ENGL 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Tiresias, Laius, Restoration Comedy
14 Dec 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Oedipus argues with all male characters in the play, they are just as uncompromising as he is, he only gets his way (forcing teiresias and the shepherd to speak) because of the throat of violence. Initially distinct: teiresias knows the answer while oedipus doesn"t, teiresias wants to keep quiet but oedipus wants him to speak. Again, oedipus accused creon of the crime of which he himself is accused: plotting against the king in order to seize the throne. Competition for identity: creon claims not to want oedipus"s job, but winds up getting it, and more: steps into oedipus"s identity as father. Oedipus recognizes that this is a struggle for life or death: wants creon"s death even if he"s wrong (creon: what if you"re wrong? oedipus: i still have to govern. [763]) Tells the chorus that it is a life and death struggle. Stichomythia: symmetrical argument emphasized by poetic form (the rapid exchange of short lines)
