Greek Tragedy - Oedipus (was absent when assigned)

Summary

Page - 159: King Oedipus wonders why the people of his city have come to him and what may be troubling the city.
Page - 160: A priest comes to Oedipus and tells him about the negative things happening to the city and how all the people in city are being affected.
Page - 161: The priest then goes on to ask Oedipus to help fix the cities problems and return the city to its former greatness.
Page - 162: Oedipus expresses his views on the city and then tells the priest that he has sent Creon to the Oracle in Delphi for guidance.
Page - 163: Creon arrives back to the city from Delphi and brings news about the city from the oracle.
Page - 164: Creon tells Oedipus that the murder of King Laius must be avenged in order to bring back the peace to the city.
Page - 165: Oedipus is shocked by the murder and wonders why the people of city did not pursue the men guilty of the crime.
Page - 166: According to Creon a band of thieves killed Laius and the Sphinx persuaded the people of the city not to venture any further into the murder.
Page - 167: Oedipus vows to find the killer of Laius so the peace in the city can be restored.
Page - 168: The citizens gather around and pray to the Gods for help and assistance.
Page - 169: People continue to pray and reflect upon the negativity in the city.
Page - 170: The people then pray to certain Gods for help.

Literary Devices

Allusion

A Sphinx is a mythological creature. It usually stands guard of something and asks a riddle to adventurers. Using a Sphinx in this story can create the effect of something greater to come since it watches over something prized.

Personification

"And black Death luxuriates in the raw, wailing miseries of Thebes". (37-38) This sentence shows how a dark force took over this town and how it is just festering in it. This creates a problem for the main character.

Motif

Gods were mentioned a lot through out this story. This sets up a certain atmosphere for the story. The people acknowledge that there is a greater force controlling them and this may affect the story.

Metaphor

"Our ship pitches wildly, cannot lift her head/from the depths, the red waves of death..." (29-30) The city is being mirrored to a ship out of control and how it struggles to break free of this evil bond.