OEDIPUS REX THEME & PLOT

Plot is the “first principle,” the most important feature of tragedy. Aristotle defines plot as “the arrangement of the incidents”. According to him;

“The plot must be “a single whole,” with a beginning, middle, and end. It must be “complete,” having “unity of action.”

By this Aristotle means that the plot must be structurally self-contained, with the incidents bound together by internal necessity, each action leading inevitably to the next without any intervention.

“The worst kinds of plots are “‘episodic,’ in which the episodes or acts succeed one another without probable or necessary sequence” The plot must be “of a certain magnitude,” both quantitatively (length, complexity) and qualitatively (“seriousness” and universal significance). It should not be too brief; it may be either simple or complex, although complex is better. Simple plots have only a “change of fortune”. Complex plots have both “reversal of intention” and “recognition” connected with the catastrophe (disaster).”

Oedipus Rex is the finest example from plot construction point of view and it has been envied by many of the writers. According to Aristotle, the plot of Oedipus Rex satisfies all the requirement of a good plot in a very nice way and he, in his book “the poetic”, presents Oedipus Rex as a model tragedy from all dramatic convictions’ point of view. When we analyse critically Oedipus Rex from plot construction point of view we can say that the first thing which strikes us is its unusual plot.

Oedipus Rex has an extremely unusual plot. It is the story of a King who is brought down by the unforeseen consequences of his own oath. From beginning to end it is concerned with the investigation of some past events. The play unites two parallel problems. One is the detection of murderer of Laius and the second is the identity of Oedipus himself. The two problems are one in a way and solving of either of them is like solving the both.

The general pattern of the story is that of finding of a lost one. The theme can be applied at several levels. We can say that Oedipus finds his parents or Thebes and Corinth discover their lost prince. This is very old theme. The foundling story has certain set features. For example, the child is generally believed to be dead, though it often escapes miraculously or by some kind human beings. The child grows up in the house-hold of a poor man but at the appropriated time, his identity is discovered by some physical signs or tokens. The Oedipus story is an exception in the sense that here the prince is brought up still as a prince, though in the family of another king. The token are not used by Sophocles towards the solution – he has another use for them, but they are there in the form of pins stuck through the baby’s ankles. Often this theme is used in many comical stories but Oedipus is a true tragedy.

Each of the incidents in this play is part of a tightly constructed cause-and-effect chain. The plague in Thebes prompts Oedipus to send Creon to consult the oracle of Delphi; the oracle’s reply that the murderer of Laius must be banished from Thebes prompts Oedipus pronounce a solemn curse on the murderer and to send for Teiresias. Teiresias states that Oedipus is the murderer, but since the king knows himself to be innocent (or thinks he knows), he accuses Creon of plotting with Teiresias against him. The quarrel of Oedipus and Creon brings Jocasta from the house; seeking to calm down her husband and prove that oracles cannot be trusted, she tells again of how Laius died. When she mentions that he was killed “at a place where three roads meet,” Oedipus suddenly begins to suspect that he may indeed have killed the king without knowing who he was. To settle the matter, they send for the Herdsman who is the only survivor of that attack. Meanwhile a messenger arrives from Corinth to inform Oedipus that his supposed father, King Polybus of Corinth, has died. Oedipus rejoices that he did not kill his father as the oracle had prophesied but is still worried that he may marry his mother, the Messenger, seeking to relieve him of this fear, innocently tells him that Polybus and Merope were not his real parents.

The arrival of the Messenger is the only action in the play that is not directly caused by a previous action. However, this is a perfect example of Aristotle's contention that if coincidences cannot be avoided, they should have “an air of design,” for this messenger seems brought by fate, since he is the missing link in Oedipus’ story, the very man who received Oedipus as a baby from the Herdsman. Thus, when the Herdsman arrives and they tell their respective stories, the whole truth emerges. This is the climax, or turning point, of the plot—the truth about Oedipus leads directly to the suicide of Jocasta and Oedipus’ self-blinding and request to be exiled. The departure of Oedipus from Thebes will lift the plague, thus resolving the problem that started off the chain of events and concluding the plot.

This plot is also a perfect example of the exclusion of the irrational and the skillful handling of traditional elements of the myth on which the play is based. Sophocles does not dramatize any of the admittedly irrational parts of the myth (e.g., why did Laius and Jocasta not kill the baby outright? If Oedipus was afraid of marrying his mother, why did he marry a woman old enough to be his mother? etc). Instead, in a brilliant move, he constructs the play as an investigation of the past. The tremendous sense of inevitability and fate in this play stems from the fact that all the irrational things have already been done; they are unalterable. Once Oedipus begins to investigate the murder of Laius, the whole truth about the past is bound to emerge; as he himself says,

“O, O, O, they will all come, All come out clearly!”

The story of Oedipus is full of irony. It has been used at several levels, including irony in the inversion of the entire action. In happy stories, the recognition of the foundling is an occasion of joy, but, here the discovery of identity is horrible and tragic. In the average story, some chance adventure puts the foundling on the path of victory and prosperity. Here, also it does in appearance, but in reality it makes him doomed. The fulfillment of Oracles also is marked with irony. The Oracles are fulfilled just after both Jocasta and Oedipus have spoken in disregard of them.

“…This is what prophets and prophecies are worth! Have no dread of them.”

There is irony in the reversed intentions of helpers also. Sophocles provides at least one helper for every act. But all helpers push Oedipus to the edge of disaster. So many instances, we can see, go through in Oedipus Rex like, when Oedipus’ decide not to return to Corinth in order to escape the fate foretold for him by the oracle might be termed misguided but the circumstances that take him to Thebes, after he has ignorantly killed his own father, and make him marry his own mother, without knowledge or choice, are surely ironical. So is the proclamation which Oedipus makes about including even himself within the jurisdiction of the punishment which he announces for those who may harbour or have intercourse with the killer of Laius.

And it is my solemn prayer

 That the unknown murderer, and his accomplices.

 If such there be, may wear the brand of shame

 For their shameful act, unfriended, to their life’s end.

 Nor do I exempt myself from the imprecation

Oedipus is saying that he shall be proved to the bad guy if he doesn’t do something about what the God says must be done to cleanse the city. The irony is that he doesn’t know that he is going to be the subject of the God’s commands.

“To avenge the city and the city’s god

 And not as though it were for some distant friend,

 But for my own sake, to be rid of evil.”

Sophocles has enriched this play with his dramatic genius and it is still unrivalled from all respects. The play is poignant with different themes at different levels. The theme of appearance and reality is dominant in the play. The obsession of appearance plays such an important part in Oedipus tragedy that, the play can be termed as tragedy of appearance in human life. The older view which considered Oedipus Rex as tragedy of fate is incorrect. It must be noted that no Ode in the play sings of fate, but a significance reference is to appearance. The ode asserts that no one can seize happiness than its mere appearance. On behalf of appearance we see a battle in Oedipus Rex. As this battle progresses, we see appearance losing its ground. The first stage in it is the institution of the divinely instructed enquiry into the death of Laius, which means that it was the work of outland robbers. It is clear that Oedipus is led astray by an appearance --- which the robbers who were alleged to have attacked Laius must have been associated with Thebes, and the suspicion that Creon must have been at their back. “The question points to Creon. Creon gives the appearance of evading it, the suspicion, he says that unavoidably arose could not be pursued after the deed. The suspicion seems to lie dormant. But, the focus of attention is no longer in the scene of crime, but rather on those who were ultimately responsible. Then suddenly the suspicion is confirmed and the existence of a whole web of enmity stands as a fact”.

Oedipus suspects that the robbers were bribed to play their part and ultimately, he thinks that both Creon and Teiresias were behind them. Thus, the supposed existence of a plot to murder Laius is another appearance which leads Oedipus astray.

Oedipus is concerned with two appearances which it becomes his life mission to investigate, so that he may get the underlying truth. Oedipus believes in the appearance of some unknown enemy and pronounces on him the sentence of outlawry, and also utters a curse on him. The reality of it, that it is on him he is passing both the sentences, is unknown to him. We see that gradually Oedipus knows what reality lies hidden behind the appearance. Now, the battle between truth and appearance becomes an open contest. We see it first in the confrontation between Oedipus and Teiresias. This is not tragic error but it is tragic appearance and it is a typical of tragic art in its perfect form.

"The higher you climb, the further you fall" is a cliché that is reflective of the play and of Oedipus. Oedipus is an ideal character that, by the end of the play, shows he has morals. He went from having nothing; to having everything, to once again having nothing. Thought is required in any great tragedy, and it is present in Oedipus Rex. Furthermore, not only does Oedipus Rex have the correct plot for a tragedy, but it also has the proper characters.

"Lead me away from Thebes"

He instructs Choragus. He does what is right and knows it is best to seek exile after he finds out he killed Laius. He is looking to act justly. Aristotle is rightly says that Oedipus Rex is a model tragedy.

All the incidents have been arranged very skillfully by masterly hands of Sophocles and it got praised at every level and it is still considered to be the best plot ever contrived. The plot of Oedipus Rex fulfills all the pre-requisitions and conviction of dramatic art. It has proper beginning which can’t be questioned with proper proceeding to suitable middle leading to climax and catastrophe. It has various levels of meaning which can never be exhausted. In fact, there is something mysterious about this play which is really inexplicable. Even from the purely technical point of view, Oedipus Rex is a marvel. Its plot-structure remains unrivalled. Its characterization as well as patterning of character is superb. It admirably maintains suspense in spite of the fact that its plot is well-known