Of Mythology) Essay, Research Paper
Setting: Before the palace of Oedipus, the most grand building in the center of town. All white with 4 marble columns, large steps lean down from the palace to the main road. Two large main doors lead into the palace. A large oak altar of masterful craftsmanship completes the ominous outside of the building. The main road leading directly away from the palace into town, have less impressive shops and homes on either side. About 100 citizens wait in the front of the palace on the road.
A priest walks up to the doors and knocks. Oedipus opens the doors and stares bewilderedly at he crowed before him. The people look sick and gloomy. Their bodies sagging with despair and exhaustion. Rustling, Oedipus beacons his people to settle down. After a moment of silence, he asks why the people have massed before him. The priest steps forward and explains how death and pestilence have been running rampant through the city. Oedipus turns from the priest and announces to the town in an authoritative yet sympathetic tone, acknowledging the problem at hand. He explains that he is not ignorant to his surroundings and that he has sent his brother in-law Creon to Apollo?s oracle in Delphi to find an answer to their problem.
Setting: A cramp corridor all gray with torches every several feet, lead into a majestic circular hall. The illumination flickering with the motion that the surro5unding torches emit. The statues of gods surround the walls of the room with a round stone altar in the center. A blue flame rises from a depression in the middle of the altar.
Creon makes his way down the corridor, ducking his head so as not to hit it on the ceiling. Entering the room, Creon stands and glances all around at the carvings on the wall, the statues, and then finally to the altar. Breathing heavily and feeling somewhat jittered, Creon makes his way to the altar and kneels. Close inspection of the face of Creon shows sweat glistening off his forehead. Shutting his eyes, his breathing slows, and the muscles in his face appear to relax. Several moments pass before Creon violently opens his eyes with a swift deep breath.
Setting: The front of the palace. The crowd is growing restless and Oedipus growing concerned. Oedipus is standing next to the altar talking to the priest.
The priest stops his conversation with Oedipus to point out that Creon was approaching. Creon arriving on his horse, rides down the main road as the crown parts like a wave to allow him to pass. He brings his horse up to the steps of the palace and dismounts. All eyes focusing on him, he greets his brother in-law. Oedipus asks if the gods gave him an answer to the problem. Creon makes sure it is all right to tell the citizens before he lets them know that the gods are angry that there was no justice in the murder of the previous king Laius. The crowed stirs. Oedipus asks Creon to explain the story behind it.
Setting: In the forest on a dirt road intersection where three roads meet. King Laius and several men are ridding on a pilgrimage.
Creon explains the story. A man on a horse rides in but you can not see his face.
Setting: Back to Creon
He explains the rest of the story to Oedipus who is diligently listening.
Setting: Back to the forest.
Laius is on the ground with a drop of blood leaving his mouth. His killer stands above him. Through the reflection of light in Laius?s eye we are able to make out a sword swiftly slicing down.
Setting: Back to Oedipus
He declares that he will stop at nothing to find the killer of Laius and calls upon the seer Teiresias to shed some light on the situation.
Setting: A small rundown shack away from the town is where the soothsayer Teiresias lives. The curtains are ripped and the door is splintered. White smoke plumes leave through the chimney in the roof.
A boy comes running to the door screaming ?Teiresias?. The door opens and out comes a man hunched over, cane in hand, and wearing a weathered face. The boy explains Oedipus?s need of him. Teiresias tells the boy to take him.
Setting: Back to Oedipus
Oedipus in soliloquy questions Teiresias?s tardiness. Moments later Teiresias led by a small boy approach. Oedipus recapitulates the story to Teiresias. Smiling in an almost dominating way, Teiresias does not answer Oedipus. Growing angry and beginning to scream, Oedipus grabs Teiresias by the arm and pulls him up to his face and demands to know the answer. Provoked by Oedipus, he mentions that the murder of the King is a King. Oedipus in a rage pushes him back. Teiresias stumbles backward then crashes to the ground. The boy quickly rushes to his aid and guides him back home. Teiresias stops for a moment turns and starts laughing before resuming his course. Oedipus looking for a person to point a finger at, chooses Creon. To the screaming crowd Creon attempts to defend himself then gets into an infuriated conflict with Oedipus. After a long verbal battle with their attitudes flaring in anger, Oedipus announces that Creon must be put to death. Creon at that moment decides to turn it around on Oedipus and blame him. Oedipus defends himself be retelling the story of how be became Thebes?s noble king.
Setting: Outside of a palace in Corinth. Oedipus stands before his parents Polybus and Merope. Their faces sad as they look on as Oedipus stands before them, packed for a long journey.
Oedipus explains to his parents how the Oracle said he would join in intercourse with his mother and take the life of his father. Not wanting to be the cause of so much pain to his family, Oedipus decides to get as far away from his family as possible. Oedipus looking at the ground, unable to make eye contact, turns around and leaves them. He does not look back.
Setting: Long dirt road that leads into the city of Thebes.
Oedipus rides his horse into town and sees that is was being harassed by a Sphinx. Asking if be could help, a peasant tells him the Sphinx will not leave the city until its riddle is answered. A wrong answer would mean death. Oedipus confronts the Sphinx courageously without a trace of fear in his eye. Staring directly at the Sphinx, he answers the riddle correctly. The Sphinx hisses, then runs out down the road that brought Oedipus to Thebes. Oedipus stands triumphant as the town surrounds and cheers him. Through the crowd he spots the Queen Jocasta as the people cry ?Our Savior?, ?Our King?. They both lock glances and smile at each other.
Setting: Back to Oedipus
Oedipus demands from Creon why he would intentionally doom the city after saving it. At that moment Jocasta comes flying out of the front doors and divides the two men apart. Jocasta relieved to find out why the source of their argument was about because she knows for a fact that Apollo?s oracle does not always give accurate information. She explains the story of how the oracle told her that her baby would kill her husband. She tells them that she had pierced her baby?s ankles and then had her baby abandoned. A thief killed her husband and not by her dead son thereby proving the oracle wrong. Oedipus stands for several moments to think about what she said before blowing off the whole fight and storms back into the palace. Jocasta watches his exit then turns and drops her head. Hearing the crowed rustling she lifts her head to see another visitor approaching. The man rides up to the steps, dismounts, and asks around trying to find Oedipus. Jocasta beckons the messenger to approach her. She tells the old man wait while she gets him. Jocasta tells a boy to run and get Oedipus. The boy runs off through the front door. The messenger then delivers the message to Jocasta about how he has come from Corinth and that Polybus, Oedipus?s father is dead. As he is about to continue, the two front doors open with a wrap and out comes Oedipus with his flowing robes dancing in his wake. He stops and stares at the messenger with an agitated and curious stare. The messenger proceeds to tell Oedipus what has happened and that Polybus and Merope were not his parents. Oedipus’s eyes open wide and his mouth drops as he learns that as a child is ankles were pierced and he was given to the messenger who in turn gave the baby to Polybus. Jocasta originally fascinated by the story quickly turns to terror. Realizing that Oedipus was her son she stumbles back and falls. Her had covers her mouth as tiers roll down her cheek. She begs Oedipus to stop the investigation, but he demands the truth. She runs off into the palace weeping all the way. Oedipus demands the messenger to get the servant who gave himself as a child to him. The messenger tells the man in the crowd to approach. An old man shrieking in terror approaches Oedipus. The servant, very upset wishes to say nothing but Oedipus?s authoritative and intimidating voice makes the servant tell. Oedipus learns that he was born of Laius and abandoned by his mother/wife. Oedipus puts the story back together and tells it back.
5 quick scenes.
Narrated: Oedipus
Scene 1: Outside of town. Jocasta stands beside a man on a horse. Jocasta gives her child to this servant.
Scene 2: The messenger gives the child to another man on a hillside.
Scene 3: Same scene as when Laius got killed except Oedipus?s face is scene.
Scene 4: Same scene when Oedipus and Jocasta make eye contact.
Scene 5: Jocasta and Oedipus in bed together.
Oedipus falls to his knees and covers his face. A servant from the palace opens the doors and walks to Oedipus. His face pale and voice trembling tells Oedipus that Jocasta is dead. Oedipus rises to his feet and runs with the servant into the palace .
Setting: Jocasta?s and Oedipus?s bedroom. A large room with the main color tone being blue. A large bed is stationed against the center of the longest wall. Majestic oak dressers cover the remaining wall. A large throw down carpet that covers the entire room completes the d?cor. Hanging by a rope from a ceiling light is Jocasta. Dead.
Oedipus bursts in and is horrified at the sight of Jocasta?s lifeless body hanging. In pure rage, Oedipus roars. He grabs a broach off Jocasta?s bosom, drops to his knees, and rapidity pierces his eyes. Falling to the ground he begins to cry blood. Creon rushes in. After a moment of assessing the situation he kneels beside Oedipus. Oedipus beckons Creon to take him away from the city and banish him. The two talk for a moment about what had just transgressed before Oedipus asks again to be exiled like the way he was originally supposed to die. (The two get smaller as the camera pans out overhead in a slow counterclockwise motion before fading out.)