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Œdipus at Colonus
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OC Overview

• Dramatis Personæ
• Œdipus
• Antigone
• Ismene
• Creon
• Polynices
• Theseus
• Chorus of Athenians
• Date 405 B.C.

• Dramatic Date Just before that of Antigone
• Plot Œdipus reaches Athens and realizes he has
  reached the end of his long wandering. The last
  events of his life. His miraculous death.

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OC Plot Summary

• I. O and A arrive at the fated end of Os
  wanderings (1-116)
• A. Backstory (1-8)
• B. O sits down in an Athenian park (9-27)
• C. An Athenian stranger tells them its a sacred
  precinct and orders them out (28-43)
• D. O recognizes the fulfillment of an oracle he
  has reached his final resting place (44-47)
• E. O learns about Athens and Theseus from the
  stranger (48-69)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• F. O asks the stranger to summon Theseus he
  leaves (70-80)
• G. O prays to the Eumenides (81-110)
• II. Parodos the chorus searches for O (117-137)
• III. Dialogue between O and the chorus (138-309)
• A. The chorus call him out from the sacred
  precinct (155-169)
• B. O trusts them and obeys (170-202)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• C. O reluctantly reveals who he is (203-225)
• D. The chorus, horrified, order him to leave
  (226-236)
• E. A tries to change their minds, but fails
  (237-253)
• F. O defends himself and convinces the chorus
  (254-291)
• G. The chorus is convinced, tells O to wait for
  the king (292-309)
• IV. Dialogue between O and I (310-460)
• A. I arrives (310-324)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• B. The tearful reunion (324-332)
• C. O praises his daughters, reviles his sons
  (337-357)
• D. Is news (361-420)
• 1. Backstory on Thebes (361-384)
• 2. The latest oracle (385-395)
• 3. Creons impending visit (396-420)
• E. O rages against his sons and tells the story
  of his exile (421-449)
• F. O asks the chorus for refuge (450-460)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• V. Expiation rite (461-509)
• A. The chorus explain the rite (461-493)
• B. I exits to perform the rite (494-409)
• VI. Kommos (510-549)
• VII. Dialogue between O and T (550-667)
• A. T arrives, behaves as a noble king (551-568)
• B. O asks for refuge and promises an unspecified
  reward in return (569-586)
• C. O warns T of the impending trouble with his
  sons, i.e. Thebes (587-629)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• VII. Dialogue between O and T (550-667)
• A. T arrives, behaves as a noble king (551-568)
• B. O asks for refuge and promises an unspecified
  reward in return (569-586)
• C. O warns T of the impending trouble with his
  sons, i.e. Thebes (587-629)
• D. T makes O a citizen of Athens (631-641)
• E. T promises O his protection (657-667)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• VIII. Patriotic Stasimon (668-719)
• A. Praise of Colonus (668-693)
• B. Praise of Atticas olive trees (694-706)
• C. Praise of Athens, her horses, her fleet
  (707-719)
• IX. Creon (720-1043)
• A. Creons apparently friendly introductory
  speech (728-760)
• B. Œdipus retort (761-799 cf. 396-406)
• C. They argue (800-815)
• D. Creon kidnaps Antigone and Ismene (816-856)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• E. Creon tries to seize Œdipus as well (857-886)
• F. Theseus returns (887-1043)
• 1. Sends guards to intercept Antigone and Ismene
  (897-904)
• 2. Theseus hold Creon captive (905-938)
• 3. Creon feigns modesty again (939-959)
• 4. Œdipus rebuts him (960-1013)
• a. Defense of his past (963-999)
• b. Praise of Athens (1005-1013)
• 5. Theseus leads Creon off (1016-1043)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• X. Stasimon (1044-1095)
• A. Their confidence in Theseus (1044-1071)
• B. Confident appeal to the gods for help
  (1072-1095)
• XI. Theseus returns with Antigone and Ismene
  (1096-1210)
• A. Œdipus rejoices (1096-1112)
• B. Œdipus praises Theseus (1113-1138)
• C. Theseus tells Œdipus he has a visitor
  (1150-1166)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• D. Œdipus realizes its Polynices and refuses to
  see him (1167-1180)
• E. Antigone changes his mind (1181-1210)
• XII. Stasimon on the miseries of life, Œdipus
  life most of all (1211-1248)
• XIII. Polynices
• A. Asks forgiveness for not helping Œdipus
  earlier (1254-1279)
• B. Speaks of events in Thebes (1291-1325)
• C. His appeal (1326-1345)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• D. Œdipus retort and curse (1349-1396)
• E. Polynices mourns his coming death and asks his
  sisters for burial (1399-1446)
• XIV. Œdipus blesses Athens (1447-1669)
• A. Kommos between Œdipus and the chorus as
  lightning crashes all around (1447-1499)
• B. Theseus arrives and Œdipus blesses Athens
  (1500-1555)
• XV. Stasimon praying to the gods of the
  underworld on Œdipus behalf (1556-1578)

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OC Plot Summary (cont.)

• XVI. Messenger speech describing Œdipus death
  (1579-1669)
• XVII. Kommos with Antigone and Ismene (1670-1779)
• A. They mourn Œdipus (1670-1736)
• B. Theseus forbids them to visit the place Œdipus
  died (1737-1767)
• C. Antigone and Ismene ask to return to Thebes
  (1768-1779)