Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus

• Prologue (lines 1-116): Oedipus and Antigone arrive in Colonus and learn that the grave is sacred to the Furies (=Eumenides); Oedipus realizes he is destined to die here
• Parodos and kommos (118-253): Chorus of old men beckons Oedipus from the sacred grove and learns who Oedipus is
• 1st episode (254-509):

1. 254-309: Oedipus justifies himself to the chorus
2. 310-509: Ismene reports that Creon wants to force Oedipus to come back to Thebes

• kommos (510-548): Chorus and Oedipus sing of how Oedipus murdered his father and married his mother
• 2nd episode (549-667): Theseus agrees to protect Oedipus
• stasimon (668-719): Chorus praises Colonus and Athens
• 3rd episode (720-1043):

1. 720-815: Creon fails to persuade Oedipus to come back to Thebes
2. 816-847: Creon has Antigone dragged away by force
3. 848-886: Creon tries to drag Oedipus away by force
4. 887-1043: Theseus protects Oedipus from Creon and sends men to retrieve Antigone and Ismene

• stasimon (1044-1096): Chorus rejoices that Ismene and Antigone will be rescued
• 4th episode (1097-1210): Theseus brings Ismene and Antigone back
• stasimon (1211-48): Chorus sings of the pains of old age
• 5th episode (1249-1446): Polyneices fails to persuade Oedipus to help him retake Thebes; Oedipus curses Polyneices and Eteocles
• stasimon and kommos (1447-1499): Thunder; Oedipus summons Theseus
• 6th episode (1500-1555): Oedipus tells Theseus he is to die here; leads Theseus and children off
• stasimon (1556-1578): Chorus prays to chthonic deities for Oedipus
• 7th episode (1579-1169): Messenger reports death of Oedipus
• kommos (1670-1750): with Chorus, Antigone and Ismene mourn for their father
• epilogue (1751-end): Theseus comforts Antigone and Ismene but refuses to tell them where their father died

Things to think about as you read this play

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