When the play opens, Thebes is suffering an epidemic that leaves its fields and ladies barren. He warns them to bring forth the killer if they find him, and he admonishes them not to shelter the murderer. Many years after Oedipus has become the King of Thebes by saving the city from a vicious monster called the Sphinx, a plague of infertility has stricken “the fruitful blossoms of the land, the herds among the pastures, the barren pangs of women.” A messenger comes to tell her that Polybus, who is supposedly Oedipus's father, has died of natural causes. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Jocasta comes to the altar of Apollo and places an offering there, hoping to stop her husband from thinking about the past and listening to the prophecies. Oedipus, in Greek mythology, the king of Thebes who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. In the ‘Prologue,’ Oedipus comes out of his palace to find a crowd gathered. Oedipus Rex Pages 160-198 Summary & Analysis. Since this is the case, it is a traditional tragedy, and if a story takes place in Greece, the time of the story is the fifth century, BCE. In Oedipus Rex, one finds the journey of Oedipus’s self from pride, hubris, anger, annoyance, self-disbelief and self-ignorance to self-discovery, self-realization and self-knowledge. It was the second one he wrote in 429 B.C.E., but is the first in the sequence of events. This news gives Jocasta hope that the prophecy is not true because Polybus was not killed by his son. Geographically the story takes place in Athens, Greece. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. Oedipus means “swollen foot” and originated from the Greek word “Oidípous”. Oedipus—the King of Thebes, who rose to power by solving the riddle of the Sphinx—asks a crowd of his wailing, lamenting citizens what’s wrong. Oedipus Rex was one of three plays that Sophocles, a Greek dramatist, penned on the Oedipus myth. A good king, he wants to ease their pain if he can. Summary. oedipus rex Summary and overview. Oedipus Rex Summary. Summary The ‘Prologue’ of Oedipus Rex, extends from the opening of the play to the opening Choral ode or Parodos (Line 151). Summary. Oedipus, the king of Thebes, has sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the house of Apollo to ask the oracle the way to end the plague. Word Count: 805. The story of “”Oedipus Rex takes place in front of the palace, Thebes, which is a doomed city-state. Last Updated on March 19, 2020, by eNotes Editorial. Oedipus Rex Summary. Homer related that Oedipus’s wife and mother hanged herself when the truth of their relationship became known, though Oedipus apparently continued to rule at Thebes until his death. 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