OEDIPUS REX Sophocee “An English Version by Duy Fits ‘ond Robert Piaget cHaracrens oepirus APRIEST Chey’ ‘TEIRESIAS ocast®, MESSENGER SHEPHERD OF L108, SEOOND MESSENGER (CHORUS OF THEEAN ELDERS Soane: Before the palace of OEDIPUS, King of Thebes. A fenital door and tw lateral doors open cna x platform wk runs the length of the facade, On the platfora ght and et, te altars; and thee szprleed down tata the “orehestne,” of homegrown PROLOGUE, {iE the begining of the action the seps are eroded by SUP PLIANTS who have brought drancher ond cepts of le lates tnd who Le oarous titudes of despa, OEDIPUS enter) OEDIPUS. Ay hive, generation of te ing Inthe ne of Kadmon, ured at he ancien hearth ‘Why have you stews yourselves bone ds ae Insuppiction, with Your oughe and pends? ‘The breath of cose nae rom the igy sha sound of prayer and entation, rs an 1 woud nop A yon spe hough memes, And ete hive come yl ost ot |. Oodipis who boar ae famous mame: (Too PRIEST) You, there since yon are eld inthe company, Shea for ens al el se what preys apon you, Meter you come in dread crave Some eng ‘Tellme al never dou that | wl ep Yon, never) way fan; [shouldbe ease Were not moved a Gna'you supplant hee PRIEST. Great Oslpus, O power King of huts! ‘You se how ll the ase of Deore Ging to your altar sep: here ar boys ‘Whocan tere tand sone, and here ae pets By weight of age, 2 ama ret of Go, ‘And young nen chosen fom ow et marr Arto the ther all hat sade, Thay wall with lve chaplts nthe guar, ‘the hwo sho of Palla and whee Apollo Speaiain the plowing embers "Your own eyes ‘Must ell you Thebes stowed ob uring !Mogean not le ber sad rom the sth sie. ‘rust consumes the hades ft oF the eh Theherds ar sek lon die unboe, ‘An Isr iin, The goof plagues p70 itd te dtestae hang tough ey, [Ava he hone of Keno ad wast, ‘atte upon the ser ol Thebes. ‘You ae not ont ofthe imme gots, we Brows ‘Yeu we han come to you to make out prayer [Avo the mn surest ia mortal eas ‘Nd wns the was cf Cod. You sad ws From the Spine, tht int niger, ad te Wate Beier formed hun weno coal we teach you {owas some gt rained nro to an fe“s vm het mihi King, wm o you Fodor fey. fd ony het oe ofthe peo ‘Ming of tito ee as ont nat of tobi a wel Note rmen ear iets yur} al ne cl you rar for ser gh a {xen sure of gh ered, ith ty He oa ie pth on gong Jo stot ‘nd, yemaeo nishay sun. ought tne a wat Nota elas your pov nd Dutra rt en, not ur dad Ship ar ony hc we noi Shon oe eves ey psoas ‘OEDIPUS. Poor siren! Vou may be sre Thnow Al that you longed forin your coming hee, now that you ae deathly sand Sick you ae ot ope as sek 3 Etch of you suffers in hime clone Angus not moter erat cane forthe it, for ma, 10, 1 wa ot sloping, yu aze 0 waking me. INO have hee eas fr one whe ‘Adin rests hgh wale many was, ina my reach, osndooe help coe. And ht ave taken hav set Crean, Som of Meola, brother othe Qaee, ‘obo, Apollo place of nalaon Talim scan tund oe bell une, ‘nd shat le ate: have en seo, Son ot asthe brothore the Qasr, To Deiphi Apis pac of relation, Binet ae Whatact or pingeof mine may ste the cy. Have ound he ag and ns ny a am eld, ore as ones te. Teruy a Whe ie doing? He as een gone to on, ‘Yet whenever he comes bak, shou Jo ‘Toscan whatever duty Go ievenls PRIEST. Tes timely prj A cs instant ‘They tal me Ceeon a here ORD USO Lord Apolo: May hs new bef ati fac is aia! PRIEST It could not be there: be crowned with by, ‘The chupet is thek with ait, OEDIPUS. «We shal soon know; $e fsnear enough to hears now, (Bre CREON) Brother: son of Menoikes: Wat mane do you bring us from the goa? (CREON. A strong one. can tel yo, erent affitions ‘Wi tum ou wal if they aro aken wel EDIPUS. What was the once? These vague words ‘Leave meal angingbaeween hope apd ft EREON: eit your pleaure to hear me with l thee Gtered around wit Tam prepared to speak, ut ould we not goin Oe Le ham all ewe Tes for thers Toute, move than for geal [CREON. Then wil al you what hea at Dep. {npn worts| “The got commands ws to expel fom the and of Phebe ‘An old defuemant we at shivering else deathly thing sayond cure ‘We must not let fed upon vs ne ‘OBDIPUS. What defilenon? How shal werd urslee tit? [CREON. By exe or death, blond for boos, I woe Murder dat brought the plague wind o te iy ‘OEDIPUS Murder of whem? Sey the gohan ‘lm? CREON. My ors tong ago Laos was ou king, Betore you came to yoven OEDIPUS. Tinows "eared of him fro ots ene sa im CHRON te was mordoted: ad Ale commana enon To take revenge upon move hile he480 COFDIEVS, Upon whom? Where ate they? Where tall we Tindale ‘ale that erm, after so many yeas? “CHRON, Hon hind, esas. Iwo make engulry, ‘We may touch things that oxaerise escape us ‘OEDIPUS, Tell me: Was Lion murcered in is hour, ‘Onin the lds on some foreign county? ‘CRPON, ie a he planned Yo make piimage He di ot com ome asin. ‘OEDIPUS, ‘A was there no on, ‘No wane n@ companion, to tll what happened? ‘CRHON. They were ail ied but one, and he got away ‘So teghiened thet be soul! remember one tig ly ‘OHDIPUS. Wit wer hat one thing? One may be the hey "Tocerything if wererve to use ‘CREON. ie id that a band of highaymen attacked them, ‘outnvmbered tea overwhelmed the King (OEDIPUS. Stange, hat asaya shoud be so ‘Unes ame faction hee bbe hm to do, TCREON, We thought of Gat But afer Loe’ death ‘ow toes os and mo had eng. ‘GRDIPUS. What tosblos cow prevect your hurting doy the kl? ‘eRRON Tae ang Sphinn’ song Made us dot toa myteres but her own, “OEDIPUS Thm once more must beng what dak 30 Tight. eames ing pao ont ihe yo do hin companetion forthe ‘Youll ae howe ban by you, a should, ‘Toevenge te ity and the ys od ‘nd ota rough wee for somo distant fend, [ut for my own eke, to bend of et. Itocrr led Keng Laon mipht-avho ows? Deeds atany monet teil ear wel By evenging he rarer King protect myself Come then dens lav Use ata sep, Lift op sour live boughs? ‘One of you Am surimon the peop of Faw ogee PUNUE Sete ese tr uy el her that {Now al our sichen host i down, vets 481 sve race 0, bint the help of God, : eShelf wear fot PRIEST teu te, ne tw rts meme And now the King has promised t himsalf, es Foworhosnt tas rae nay heen Hel save ut ad dive out eos (Ect OUDIPSond CREON ito ae plc bythe cen sor The PRIEST ond he SUPPTIANTS tere Md) (Aftere short zeus the CHORUS entire the ores.) ranopos CHORUS. What is God singing in his profound oe Dept gl ant hain? Mat omc for heen he surehined iy? Fear unjoints me, the roots of iy heat tremble Now I rrsrbor,O Healer, you power, rd onder Wil you send doom ik aude loud or weave ‘ike niga of te pst? Speak, spk 104, ba of holy ound Deans to ourexpctaey be one taxtisreonne 11 tet me py to Athen, the mori dap of Zw, "An ou Arie her ser Who lev her famosrthone in the market i ‘And to Apo, bone he far bof heme ads, deena Like te steams cap agaist The fis of our we the fs ot darn Best to ting ur ot Ain then de fom the bilan house Of a you tepped tose us, come again "And noma ght if st wn sins “The noble plows as ga, ‘And oan mothers an no eat