Opening and Final Scene in Oedipus Rex

Opening and Final Scene of Oedipus Rex

Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is one of the finest Greek tragedies. Its dramatic structure follows the traditional pattern of Greek tragedy: Prologue, Parodos, Episodes, Stasimons and Exodos. The opening and the final scene are especially important because they establish the tragic situation and bring the story to its complete and powerful conclusion.

1. The Opening Scene – The Prologue

The play opens before the palace of Oedipus at Thebes. The city is suffering from a terrible plague. A group of citizens, including children and elders, come to Oedipus as suppliants, carrying branches and praying for relief.

Oedipus appears as a responsible and caring king. He asks the people why they have gathered before him and assures them that he is ready to help them. The Priest of Zeus explains the terrible condition of Thebes. The crops are failing, the cattle are dying, women are suffering in childbirth, and death is everywhere.

The Priest reminds Oedipus that he had earlier saved Thebes from the Sphinx. Therefore, the people believe that their former saviour can save them again. The Priest says:

“Thou art our king,

and thou didst save us from the Sphinx.”

Oedipus promises to find the cause of the city's suffering. Creon then arrives from the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. The oracle declares that the murderer of the former king, Laius, must be found and punished because his unpunished crime has polluted Thebes.

Oedipus immediately decides to investigate the murder. He declares that he will discover the criminal and remove the pollution from the city. Ironically, the audience knows what Oedipus does not know: Oedipus himself is the murderer of Laius.

Thus, the Prologue introduces the central problem of the tragedy—the plague, the murder of Laius, the oracle and Oedipus's determination to discover the truth.

2. The Parodos

After the Prologue, the Chorus of Theban elders enters and sings the Parodos, or the first choral song. The Chorus prays to the gods to save Thebes from the plague.

The Prologue presents the dramatic problem, while the Parodos expresses the suffering and prayers of the people.

3. The Final Scene – The Exodos

The final part of the tragedy is called the Exodos. By this point, the truth about Oedipus has been completely revealed.

The investigation has shown that Oedipus is the son of Laius and Jocasta. He has unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. When Jocasta realizes the complete truth, she goes into the palace and hangs herself.

Oedipus enters the palace, discovers Jocasta's dead body and takes the pins from her dress. He uses them to blind himself.

This action has a deep symbolic meaning. Oedipus had eyes but could not see the truth. The blind prophet Tiresias, although physically blind, could see the truth. After his discovery, Oedipus gains knowledge but loses his physical sight.

Oedipus now appears as a completely changed man. The proud king who had once saved Thebes is now a suffering and humbled man. He asks Creon to take him away from Thebes. He also asks Creon to care for his daughters, Antigone and Ismene.

The ending therefore presents a complete reversal:

At the beginning: Oedipus is the powerful king and saviour of Thebes.

At the end: Oedipus is a blind, suffering and disgraced man who asks to leave Thebes.

4. The Final Chorus

The tragedy ends with the Chorus, which gives the moral lesson of the play. The Chorus warns that no human being should be called happy before the end of life. In the George Young translation, the final thought is:

“Which is therefore and regard that supreme day,

And of no mortal say

‘That man is happy’, till

vexed by no grivious ill

He pass life’s goal,”

The Chorus thus turns Oedipus's personal tragedy into a universal lesson. Human beings cannot completely control their destiny, and prosperity can suddenly change into suffering.

Conclusion

The opening and final scenes of Oedipus Rex are closely connected. The play begins with Thebes suffering and Oedipus promising to discover the cause, while it ends with the discovery that Oedipus himself is responsible for the pollution. The Prologue establishes the tragic problem, the Parodos expresses the people's suffering, and the Exodos presents Oedipus's recognition, Jocasta's death, his self-blinding and his fall from power. The movement from sight to blindness, ignorance to knowledge, and kingship to suffering gives the tragedy its powerful dramatic unity.