The former servant of King Laius who took pity on the baby Oedipus and spared his life. The shepherd was also an eyewitness to the death of King Laius. When Oedipus commands the shepherd to tell him what he knows about Oedipus's origins, the shepherd refuses, and only relents under punishment of death.
A Shepherd Quotes in Oedipus Rex
The Oedipus Rex quotes below are all either spoken by A Shepherd or refer to A Shepherd. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 998-1310
Quotes
If you are the man he says you are, believe me
you were born for pain.
you were born for pain.
Related Characters:
A Shepherd (speaker), Oedipus, A Messenger
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Oedipus Rex LitChart as a printable PDF.
A Shepherd Character Timeline in Oedipus Rex
The timeline below shows where the character A Shepherd appears in Oedipus Rex. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Lines 709-997
...he questions the witness he has sent for. Oedipus takes heart—after all, the witness, a shepherd, had said that a group of thieves killed Laius, not just one man. Jocasta also...
(full context)
Lines 998-1310
...parents were, the messenger says he doesn't know, but was given the baby by another shepherd who was a servant of Laius.
(full context)
...sharply to this last piece of news. Meanwhile, the chorus tells Oedipus that this other shepherd, Laius's old servant, is the same man as the eyewitness to the murder of Laius.
(full context)
...her. She insists that isn't it, and continues to beg him not to question the shepherd. He won't listen to her. At last, she lets out a wrenching scream, calls Oedipus...
(full context)
...he must know the secret of his birth, no matter how common his origins. A shepherd approaches. The messenger confirms that it's the same man who gave him the baby. Oedipus...
(full context)
Only after Oedipus threatens to torture the shepherd does the shepherd admit that he gave the baby to the messenger. The shepherd then...
(full context)
...pass, Oedipus lets out a terrible cry and rushes into the palace. The messenger and shepherd exit.
(full context)
