Oedipus At Colonus Monologue Essay Example For Students

Oedipus At Colonus Monologue Essay A monologue from the play by Sophocles NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Dramas. Sophocles. London: J.M. Dent Sons, 1906. OEDIPUS: O front of impudence! Which thinkest thou Now to defileMy grey hairs, or thine own? Who hast spit forth out of thy mouth at me Murders and marriages and accidents, Which to my grief, not of free will, I suffered; Such was the will of Heaven, that had some cause For wrath, it may be, with out house, of old. Since for myself, I know you cannot find Any reproach of wrongfulness in me, That could have doomed me to commit these wrongs Against myself and mine; for, answer me, If to my father by an oracle The revelation came that he should die By his son\s hands, how can you justly tax Me with the fact, whom neither father yet Then had begot, or mother had conceived, Me, who as yet had not begun to me? And if thereafter provingas I proved Hapless, I did lay hands upon my sire And slay him, nowise knowing what I did, Nor yet to whom I did it, how, I ask, Can you with reason blame the unconscious deed! And for my motherare you not ashamed, O miserable! at forcing me to name Her marriage, your own sister\sas I will I will not now be silent, you being grown To such a monster of outspokenness! She bareah, yes, unknowingly she bare Mewho not knew! Woe worth the while to me And having given me birth, she brought me forth Childrenher own reproach! But of set purpose, For one thing, well I know, you spit this venom On her, and me; whereas I wedded her Unwitting, and unwillingly speak of it. But not for this my marriage, nor for that That parricide, which you continually Throw in my teeth, bitterly upbraiding it, Do I consent to be called infamous. For answer me a question; but this one; If any person here upon the spot Drew near to kill youyou the just onewhether Would you enquire if he that sought your life Were your own father, or requite him straight? You would requite the offender, I conceive, If you love life; not look about for law. Just such was the misfortune I incurred, Led by the hand of Heaven; for which, I fancy, Not even my father\s spirit, were he alive, Could say one word against me. And yet you (For just you are not, but think well to utter All things, both lawful and unlawful,) you Slander me with these sayings before them all! Yea, you make free to fawn on Theseus\ name, And upon Athenshow decorously She hath been ordered; and so lauding her, You miss out this, that if there be a land That knows what reverence to the Gods is due, \Tis she herein excels, whence to remove Me, the old suppliant, you assail my person, And seize my daughters, and make off with them. Wherefore these maiden Powers I invoke With supplications, and with prayers adjure To come, as aiders and auxiliaries; So you may learn what sort of men they are, By whom this city is defended.