   • The Priest’s flattery (“the first of men”) feeds Oedipus’s confidence in his own abilities, making his eventual humiliation more tragic.

5. Foreshadowing and Irony

   • The Priest’s hope that Oedipus will “upraise our State” is dramatically ironic—Oedipus’s investigation into the plague’s cause will destroy him.
   • The line “Tried counselors… are aptest found to furnish for the future pregnant rede” (wise advice) is ironic because Oedipus’s pursuit of truth will lead to his self-destruction.

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Literary Devices

1. Dramatic Irony

   • The audience (familiar with the myth) knows that Oedipus is the cause of the plague, but he and the Priest do not.
   • His declaration “I should not learn from others” is ironic—his refusal to accept others’ warnings (like Tiresias’s) will be his downfall.

2. Imagery & Metaphor

   • The Ship of State: Thebes is a “sore buffeted” ship, nearly sunk by “a weltering surge of blood.” (Suggests chaos, instability, and violence.)
   • Plague as a Predator: The “God of Plague… armed with his blazing torch” personifies death as a hunter, reinforcing the inescapability of fate.
   • Olive Branches & Wool: Symbols of supplication and purity, contrasting with the corruption (both moral and physical) afflicting Thebes.

3. Rhetorical Devices

   • Anaphora (repetition at the start of clauses):
     • “A blight is on our harvest… a blight upon the grazing flocks… a blight on wives in travail.” (Emphasizes the all-encompassing nature of the curse.)
   • Hyperbole:
     • “The murky realm of Pluto is full fed with groans and tears.” (Exaggerates the scale of death to evoke pity.)
   • Parallelism:
     • “First in the common accidents of life, / And first in visitations of the Gods.” (Balances human and divine suffering, reinforcing Oedipus’s dual role as leader and victim.)

4. Symbolism

   • Altar of Zeus: Represents divine justice—the suppliants seek help from the gods, but the gods are the source of their suffering (due to Oedipus’s sins).
   • Laurel Wreaths: Symbolize victory and honor, but also fragility—Oedipus’s past triumphs will be undone by his present actions.

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Significance of the Passage

1. Establishes the Tragic Hero

   • Oedipus is introduced as noble, intelligent, and caring—qualities that make his fall more tragic (Aristotle’s Poetics defines tragedy as the downfall of a great person due to a flaw).
   • His confidence in his own abilities (“I Oedipus”) hints at his tragic flaw (hamartia): hubris and intellectual pride.

2. Sets the Play’s Central Conflict

   • The plague is both a literal crisis and a metaphor for moral corruption.
   • The Priest’s plea forces Oedipus to seek the truth, which will unravel his life.

3. Foreshadows Key Themes

   • Blindness vs. Sight: Oedipus sees the suffering but is blind to his own role in it.
   • Fate vs. Free Will: The Priest’s hope for divine or human solutions mirrors the play’s debate on whether Oedipus could have avoided his fate.

4. Reflects Sophoclean Tragedy’s Core Questions

   • Can human intelligence overcome divine will?
   • Is suffering meaningful, or is life governed by cruel randomness?
   • How much control do we have over our own lives?

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Line-by-Line Analysis of Key Moments

1. Oedipus’s Opening Speech

   • “My children, latest born to Cadmus old…”
     • Paternal tone—Oedipus sees himself as a father to Thebes, reinforcing his responsibility.
     • “latest born” is ironic—his true lineage (son of Laius and Jocasta) is unknown to him.
   • “It were not meet that I should learn from others”
     • Hubris: He rejects delegation, believing he must personally solve the crisis.
     • Foreshadowing: His refusal to listen to others (like Tiresias) will be his undoing.

2. The Priest’s Description of the Plague

   • “Our ship of State, sore buffeted, can no more lift her head”
     • Metaphor of a sinking ship—Thebes is drowning in blood, suggesting violence and guilt.
   • “Armed with his blazing torch the God of Plague”
     • Personification of death as a warrior, making the plague seem intentional and punitive.
   • “The house of Cadmus… emptying”
     • Cadmus was Thebes’ founder; his “house” (lineage) is cursed—Oedipus is part of this doomed bloodline.

3. The Priest’s Appeal to Oedipus’s Legacy

   • “Thou art justly hailed: Our country’s savior”
     • Flattery, but also pressure—Oedipus must live up to his reputation.
   • “O never may we thus record thy reign: ‘He raised us up only to cast us down.’”
     • Prophetic irony—this is exactly what will happen.
   • “Thy happy star ascendant brought us luck, / O let it not decline!”
     • Astrological imagery—Oedipus’s fate is written in the stars, but the Priest begs for human intervention.

4. Final Warning: Power vs. People

   • “Better sure to rule a peopled than a desert realm.”
     • Political reality: A king is nothing without subjects.
     • Foreshadowing: Oedipus will lose everything—his kingdom, family, and sanity.

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Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This opening scene is a masterclass in tragic tension:

• It establishes Oedipus as a heroic figure, making his fall more devastating.
• It introduces the plague as both a literal and symbolic crisis, tying the city’s suffering to moral corruption.
• It foreshadows the play’s central irony: Oedipus’s quest to save Thebes will destroy him.
• It raises philosophical questions about fate, leadership, and human limitation that resonate beyond ancient Greece.

Sophocles uses vivid imagery, dramatic irony, and rhetorical power to immerse the audience in Thebes’ despair while hinting at the horrors to come. The Priest’s plea is not just for salvation—it is a challenge to the gods themselves, and Oedipus, in his pride and determination, will unwittingly answer that challenge in the worst way possible.

This passage sets the stage for one of the greatest tragedies ever written, where the pursuit of truth leads to ruin, and the greatest hero becomes the greatest villain—of his own story.

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Questions

Question 1

The Priest’s description of the plague as a force that has "foundered beneath a weltering surge of blood" most strongly evokes which of the following thematic tensions in the play?

A. The inevitability of divine retribution versus the futility of human resistance
B. The cyclical nature of suffering as an inescapable condition of mortal existence
C. The collision between a ruler’s self-perception as a savior and the unseen corruption within his reign
D. The contrast between the collective guilt of Thebes and the individual innocence of its citizens
E. The paradox of a plague as both a natural disaster and a metaphor for political decay

Question 2

When the Priest states, "Tried counselors, methinks, are aptest found / To furnish for the future pregnant rede," the line primarily serves to:

A. underscore the Priest’s faith in Oedipus’s past successes as a guarantee of future solutions
B. introduce a subtle critique of Oedipus’s impulsive decision-making by praising deliberation
C. foreshadow the irony that Oedipus’s own counsel will lead to his downfall
D. emphasize the necessity of combining divine revelation with human wisdom to resolve the crisis
E. highlight the generational divide between the young suppliants and the elderly Priest

Question 3

The Priest’s plea, "O never may we thus record thy reign:— / ‘He raised us up only to cast us down,’" is most effectively interpreted as an example of:

A. dramatic foreshadowing that aligns the audience’s knowledge with the characters’ ignorance
B. situational irony in which the Priest unknowingly articulates the play’s central tragedy
C. tragic hubris, as the Priest’s flattery inflates Oedipus’s ego to dangerous levels
D. a rhetorical device meant to manipulate Oedipus by appealing to his fear of legacy
E. a thematic statement on the fragility of human achievement in the face of divine will

Question 4

The olive branches "filleted with wool" carried by the suppliants function symbolically in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

A. as an appeal to purity and divine favor, contrasting with the moral pollution afflicting Thebes
B. as a visual representation of the suppliants’ dual hope for both material salvation and spiritual cleansing
C. as an ironic counterpoint to the "blazing torch" of the plague, symbolizing futile human resistance
D. as a direct invocation of Athena’s protection, given her association with olive trees in Greek myth
E. as a ritualistic attempt to bridge the gap between the sacred (altars) and the profane (the plague’s devastation)

Question 5

The structural parallel between the Priest’s description of Oedipus’s past triumph ("by a god inspired") and his current plea for "some succor" most effectively serves to:

A. establish a cause-and-effect relationship between divine intervention and human action
B. contrast the certainty of Oedipus’s earlier victory with the ambiguity of the present crisis
C. imply that Oedipus’s past success may have been as illusory as the current hope for salvation
D. suggest that the gods’ favor is conditional and must be re-earned through righteous leadership
E. reinforce the idea that prophecy is self-fulfilling, as Oedipus’s actions will again align with divine will

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: The Priest’s imagery of Thebes as a ship "foundered beneath a weltering surge of blood" juxtaposes the visible crisis (plague, suffering) with the hidden corruption (Oedipus’s unwitting crimes). This aligns with the thematic tension between Oedipus’s self-perception as a savior ("world-renowned king") and the unseen rot within his reign—his patricide and incest, which are the plague’s true cause. The blood imagery foreshadows the violence of truth-revelation, where Oedipus’s attempts to "save" Thebes will expose his own guilt.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: While divine retribution is a theme, the line focuses on the immediate, visceral collapse of Thebes, not a philosophical debate on resistance vs. inevitability.
• B: The "weltering surge of blood" suggests active destruction, not the passive cyclicality of suffering.
• D: The passage emphasizes collective suffering, not a contrast between communal guilt and individual innocence.
• E: The plague is not framed as political decay here; the imagery is biological and violent, tied to moral corruption, not governance.

2) Correct answer: D

Why D is most correct: The Priest’s line "Tried counselors... pregnant rede" (wise advice) explicitly advocates for combining human wisdom ("tried counselors") with divine guidance ("a voice from heaven" in the prior lines). This reflects the play’s core tension: Can Oedipus solve the crisis through intellect alone, or must he defer to the gods? The plea underscores the necessity of synthesis, which Oedipus will fail to achieve by relying on his own reasoning.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: The line is not about Oedipus’s past but about the current need for balanced counsel.
• B: While deliberation is praised, the Priest is not critiquing Oedipus’s impulsivity yet—this comes later with Tiresias.
• C: The irony of Oedipus’s counsel leading to downfall is not foreshadowed here; the focus is on collaborative problem-solving.
• E: Generational divides are irrelevant to this line; the Priest speaks for all suppliants.

3) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The Priest’s warning is situational irony: he unknowingly describes the exact tragedy that will unfold. Oedipus will "raise up" Thebes (by solving the Sphinx’s riddle) only to "cast it down" (by revealing his crimes and triggering civil strife). The line gains its power from the audience’s foreknowledge of the myth, making it a dramatic encapsulation of the play’s central irony.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: This is not foreshadowing in the technical sense (hinting at future events); it’s ironic prophecy—the Priest literally states the outcome without realizing it.
• C: The Priest’s words are not hubris—they’re a genuine plea, though unintentionally prophetic.
• D: While the Priest does appeal to Oedipus’s fear of legacy, the line’s primary effect is ironic, not manipulative.
• E: The fragility of achievement is a theme, but the line’s immediate impact comes from its tragic irony, not a broad philosophical statement.

4) Correct answer: D

Why D is most correct: The olive branches are not explicitly tied to Athena in this context. While Athena is associated with olives (e.g., her gift to Athens), the branches here symbolize supplication to Zeus (as the Priest is a Priest of Zeus) and general purity/peace, not a direct invocation of Athena. The other options all align with the branches’ role as ritual objects of plea and contrast.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: Correct—the wool and olive branches symbolize purity, contrasting with Thebes’ moral pollution.
• B: Correct—the branches represent both material (salvation from plague) and spiritual (divine favor) hopes.
• C: Correct—the "blazing torch" of the plague destroys, while the branches appeal for mercy, creating irony.
• E: Correct—the branches bridge sacred (altars) and profane (plague’s devastation) as ritual tools.

5) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: The parallel between Oedipus’s past ("by a god inspired") and the current plea for "succor" undermines the certainty of his earlier triumph. The Priest’s wording suggests that divine inspiration may have been misinterpreted—just as Oedipus thought he saved Thebes by solving the Sphinx’s riddle, his current "salvation" may be equally illusory or destructive. This hints at the fragility of human understanding of divine will, a key theme.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: The relationship is not cause-and-effect but juxtaposition; the past is questioned, not replicated.
• B: The focus is not on ambiguity but on the potential delusion of past success.
• D: The gods’ favor is not framed as conditional here; the Priest assumes Oedipus still has it.
• E: The line doesn’t emphasize prophecy as self-fulfilling but human misreading of divine signs.