What happens in Chapter 2 of Oedipus Rex?
The Parodos begins with the Chorus of Theban elders entering the orchestra, their ode a heartfelt plea to the gods—Apollo, Athena, Artemis, Dionysus—for relief from the plague devastating Thebes. Their desperation is palpable: pyres are burning, children lie unburied, and the city suffers. Oedipus, who has already sent Creon to consult the oracle at Delphi, now calls for the blind prophet Tiresias at the urging of the Chorus. Tiresias arrives hesitantly, aware of the heavy price his knowledge may bring; pressed by Oedipus, he ultimately reveals that Oedipus himself is the murderer of Laius and the cause of the city's curse. Oedipus reacts with fury, accusing Tiresias of colluding with Creon to overthrow him. Stung by the accusation and now fully unleashed, Tiresias foretells that Oedipus will be both brother and father to his own children, and both son and husband to his wife. He leaves, leaving his riddle lingering in the air. In Episode II, Creon returns to refute the accusation of treason. Jocasta steps in, pulling Oedipus back from the edge of executing his brother-in-law. The episode concludes with the Chorus urging caution, and Oedipus—reluctantly, still doubtful—allowing Creon to go free.
Analysis
Sophocles constructs these scenes like a careful demolition of Oedipus's confidence, dismantling it piece by piece. The Parodos sets the Chorus up not as mere onlookers, but as a unified group experiencing real terror—their rhythmic shifts between urgent dactylic meter and slower, sorrowful glyconics mimic the city’s irregular heartbeat. This fluctuation in tone prepares the audience for the impending confrontation.
The scene with Tiresias presents one of the greatest reversals in the relationship between seer and king in ancient literature. Oedipus, who once solved the Sphinx's riddle solely through his intellect, now faces a man who perceives without sight. Sophocles emphasizes the irony: the sighted king is oblivious to the truth, while the blind prophet sees it all. Tiresias’s hesitation stems not from weakness but from tragic foresight—he knows that his words will lead to destruction.
When Oedipus shifts to accuse Creon of plotting against him, it reveals his fundamental flaw as a tyrant: he confuses personal threats with threats to the state. His reasoning is tight, yet its foundations are misguided, mirroring the investigative mistake that will ultimately lead to his downfall.
The argument with Creon transitions the tone from prophetic horror to the reality of domestic politics, anchoring the myth in familiar power struggles. Jocasta’s intervention introduces her as a rational counterpoint: she dismisses the oracles, a decision that will have dire consequences. The Chorus's call for moderation is itself steeped in irony—sophrosyne is exactly what Oedipus cannot attain when the truth is so near.
Key quotes from Chapter 2
“I say that you are the murderer of the man whose murderer you seek.”
Tiresias, cornered by Oedipus's furious demands, finally speaks the accusation he had tried to withhold—the line that detonates the entire investigation.
“You have your eyes but see not where you are in sin, nor where you live, nor whom you live with.”
Tiresias's parting prophecy to Oedipus, fusing the motifs of sight and blindness that will govern the tragedy to its final image.
“Think, first, whether you think anyone would choose to rule amid fears rather than sleep untroubled—if the same power were his.”
Creon's self-defence in Episode II, arguing that a man already powerful has no rational motive for treason—a cool, legalistic counter to Oedipus's paranoid fury.