Today I read pages 171-175 of Oedipus The King The messenger told Oedipus that Polybus wasn't his real father.
"Polybus was nothing to you, that's why, not in blood."
He even said that Polybus and himself were equals.
"No more than I am. He and I are equals."
Oedipus was confused because the messenger was a stranger. He meant nothing to Oedipus so how could he be equal to his father?
"Neither was he, no more your father than I am."
"Then why did he call me his son?"
"You were a gift-"
The messenger was the person who found Oedipus to give to Polybus. He found him down the woody flanks of Mount Cithaeron. He was a herdsman scraping for wages. But he was also Oedipus's savior. When he first found him his ankles were pinned together and he set him free. The messenger actually got Oedipus from another shepherd who was a servant of Laius. Oedipus set out to solve the mystery of his birth. Jocasta really doesn't want him to search for his parents but he refuses to let it go. After telling a servant to go get the herdsman he then tells him to,
"Leave her to glory in her royal birth." - referring to Jocasta
Jocasta got aggravated and shot back saying,
"Man of agony-
that is the only name I have for you,
that, no other-ever, ever, ever!"
She then stormed out of the room but it doesn't even faze Oedipus at all. He was to focused on finding out who his birth parents were. He met the shepherd that gave him to the messenger. The shepherd didn't want to tell Oedipus anything but Oedipus started to violently threaten the old man. He admitted to giving the messenger the baby and he also said,
"I wish to god I'd died that day."
After more threats to harm the old shepherd he told them that the child came from the house of Laius. Then he finally said,
"All right! His son, they say it was-his son!"
[No participation grade this is a make up blog]
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