The lecture on Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex' explores the tragic story of Oedipus, who unwittingly kills his father and marries his mother, leading to his downfall amidst themes of free will, self-discovery, pride, and fate. Oedipus's journey to uncover the truth about his origins results in severe consequences, including the suicides and punishments that ultimately restore order to Thebes. The play highlights the complexities of fate and the implications of human choices, emphasizing the relationship between character and destiny.

1. SOPHOCLES: OEDIPUS REX
World Literature in Translation
Lecture:3
Prof. O. P. Budholia
&
Dr. Naveen K Mehta
Department of English
Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies,
Barla, Raisen (MP)

2. INTRODUCTION
 Oedipus (Swollen foot) leaves his home city of Corinth
because of a prophecy that he will kill his father and marry
his mother (King and Queen of Corinth).
 Oedipus becomes the king and marries Jocasta, the
queen.
 The former Theban king, Laius, was previously murdered
 As the play opens, Thebes is suffering a terrible plague
because Laius’ death has not been avenged.
 Tiresias names Oedipus as the killer. Jocasta is pretty
upset by the outcome of this prophecy and she kills
herself.
 Oedipus, in his final act of irony in the play, stabs out his
own eyes.

3. MAJOR THEMES
 Free Will
Sophocles has placed Oedipus in an uncertain situation
where his fate lies in his hands, and he has free will to
avoid any circumstances that arise against him. Whether a
man is the master of his fate and fortune is still a debatable
question.
 Self-Discovery
The road to self-discovery adopted by Oedipus leads him to
his downfall and tragic end. Oedipus knows the answers to
the Sphinx riddles but does not know his past.

4. MAJOR THEMES
 Pride/Hubris
Though Oedipus is not arrogant, he takes great pride in
his past exploit of defeating the Sphinx. He tells Priest of
Zeus and people that he has solved the famous riddle.
He further assures his people that he would again find
the culprit living in Thebes. However, when he discovers
that he is the culprit his hubris or the extreme pride
breaks him apart.
 Guilt and Shame
Oedipus, obsessed with the idea of punishing that
person, finds himself guilty and is filled with shame
because of his past.

5. MAJOR THEMES
 Justice
Once the bitter truth of real culprit is revealed, Oedipus
takes the punishment upon himself. It seems like a harsh
justice against Oedipus who was not aware of his
parent’s truth or the curse.
 Power
The play, Oedipus Rex, shows supremacy of power
through the character of Oedipus. His words express
power over people like Creon and Delphi. He also uses
his power by forcing Tiresias and the shepherd to speak
the truth about the child that he was given to throw on the
mountains.

6. MAJOR THEMES
 Search for Truth
Oedipus sets upon the adventure of finding the truth. He
discovers the painful truth that he had murdered his
own father, and his wife was his mother, leading him to
punish himself.
 Ignorance
Oedipus does not know that the old man he killed on
the highway could be his father, and the woman he is
married to could be his mother.

7. MAJOR THEMES
 Blindness
The blind prophet, Tiresias, can see things even
though he is physically blind. He interprets the
oracles of Delphi and tells the solutions.
 Fate
Oedipus has full freedom to take action. Jocasta too
tries to take control of her fate to prove the oracle.
However, when the truth is revealed during the
plague, Oedipus accepts his fate saying, “Apollo told
me once – it is my fate.”

8. CONCLUSION
 Oedipus Rex is probably the most famous tragedy ever
written.
 It is Oedipus who chooses his path, the one of ignorance
rather than clarity, and in doing so, he must take
responsibility for his actions.
 Odeipus suffers for the people as it is only through the
punishment of the murderer of Laius that Thebes can be
restore itself.
 Thus, the belief that fate and character are one and the
same forms the main theme in Oedipus Rex.

9. THANKS
FOR ANY DOUBT
CONTACT ON MOBILE/E-MAIL TO:
PROF. O. P. BUDHOLIA
OR
DR. NAVEEN K MEHTA