Plot Map Sophocles’ Oedipus the King

Plot Map of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King

Plot Map Diagram

Climax: Oedipus sends for the man who survived the tragic attack in which his father was killed to see if the man killed his father or not. He also realizes that the man he thought was his father wasn’t his biological father. He, therefore, seeks answers from the man who found him. This man happens to be the man he has sent for.

The end

The middle

The beginning

Before the play

Rising Action: Oedipus sends for the blind prophet, Teiresias him about the man. This is when Oedipus finds out that he was the culprit all along, and in an attempt to deny this revelation, accuses the prophet and Creon of wanting to steal his throne. Therefore, he throws Teiresias out.

Denouncement: Oedipus finds out that the king he killed was his biological father and that the woman he is married to is his biological mother, Jocasta. The events that follow make Jocasta hang herself. After seeing what has happened to his mother/wife, Oedipus removes his eyes, thereby becoming blind. In turn, he accepts the terms given by Creon as his punishment which is exile.

Inciting Incident: Creon is sent to find out how the pollution can be stopped.

He also tells Oedipus that he must kill whoever killed his father, the old King Laius.

Point of Attack: Oedipus is in the priest’s company before a crowd of children, discussing the pollution in the town.

Storyline begins

The story ends

Setting

The story is set during an ancient period in Greece in the land of Thebes, in front of the palace found in this land. However, the land of Corinth is also mentioned from time to time. Oedipus reigns in the same place where his father, Oedipus, also reigned during his time (Johnson). He sleeps on the same bed his father slept in, and ironically, he also meets his downfall in the same place where he sprung. At the beginning of the story, he seems to be a good king who sees himself as the father to his subjects.

Characters

The story contains various characters, including Oedipus, Teiresias, Jocasta, Antigone, Creon, Polynices, Haemon, Ismene, Theseus, Chorus, and Eurydice. These characters have different descriptions, as discussed below.

Protagonist

The protagonist character in this book is Oedipus, the King himself. The real son of Jocasta and Laius. He was born with a bad prophecy of killing his birth father, the King, and eventually marrying his mother. Thus, his father orders his death, but instead, he ends up with a childless king and queen who raise him as their own. He attempts to deny his fate by running away from it, yet he still kills his father and takes his mother as a wife. However, he eventually accepts his limitations as a man and his punishment when he eventually finds out the truth. During his reign, he fulfills various achievements, such as defeating the Sphinx. He is an ideal tragic hero (Johnson).

Antagonist

The antagonist character in the story is ideally fate. The terrible fate Oedipus is born condemns him to his downfall, thus becoming Oedipus’s biggest enemy. Even though he attempts to run from the terrible prophecy, he still ends up doing exactly as prophesied, leaving him with no option but to face the consequences. Fate plays the perfect antagonistic role in conjunction with Oedipus’ hamartia or character defects.

Flat

Even though Jocasta is considered a flat character in the play, she also portrays depth. Even though she is only acquainted with the reader in the final scenes, she appears outspoken and sensible. She is also established as a mediator, who seems to create a balance between the pride and temper of Oedipus and encourages him to perceive Creon as his ally rather than an enemy (Johnson).

Round

Teiresias portray the round character in the story. He is a blind man who can see so much more beyond his blindness and thus, surprises the reader. He is also the prophet who foretells the fate of Oedipus, that of killing his biological father, dressing in rags, losing his sight, and wandering in exile. Thus, he is a fully developed character in the play, who appears to have a significant role in the events following the birth of Oedipus, and appears throughout the story. Other round characters include Oedipus, another fully developed character and mainly affected by the story’s events and deteriorates at the end.

Static

This refers to a character who doesn’t necessarily go through a change in a story. Teiresias is also a static character because his character portrays no development throughout the whole play. The blind prophet seems to appear in both the phases of Antigone and Oedipus the King. However, in both, he is a representation of the same force and without any changes. The force he represents is that of the truth that the King did not want to accept. Princess Antigone also plays a static role throughout the play.

Dynamic

A dynamic character describes a character who undergoes various changes within the story and grows rather than deteriorate, as in the case of Oedipus. Such a character in the play is represented by Jocasta, the mother and wife to Oedipus. Her character is no doubt complicated, but there is also an element of development. She cannot be either a generic queen or a mother (Johnson). Thus, she is forced to play both roles, be a queen and a mother to Oedipus, two complicated roles that she plays diligently, sensibly, yet simultaneously. Creon is another dynamic character who quickly changes from the stereotypic aristocrat to a compassionate version of himself towards princess Antigone.

Point of view