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Œdipus at Colonus
OC Overview
– Dramatis Personæ
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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)