Oedipus, Part 2: He Cursed the Killer… Not Knowing It Was Himself | Sophocles' Oedipus Rex

Oedipus answered the riddle of the Sphinx and saved Thebes. Now he is king, married to the widowed queen, and loved by his city. Then a plague comes, and Apollo gives one command: find the man who killed the old king. Oedipus curses the killer in front of the whole city. He does not know he is cursing himself. This is part 2 of the story of Oedipus: the crown and the queen, the plague, the curse, and the blind prophet who tells him the truth to his face. It starts with a short recap, so you can watch it on its own. Told as one calm, continuous story, based on Sophocles' Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex), with the details from Apollodorus clearly labelled. Chapters 00:00 The story so far 02:17 The crown and the queen 05:57 The city of the sick 10:41 The curse 13:08 The blind prophet 18:45 Next time: the queen's brother Who's who Oedipus: king of Thebes, who once saved the city from the Sphinx Jocasta: the queen, his wife Creon: Jocasta's brother, sent to ask Apollo at Delphi Tiresias: the blind prophet The people of Thebes: struck by plague Questions to think about What exactly does Apollo's answer ask Thebes to do? Why does Oedipus curse the killer before he knows who it is? Tiresias is blind, Oedipus can see. Who really sees in this part? Where this comes from Main source: Sophocles, Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex), lines 1-462 (translated by R. C. Jebb, 1887) Also used: Apollodorus, The Library 3.5.8 (translated by J. G. Frazer, 1921), for the Sphinx in the recap Read it free: Jebb's translation in the Perseus Digital Library; Apollodorus: https://archive.org/details/apollodor... Every scene was checked line by line against these texts. The images and animation in this video were made with AI tools, guided by the ancient texts. The narration is AI voiced. Ancient Tales Reborn: the great myths of Greece and the ancient world, told as complete stories you can watch or simply listen to. Website: https://www.ancienttalesreborn.com #Oedipus #GreekMythology #GreekTragedy