Oedipus

Oedipus is a fabula crepidata (Roman tragic play with Greek subject) of c. 1061 lines of verse that was written by Lucius Annaeus Seneca at some time during the 1st century AD. It is a retelling of the story of Oedipus, which is better known through the play Oedipus Rex by the Athenian playwright, Sophocles. It is written in Latin. Characters Oedipus is the king of Thebes, husband of Jocasta, and he is the supposed son of king Polybus of Corinth. He is the main protagonist of the play. Jocasta is the widow of the former king Laius, wife of Oedipus and sister of Creon. Creon is Jocasta's brother, and the chief aid to Oedipus in Thebes. Tiresias is a blind prophet who is charged by Oedipus to find the killer of King Laius. Manto is the daughter of Tiresias. She is used in the play to describe Tiresias' sacrifice to him, and therefore also to the audience. An Old Man (senex) is a messenger from Corinth who comes to tell Oedipus that Polybus is dead, and reveals part of Oedipus' history to him. Phorbas is an old shepherd who had given Oedipus to the Old Man when Oedipus was a child and who reveals Oedipus' real parentage to him. Messenger (nuntius) is the man who, in Act 5, relates what has become of Oedipus. The chorus are singers that aid the audience in understanding what emotion they should feel after a scene. Plot Act One The play opens with a fearful Oedipus lamenting a vicious plague which is affecting Thebes, the city over which he rules. People are dying in such huge numbers that there are not enough of the living to ensure that each of the victims is cremated. He also mentions a prophecy that he had received from Apollo before he came to Thebes that he would kill his father and marry his mother. He had thus fled the kingdom of his father Polybus. However, Oedipus is so disturbed by what is occurring in Thebes that he even considers returning to his home city. But Jocasta strengthens his resolution, and he stays.