The First and Last Dialogues of Oedipus
First Dialogue OEDIPUS: My children, latest born to Cadmus old,
Why sit ye here as suppliants, in your hands
Branches of olive filleted with wool?
And laden thus with wreaths of supplication?
The city fills with incense, and the songs
Of birds, the altars are all rich with offerings,
The priests their hands a burden to the Gods,
And all the people their brows bowed to earth. In the opening dialogue, Oedipus addresses the citizens of Thebes who have gathered as
supplicants in front of his palace. Oedipus is portrayed as a concerned and caring king,
acknowledging the distress of his people as the city is suffering from a plague. This
initial interaction sets the stage for Oedipus's commitment to solving the crisis and
underlines his role as a responsible and respected leader. Last Dialogue OEDIPUS: Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day, count no man happy till
he dies, free of pain at last. Oedipus's last dialogue occurs towards the end of the play, after the revelation of …
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