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Theban King Oedipus wants to find his royal predecessor's murderer in order to end the suffering of his people. The Delphic Oracle says that Thebes is visited by a plague, for not having tracked down the murderer of their previous sovereign, Theban King Laius. The Oracle says that any perpetrator of that heinous offense must be identified and brought to justice. Otherwise, the suffering of the city and its people will continue unabated.
Theban King Oedipus wants to find the murderer of his royal predecessor, Theban King Laius. His motive is his desire to end the plague He wants to stop the suffering of his people who are seeing their own numbers reduced as quickly as those of his livestock and as fast as the volumes of his harvests.
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What does Oedipus want the murderer to do in 'Oedipus Rex'?
Turn himself in is what Oedipus wants the murderer to do in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban King Oedipus looks for the guilty in the murder of his royal predecessor, King Laius. He seeks quick results, because his city's pestilence will end with the murderer's identification and punishment. He suggests that the murderer make things easy and surrender.
What does Teiresias do first when Oedipus asks for help?
The first reaction of Teiresias the blind prophet is not to want to help Theban King Oedipus. Oedipus asks Teiresias for the help that gods and mortals aren't giving him to identify the murderer of previous Theban King Laius. Teiresias indicates that he knows of the long unsolved crime, but doesn't want to give any information. He ends up identifying Oedipus as the very murderer only after being threatened, insulted, and accused as the murder's planner, by the King.
What information leads Oedipus to believe that Teiresias is the murderer in 'Oedipus Rex'?
That Teiresias does not want to talk or even be there is the information that leads Oedipus to believe that Teiresias is the murderer in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Teiresias the blind prophet is the royal advisor to all of Thebes' kings since the city's founding by founding King Cadmus. He must answer whatever questions that the current king asks of him. But he says that he does not even want to be in Theban King Oedipus' presence. Oedipus therefore states that Teiresias must be the planner if not the perpetrator of the murderous crime against King Laius, Oedipus' royal predecessor.
Why does Oedipus want to discover the murderer of Laius?
To show respect to the Oracle at Apollo's Shrine is the reason why Theban King Oedipus wants to discover the murderer or murderers of his royal predecessor, Theban King Laius. The Oracle says that finding and punishing the perpetrator or perpetrators will end the pestilence that afflicts the Theban people and their livestock and harvests. Additionally, Oedipus decides that he needs to carry out the quest for his own self-protection. He suggests that otherwise what happens to one Theban king well may happen to another. He may be next in line on someone's assassination list.
What prophecy was given to Laius?
This is definitely a school question. Laius, the old king before Oedipus took the throne in Sophocles' tragedy, was told by the oracle that . . . one should do one's own work. For those who really need to/want to know, Oedipus killed Laius. And Laius was his father. Reverse engineer the prophecy.
