Oedipus

You wake up in the castle next to your wife. Outside, you can hear people gathering, waiting for you to come down and speak with them. Knowing this is your duty, you get out of bed reluctantly, leaving your wife to sleep. You exit the castle and look out on your people. [[Address them]] [[Tell the Priest to speak]]

My children, latest generation born from Cadmus, why are you sitting here with wreathed sticks in supplication to me, while the city fills with incense, chants, and cries of pain?1 Children, it would not be appropriate for me to learn of this from any other source, so I have come in person—I, Oedipus, whose fame all men acknowledge. But you there, old man, tell me—you seem to be the one who ought to speak for those assembled here. 10 What feeling brings you to me—fear or desire? You can be confident that I will help. I shall assist you willingly in every way. I would be a hard-hearted man indeed, if I did not pity suppliants like these. [[Ask what's wrong?]] [[Keep talking]]

The Priest says, "Oedipus, ruler of my native land, you see how people here of every age are crouching down around your altars, For our city, as you yourself can see, is badly shaken—she cannot raise her head above the depths of so much surging death. Disease infects fruit blossoms in our land, disease infects our herds of grazing cattle, 30 makes women in labour lose their children. And deadly pestilence, that fiery god, swoops down to blast the city, emptying the House of Cadmus, and fills black Hades with groans and howls" Oh no! You're city is in a plague. Everyone is getting sick and dying. Luckily, you've sent your brother-in-law, Creon, to help. [[Creon's home!]]

The priest tells you: "our city, as you yourself can see, is badly shaken—she cannot raise her head above the depths of so much surging death. Disease infects fruit blossoms in our land, disease infects our herds of grazing cattle, 30 makes women in labour lose their children. And deadly pestilence, that fiery god, swoops down to blast the city, emptying the House of Cadmus, and fills black Hades with groans and howls." [[Creon's home!]] [[Fix it yourself!]]

"My poor children, I know why you have come— I am not ignorant of what you yearn for. For I well know that you are ill, and yet, sick as you are, there is not one of you 70 whose illness equals mine. Your agony comes to each one of you as his alone, a special pain for him and no one else. But the soul inside me sorrows for myself, and for the city, and for you—all together." The priest thanks you for being so caring. You continue: "So I have sent away my brother-in-law, son of Menoeceus, Creon, to Pythian Apollo’s shrine, to learn from him what I might do or say to save our city" You turn and Creon is approaching! [[Creon's home!]]

Creon returns with news: " let me report what I heard from the god. Lord Phoebus clearly orders us to drive away the polluting stain this land has harboured— which will not be healed if we keep nursing it." "What sort of cleansing? And this disaster— how did it happen?" you ask "By banishment— or atone for murder by shedding blood again. Laius was killed. And now the god is clear: those murderers, he tells us, must be punished, whoever they may be." Oh no! The king before you--Lauis-- was murdered. The murderer still lives in the village and is causing ALL of the problems! What do you do? [[Begin Investigating]] [[Ask your wife for advice]]

The people cannot fix the problem. Do you wait for Creon to get home and ask for help or start the investigation? [[wait for Creon]] [[Begin Investigating]]

You tell the people: " I have sent away my brother-in-law, son of Menoeceus, Creon, to Pythian Apollo’s shrine, to learn from him what I might do or say to save our city. But when I count the days— the time he’s been away—I now worry what he’s doing. For he’s been gone too long, well past the time he should have taken. But when he comes, I’ll be a wicked man if I do not act on all the god reveals." Just as you're saying this, Creon approaches! You rush up to him to find what he has learned. [[Creon's home!]]

"Where should I start?" you ask the crowd. "Tiresias!" they say in unison. He's a blind prophet who predicts things in the town. You send somebody for him and he arrives shortly after. When he arrives, you notice that he is blind! You beg him: " Save this city and yourself. Rescue me. Deliver us from this pollution by the dead. We are in your hands. For a mortal man the finest labour he can do is help with all his power other human beings." Tiresias responds: ": Let me go home. You must bear your burden to the very end, and I will carry mine, if you’ll agree with me." Oh no! Tiresias doesn't seem to want to help! [[Get angry with Tiresias]] [[Tell him to leave]] [[Beg him for information]]

Jocasta, your wife says this when she hears of Creon's prophecy: "no human being has skill in prophecy. I’ll show you why with this example. King Laius once received a prophecy. I won’t say it came straight from Apollo, but it was from those who do assist the god. "It said Laius was fated to be killed by a child conceived by him and me. Now, at least according to the story, one day Laius was killed by foreigners, by robbers, at a place where three roads meet. "Besides, before our child was three days old, Laius fused his ankles tight together and ordered other men to throw him out on a mountain rock where no one ever goes. "And so Apollo’s plan that he’d become the one who killed his father didn’t work, and Laius never suffered what he feared, that his own son would be his murderer, although that’s what the oracle had claimed. "So don’t concern yourself with prophecies. Whatever gods intend to bring about they themselves make known quite easily." Laius was supposed to be killed by his son, but he wasn't! Jocasta asks you not to take the prophecy seriously. But... what about the plague? [[Agree and back off the investigation]] [[Begin Investigating]]

Creon continues the investigation and finds out the following: There was a witness to the King's murder! A blind prophet believes that you, Oedipus, killed the King! What do you do? [[Continue to stay out of it]] [[Call on the Witness!]]

You yell at the blind prophet: "You most disgraceful of disgraceful men! You’d move something made of stone to rage! Will you not speak out? Will your stubbornness never have an end?" He says, "I will say nothing more. Fume on about it, if you wish, as fiercely as you can." You see red at his response. Finally, you say, "I will. In my anger I will not conceal just what I make of this. You should know I get the feeling ''you conspired in the act, and played your part, as much as you could do, short of killing him with your own hands.'' If you could use your eyes, I would have said that you had done this work all by yourself." Tiresias does not appreciate being accused of murder. He says he will leave now rather than deal with you. [[Tell him to leave]] [[Ask him for more information]]

You tell Tiresias to leave: "You’re in the way. If you stay, you’ll just provoke me. Once you’re gone, you won’t annoy me further." Tiresias calls his helper to come, but turns at the last moment: "I’m going. But first I shall tell you why I came. I do not fear the face of your displeasure— there is no way you can destroy me. I tell you, the man you have been seeking all this time, while proclaiming threats and issuing orders about the one who murdered Laius— that man is here. "According to reports, he is a stranger who lives here in Thebes. But he will prove to be a native Theban. From that change he will derive no pleasure. He will be blind, although he now can see. He will be a poor, although he now is rich. "He will set off for a foreign country, groping the ground before him with a stick. And he will turn out to be the brother of the children in his house—their father, too, both at once, and the husband and the son of the very woman who gave birth to them. He sowed the same womb as his father and murdered him. Go in and think on this. If you discover I have spoken falsely, you can say I lack all skill in prophecy" Oh no! Tiresias says that the man who kill Laius is someone in the city. Not only that though: this man killed his father and married his mom, having children with her as well. Not only that, ''but he claims that man is you!!'' Can you imagine having children with your own mother?! Ew! [[Accuse him and Creon of treason]] [[Ask Jocasta about the prophecy]]

Creon comes to the door and says that you're the man who killed Laius! You tell him he's lying, but the Shepherd at the door looks familiar... Suddenly, you recall a trip to the Oracle of Delphi. On your return, a man hit you on the road. In a fit of rage you killed him and all of his servants, but one got away... The Shepherd. He confirms that you are the one who killed the old King. He was the man who hit you on the road that day. [[Leave town to protect your people]] [[Ask Jocasta about the King's death]]

Someone goes to find the servant who witnessed King Laius's death. But wait! Before the man arrives, a messenger comes with sad news! King Polybus, your father, has died. Your home now wants you to be king. You sigh a breath of relief, recalling your prophecy from Delphi: You would kill your father and marry your mother. At least you have not killed your father. Perhaps the prophecy was wrong. You say this to the messenger who tries to comfort you. "That was not your father!" he said. "I am the one who found you as a baby with your ankles pinned together and took you to the next town and gave you to Polybus and Merope, our King and Queen." "They were not my parents?" you ask. "No more than I am!" the messenger says. Jocasta grabs your arm. "Don't look into this more! I beg you, leave this alone for your own good. Please!" Then runs into the house. [[Question the Shepherd]] [[Go find Jocasta]]

You respond: ": If you know something, then, by heaven, do not turn away. We are your suppliants— all of us—we bend our knees to you." Tiresias replies: "You are all ignorant. I will not reveal the troubling things inside me, which I can call your grief as well." You ask, "What are you saying? Do you know and will not say? Do you intend to betray me and destroy the city?" He says, " I will cause neither me nor you distress. Why do you vainly question me like this? You will not learn a thing from me." You groan. He really is intent on not saying anything to you! [[Get angry with Tiresias]] [[Tell him to leave]]

Tiresias continues to refuse! You say, "Tell me who this murderer is!!" Tiresias finally replies, "The accursed polluter of this land is you!" "You dare to utter shameful words like this? Do you think you can get away with it?" you reply. Tiresias smirks, " Shall I tell you more, so you can grow even more enraged?" "As much as you desire. It will be useless" " I say that with your dearest family, unknown to you, you are living in disgrace. You have no idea how bad things are." Tiresias is silent once more. [[Tell him to leave]] [[Accuse him and Creon of treason]]

You leave town, not knowing what will happen next....

Tiresias leaves, but you turn to Creon instead. " I know you now— a troublemaker, an enemy of mine." Creon holds his hands up defensively. "At least first listen to what I have to say." You refuse. "If Teiresias were not working with you, he would not name me as the one who murdered Laius!" Creon responds, "Listen, I am the third in charge. I have everything I want without the responsibility of being King. Why would I want to change that? Do not condemn me on an unproved charge. It's not fair to judge these things by guesswork, to assume bad men are good or good men bad. Give it some time, and you'll see that I'm innocent." You shake your head. "You’ll not convince me, for there’s no way that I can trust you." Creon sighs, "I can see that you've become unbalanced." Jocasta arrives to break up the fight. [[Ask Jocasta about the prophecy]] [[Continue Investigating]]

You ask Jocasta to tell you more about the King's death. She says, "He was killed in a land called Phocis. Two roads lead there— one from Delphi and one from Daulia." "How long is it since these events took place?" you ask. "The story was reported in the city just before you took over royal power here in Thebes." You ask who told this story, and Jocasta tells you that a servant in their household had returned with the news shortly after King Laius's death. He had witnessed it. You shudder, a memory resurfacing in your mind. [[Ask her more about Laius's death]] [[Tell Jocasta about your memory]]

Jocasta explains that the King died in a certain place. Gives more detail. Oedipus continues to realize what he might've done. [[Call on the Witness!]] [[Tell Jocasta about your memory]]

You tell her about being told you were adopted then taking a trip to Delphi to figure out what to do next. You were given a prophecy that said you would kill your father and marry your mother. You determined to go to Thebes, where you are now King. But on the road, you came across a man and killed him and his entire party. Only one man got away. It could be the servant that Jocasta spoke of. Jocasta denies it, claiming that a band of men killed King Laius, not one man on his own. [[Call on the Witness!]] [[Leave town to protect your people]]

You ask Jocasta to tell you more about the King's death. She says, "He was killed in a land called Phocis. Two roads lead there— one from Delphi and one from Daulia." "How long is it since these events took place?" you ask. "The story was reported in the city just before you took over royal power here in Thebes." You shudder, a memory resurfacing in your mind. You did kill the King. Jocasta has a realization, and horror-struck, begs you to stop looking into it. Creon tells you to just accept what he said. [[Leave town to protect your people]] [[Question the Shepherd]]

The Shepherd is reluctant to speak. But finally, he tells you what he knows. He is the one who found the baby on the hillside. The Queen, Jocasta, was the mother who asked for the baby to be left there to die. She had been terrified of a prophecy. He is also the one who saw you kill King Laius and got away. You are the reason that the town is plagued, and you are also the child of Jocasta. [[Go find Jocasta]] [[Leave town to protect your people]]

Jocasta is in her room, dead. She killed herself after her realization, and you are left with only her body and your own realization--You were in love with your own mother, had children with her, lived with her for years as man and wife. [[Leave town to protect your people]] [[Gouge your eyes out]]

You grab the pins from your wife's dress and gouge your eyes out. Horrified at your own life, you walk around the castle, listening to the horror around you. A hand grabs at your arm and a familiar voice follows. "You must leave Oedipus," Creon says. "But, my children," you beg. They are the only thing that could comfort you in this moment. Creon presses a small hand into yours--your daughters are there. They both hug you as you lament your fate. Then Creon has them taken away, and says again, "You must leave." "But--" "You know it is the right choice." And you do. [[Leave town to protect your people]]