Oedipus, The GAME!

You've read the play: now play the Game!

You are sitting on the slope of the Acropolis in Athens, with several thousand other men (no women allowed). Some you know from your village, some are Athenians from the city but there are foreign visitors too. It's early morning. The sun hasn't yet come up over Mount Hymettus to your left. Brrr! It's quite chilly - it is only March. It's a whole year since you were last here, on the grassy slope with your cushion to sit on, your himation to wrap round you and plenty of food and drink to last the day. Yesterday was excellent - there was a mass procession to the temple of Dionysus. Then it was party time with loads to drink - it is the Festival of Dionysus, and he is the god of wine! This morning, though, you're all looking down towards a rough oval of flattened ground - waiting for something to happen...

Today is day two of the festival and you're starting with a bit of a hangover. But you don't care - the first part is actually rather boring. It's really just you Athenians showing off how rich and powerful you are - and rubbing the foreigners' noses in it! The generals - all ten of them together - open the festival with a libation. You're all very quiet for this bit. But you all cheer when the money you've taken off the empire in tax during the year is brought in and piled up high. It's great to know you've got all this cash - you can be sure you'll get your "drachma a day" when you go off to fight! Third is the awards ceremony - your "men of the year" collect their prizes. It's only a crown of leaves - but it's the honour that counts. The last bit is always sad. Every year there's some who don't make it back from the fighting. It's their lads on parade next - they get free board and lodging, and when they're eighteen, a free shield and set of armour so they can go and fight properly kitted out the way their dads would have liked.

Every year at this time you feel so proud to be an Athenian, and so glad you're not a foreigner. You can all see the generals you've picked as your leaders - and the money you made from war so you can get paid to fight. Athens has got the muscle, she's got the cash, and your lads are the greatest!
What happens next? The money's all carted off to the treasury, the space is cleared and the real show begins. Today, tomorrow and the next day it's plays, plays, plays. Three writers each have a day to show you their latest dramas - and one 'll win the prize. Every day there's three tragedies with a comedy to finish, so you all go home in a good mood. That's why you brought the cushions and all the grub. For most of you this is the best thing all year. You can hardly wait for the first one to begin...
Sophocles is on today, and his play is called Oedipus Tyrannus. Oedipus the Tyrant? You don't like tyrants here in Athens.
The stage has filled up suddenly - there are people limping, crawling, shuffling towards the building at the back.
You realise that's the palace of Thebes where Oedipus lives! They look a right miserable bunch - let's hope Oedipus can do something for them! You must shut up now, the palace doors are opening - there's someone coming out ......
Oedipus enters from the palace. His mask shows a care-worn man, no longer young. As he comes to speak to the people on the steps, you notice he has a stick and is limping slightly. Why?
• It's a punishment from Apollo
• It's due to an old childhood injury
• It's because of a birth defect
His stick (sceptron) which helps him walk is also the symbol of his authority.


But now he's faced with a depressed-looking delegation of priests. They carry branches wound with wool, a traditional sign that they have put themselves in Oedipus' hands. Their gods cannot help them. He knows why they've come: a terrible plague is devastating Thebes. Why do they believe that Oedipus can help?
• Because he is the king
• Because he can help them in their prayers
• Because of his track record
What does he tell the priests he's already done to solve this new problem of the plague?
• Sent his brother-in-law to Delphi?
• Consulted the old blind prophet, Tiresias?
• Sent delegates to ask for Apollo's help?
By a strange coincidence (not uncommon in the theatre!) Creon appears now, wearing the bayleaf crown of the successful enquirer. What, according to the oracle, is causing the plague?
• A crime committed by Laius, the previous king.Investigate it!
• An undetected murderer. Find him!
• A source of pollution. Root it out!
What will make detection difficult?
• Laius was alone when he was killed, far away from Thebes
• He was killed by thieves
• There are no surviving witnesses
But why wasn't the ruler's murder fully investigated at the time?
• They were distracted by another event
• No one liked him, anyway
• His wife, Jocasta, forbade any investigation
Oedipus now promises to reopen the case of Laius' murder. Why is he especially anxious to do so?
• The killer might strike again
• Because he's good at solving problems
• Because he is good ruler
As Oedipus and Creon go into the house, the priests leave. From the opposite side, enter the Chorus. These representative Thebans haven't heard Creon's news, or Oedipus' decision to reopen the case. They are still preoccupied with the plague, and are still expecting one of their gods to solve the problem. Zeus, Apollo, Athena, Artemis and Dionysus are all invoked against the grim god of Death who is destroying Thebes. After the Chorus' song, Oedipus re-emerges. He says that he will grant their prayers. He makes a proclamation, telling the people to denounce the murderer, or for him to give himself up. What punishment will he receive?
• None - there'll be a free pardon if he confesses
• Death - but the city will be cleansed
• Exile - banishment from Thebes



But no one comes forward to confess. What will be the punishment for the guilty man when he is found?
• Torture
• Death
• Exile
He then formally curses the unknown murderer and anyone who shelters or protects him, even unwittingly. "Even if he's caught in my own house: may the curse I pronounced on him strike me." [Irony!]
Why is he so anxious to avenge Laius?
• He was his father
• He was like a father to him
• He was Jocasta's husband
The Chorus, awed by Oedipus' curse, say they know nothing - but they know a man who does: the blind seer Tiresias. When, shortly, Tiresias arrives, guided by a young boy, how does Oedipus treat him?
• arrogantly?
• respectfully?
• angrily?

But Tiresias, having arrived, seems reluctant to say anything. Is this because
• he doesn't know the answer?
• it isn't lawful to reveal the answer?
• he knows the answer?
But his scruples merely infuriate Oedipus, who assumes that Tiresias
• killed Laius himself
• is a traitor to Thebes
• hates him, because he solved the riddle of the Sphinx
This enrages Tiresias, who now reveals that Oedipus is the killer of Laius, and that he is living sinfully with his loved ones. Oedipus does not seem to be listening. Is it because he's too angry, or is it because
• he is convinced that Tiresias is part of a plot against him?
• he knows he is totally innocent of the charges?
• he is secretly worried, but decides to brazen it out?
And remember, as far as Oedipus knows, the only "evidence" for Laius' murder as a cause for the plague came from Creon. He believes Creon has sent Tiresias to try to frame him, in order to take over as ruler. Why should Oedipus believe that Tiresias is a bogus prophet?
• He said nothing about the murder at the time
• He failed to solve the riddle of the Sphinx
• He's a blind old fool who's never said anything useful



He goes on mocking Tiresias - his blindness as a prophet, with eyes wide open for profit. This makes Tiresias forget all restraint - what does he tell Oedipus?
• That Laius was his father?
• That he killed his father and married his mother?
• That he is blind?
He hints darkly at the secrets of Oedipus' marriage, and his parentage. Oedipus accuses him of talking in riddles. "Isn't solving riddles what you are good at?" mocks the old man. And he departs, adding to the "riddle". The murderer...
• ... is not a Theban
• ...is brother and father to his children
• ...killed Laius at a crossroads
Tiresias' riddle is cunning. The audience know the outline of the story (it's as old as Homer), and they'll pick up on the references to Oedipus' story - he killed his father and married his mother. But Tiresias says the murderer is a Theban (who doesn't realize he is), who is brother and father to his children, and is married to the wife of the man he killed. All this seems to Oedipus either absurd (he knows who his parents are and where they are: Polybus and Merope in Corinth) or malicious. In either case he is too angry to listen properly. Possibly he even leaves the stage before Tiresias has finished. Does Oedipus think that Tiresias may have heard whispers about the prophecy he received at Delphi? Impossible, as Oedipus has told no one until he tells Jocasta shortly; and anyway, he believes he has avoided the curse by coming to Thebes! The Chorus don't think he is guilty. Why not?
• .They can't believe anything bad of the king
• They don't believe in Tiresias' powers
• They believe Apollo will reveal the truth
But Creon returns to face the charge that he is plotting against Oedipus. What is Oedipus' case against him based on?
• He's next in line to the throne
• He is in league with Tiresias
• He had a motive for killing Laius himself
How does Creon defend himself?
• Telling Oedipus he can go to Delphi and check the oracle for himself?
• Saying he was already sharing the power with Oedipus and Jocasta?
• Telling Oedipus he's always been a friend as well as brother-in-law?
What does Oedipus propose to do to Creon now?
• Pardon him?
• Banish him?
• Kill him?
Creon is still loudly protesting his innocence when Jocasta arrives. She's the link between them: Creon's sister and Oedipus' wife. Her intervention makes Oedipus back down, and Creon is allowed to go, his fate unclear, still muttering about the injustice. Oedipus is now alone with Jocasta, and reveals his worries. He says how Creon, using Tiresias the prophet as his front man, was plotting against him. Jocasta says all prophecy is bunk - and tells the story of her son to prove it. Laius, according to Apollo's prophets, was supposed to be killed by his son: but he was killed, poor man, by strangers at the place where three roads meet, a crossroads.

The baby died, exposed with his ankles skewered, on Mount Cithaeron. But something about this story worries Oedipus - why? Does he think ...
• ...he may have killed his father?
• ...he may have killed Laius?
• ...Jocasta may be his mother?
Why had he left Corinth, and his parents Polybus and Merope?
• Because of a quarrel with his parents?
• Because of doubts that Polybus was his father?
• Because he killed a man who insulted him at a banquet?
But it set his mind worrying - only the god Apollo could settle his mind for good. But when he went to Delphi, what did Apollo tell him?
• You will kill your father and marry your mother?
• You will kill your father?
• Your parents abandoned you at birth?
And so Oedipus ran from Delphi, determined never to see his parents in Corinth again. Did he forget it was because of doubts about his parentage that he'd gone to the oracle in the first place? He came to a place where three roads meet. Alone, on foot, he met a man with an entourage. Why did he kill him?
• The man insulted him
• The man tried to run him down
• The man assaulted him
But now he believes it's he who must suffer the punishment he himself had laid down - to be driven from Thebes in shame. What does he believe that he's guilty of?
• Murder?
• Parricide?
• Incest?
At the time, Oedipus was proud to have killed a man who'd insulted and assaulted him - normal behaviour. But if it were Laius, the act becomes a crime, because he'd made it one by his own proclamation (in response to Apollo's oracle)! But there's still hope - if the old shepherd can be found. Why?
• He killed all the party
• Laius was killed by robbers
• The shepherd won't recognise him
But Jocasta says it's too late for the man to change his story - and anyway, Laius' death won't fit the prophecy, that a son of hers was supposed to kill him. The couple go into the house. The Chorus sing. What do they think?
• They can no longer trust the gods
• Their rulers do not respect the gods
• The gods will make certain their prophecies are fulfilled

But when Jocasta comes back out of the house, alone, even she seems chastened - she's off to visit the temples of the gods! Ironically, she's praying to Apollo, because her husband is terrified by the oracles (which came from him). But she is interrupted by an arrival - who is it?
• An old shepherd, the witness to the murder?
• A completely different old shepherd?
• Oedipus?
What is the news he tells Jocasta?
• Polybus is dead
• Oedipus' father is dead
• Oedipus must return home
Oedipus joins his wife in celebrating the failure of prophecy. But what still worries him?
• He might have killed Laius?
• He might sleep with Merope?
• He might have to go back to Corinth?
But Oedipus will not be soothed. The messenger overhears, and offers to help. What is he afraid of? Oedipus tells him of the prophecy - that he will kill his father and marry his mother. The shepherd says there's no need to worry at all, because ...
• Merope is not his mother
• His mother is also dead
• Polybus was not his father
How, then, had Polybus come to treat Oedipus as his son?
• Polybus had no son of his own, and adopted Oedipus
• Polybus' shepherd found him
• The shepherd gave the baby to Polybus
When Jocasta hears this, she reacts, but says nothing. Why?
• She knows the truth will come out
• She suspects the truth may come out
• She hopes the truth will not come out
But Oedipus, unaware of what he'll reveal, is calling for the other shepherd to be brought in. Jocasta tries desperately to persuade him to call off the search. She fails, screams and rushes into the house. What does Oedipus think her problem is?
• She knows she's his mother
• She thinks she's married to a slave's son
• She's a woman, and can't face the truth



All may yet turn out for the best! But the moment of hope won't last long. The Old Shepherd has arrived - but it seems he does not recognise the Corinthian, despite the time they allegedly spent together on Mount Cithaeron. How long was this?
• One season, from spring to autumn?
• Two seasons?
• Three seasons?
The Corinthian insists the Theban gave him a little boy, which is hotly denied. He does not reveal his information until he is tortured, and even then reluctantly. Who had given him the baby to kill?
• Jocasta?
• A servant in Laius' house?
• Laius?
Why, according to the shepherd, was he told to get rid of the baby?
• It would kill its father and marry its mother
• It would kill its father
• It would kill its parents
The shepherd explains how he pitied the baby and saved its life. Oedipus now knows the truth. The oracle given to him at Delphi has been fulfilled. He has been cohabiting with his mother, and has had (4) children with her. He killed Laius, who was indeed his father. He has committed the two foulest imaginable crimes. He rushes into the house. The Chorus reflect how Oedipus saved them from the Sphinx, and how they looked up to him. Now they wish they had never seen him.A messenger comes out of the house, to report on the horror inside. He saw Oedipus rush in, demanding a sword. What did he want it for?
• To kill Jocasta?
• To kill himself?
• To blind himself?
The messenger tells how Oedipus crashed through the house with his sword drawn from room to room, looking for Jocasta. He found her hanging, already dead. Oedipus grabbed the pins fastening her dress at the shoulders, and stabbed his eyes repeatedly. Soon he comes out of the house, a grotesque parody of his entrance at the start. What do the Chorus blame for what's happened to him?
• Insanity?
• Oedipus himself?
• Apollo?
• Zeus?
• Fate?
The Chorus say he would be better off dead. Why did he blind himself instead of taking his life?
• So he would not have to see his children/siblings
• So he would not have to face his parents in the underworld
• So he wouldn't have to see his fellow Thebans



He thinks back to his supposed father, Polybus and his real father, Laius. "The blackest deeds a man can do, I have done them all." Creon returns, now the ruler. What does he order his men to do with Oedipus?
• Kill him.
• Drive him out of the city.
• Take him into the house
Why will Creon not grant Oedipus' wish?
• He's waiting to be told what to do, by higher authority
• He wants to make Oedipus suffer, for revenge
• He wants him to stay in Thebes, because of a prophecy
But isn't it obvious, he tells Creon, that he was intended to die on Cithaeron: why not cast him out? But he has a feeling that he has been saved from death for a purpose [which will be revealed many years later in the sequel, Oedipus at Colonus]. But he'd like to say farewell to ..
• His wife's body?
• His daughters?
• His sons?
He embraces them and voices his fears for them ... fears that
• they'll be exiled with him
• they'll never get husbands
• Creon won't look after them
Creon tells him to let go of them. He agrees that Oedipus must leave Thebes. Creon's men remove the girls. Where does Oedipus go as the play ends?
• to Cithaeron?
• Into the house?
• To Colonus?
The End! Well done! There will be a short interval before the next play. But if you want the sequel, you will have to wait about 25 years, until Sophocles returns to the Theban story, with Oedipus at Colonus.