Greek Literature

Greek Literature: Oedipus the King Background: Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, angered Apollo by killing the God’s favorite snake. As punishment, the descendants of Cadmus lived under a curse prophesized to each generation by Apollo’s oracle. According to the prophecy, if Laius, king of Thebes, had a son by Jocasta, his queen, that son would kill his father and marry his mother. In response to this prophecy, Laius had a rivet driven between …

…father is, but he finally reveals that it’s Laius. Jocasta realizes that she has married her son, and she goes into her room, and pulls out her hair, and hangs herself. Oedipus is so distraught, that he takes Jocasta broaches and gouges out his eyes. He has to wander the world blind now. The irony in it is that the blind Teiresias saw more than Seer Oedipus did, so Oedipus blinded himself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**