Oedipus The King Is Still Relevant Today

Oedipus the King by Sophocles is a story which has lived well beyond its time, and in some ways is still relevant today. At the center of the play lies the king of Thebes - Oedipus - a ruler who has been faced with the task of calming the public in the midst of a plague. To Oedipus’ dismay however, the plague becomes the least of his worries as the story unfolds through various twists and turns. Today, Oedipus is a part of nearly every high school and college curriculum, but is commonly presented simply as text rather than its true intentions - to be performed. In Sophocles’ time, theatrical plays were performed in sunlight, with very basic sets, props, and costumes. Throughout my reading of Oedipus, I have designed ways to bring the play back …show more content…
Oedipus is instructed to rid Thebes of the former king, Laius’, murderer. In an effort to find the murderer, Oedipus sends Creon to bring the blind prophet Tiresias to him. When Tiresias appears, dressed in a white robe, he is very hesitant to tell Oedipus the truth of the murderer. In this scene, the mutual frustration between the characters is emphasised with red downlight, with growing intensity as Oedipus becomes increasingly furious with the prophet until he finally reveals the truth - that the murderer is both father and brother to his children, and though he is thought to be foreign born, he is really a native Theban. After hearing the murderer’s description from the prophet, Oedipus realizes he is the murderer, and pieces the secrets of his life together. When Oedipus finally comes to terms with his newfound knowledge of his adoption and his incestuous marriage to his mother who he has found hanged, he realizes he has been blind to the truth throughout his life and in a dimly light scene he stabs his eyes out. Following his own orders, Oedipus banishes himself from Thebes, and as the prophet Tiresias told him, he is last seen wandering to find foreign