The Theatre of apollo : divine justice and the Sophocles' Oedipus the King

Literary critics have consistently marginalized the role of Apollo in Sophocles' "Oedipus the King": some declare him to be inscrutable, others ignore him, and still others deny his existence altogether. In defiance of this long-standing critical consensus, this study offers a new interpretation of the play by arguing that Apollo brings about Oedipus' downfall as just punishment for his hubris. By recreating the play's original staging and debunking the interpretations of various critics, including Aristotle, Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, E.R. Dodds, Frederick Ahl, and John Peradotto, the author shows that Apollo is a constant, powerful presence throughout the play. He contends that although we can sympathize with Oedipus because of his sufferings, he is still morally responsible for murdering his father and sleeping with his mother. Apollo is therefore not indifferent and his actions are not unjust. The book focuses on Apollo's commandment "know thyself", a commandment Oedipus belatedly and tragically fulfils, to stress both the need for self-understanding in the study of ancient literature and the usefulness of ancient literature in achieving self-understanding. MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Contents 8 Preface 10 Introduction 14 1 Poem as Fact: The Historical Method in Literary Criticism 18 2 Stage Directions for Sophocles' Oedipus the King 25 3 Oedipus Pharmakos? Alleged Scapegoating in the Play 40 4 Asserting Eternal Providence: The Question of Guilt 56 5 The Authority of Prophecy: Theodicy in the play 70 6 Reading the Name of Oedipus and Other Riddles 81 7 The Humiliation of Oedipus 87 8 Conclusion 93 Appendix A: The Date of the Play 98 Appendix B: The Scene of the Crime 100 Appendix C: The Meaning of υφειρπε γαρ πολυ (786) 102 Notes 104 Abbreviations 134 Bibliography 136 Index 154 A 154 B 154 C 154 D 155 E 155 F 155 G 155 H 155 I 156 J 156 K 156 L 156 M 156 N 156 O 156 P 157 Q 157 R 157 S 157 T 158 V 158 W 158 Y 158 Z 158 By imaginatively recreating the play's original staging and debunking the interpretations of various critics, including Aristotle, Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, E.R. Dodds, Frederick Ahl, and John Peradotto, Griffith shows that Apollo is a constant, powerful presence throughout the play. He contends that although we can sympathize with Oedipus because of his sufferings, he is still morally responsible for murdering his father and sleeping with his mother. Apollo is therefore not indifferent and his actions are not unjust. Griffith focuses on Apollo's commandment "know thyself," a commandment Oedipus belatedly and tragically fulfils, to stress both the need for self-understanding in the study of ancient literature and the usefulness of ancient literature in achieving self-understanding. 1. Poem As Fact: The Historical Method In Literary Criticism -- 2. Stage Directions For Sophocles' Oedipus The King -- 3. Oedipus Pharmakos? Alleged Scapegoating In The Play -- 4. Asserting Eternal Providence: The Question Of Guilt -- 5. The Authority Of Prophecy: Theodicy In The Play -- 6. Reading The Name Of Oedipus And Other Riddles -- 7. The Humiliation Of Oedipus -- 8. Conclusion -- App. A. The Date Of The Play -- App. B. The Scene Of The Crime -- App. C. The Meaning Of [actual Symbol Not Reproducible](786). R. Drew Griffith. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [125-141) And Index. A revealing interpretation of the most famous Greek tragedy - "Oedipus the King". In defiance of the long-standing critical consensus, this study offers a fresh interpretation of the play by arguing that Apollo brings about Oedipus' downfall as just punishment for his hubris.