Long before the play begins, Oedipus became king of Thebes by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. His sharp mind and quickness to action have made him an admired and successful leader. When the priests come to petition him after a plague strikes the city, he has already set into motion two plans to deal with the city's crisis. Throughout the play, he makes decisions boldly and quickly, if not always wisely. In his attempts to discover the truth about the murder of Laius, he falsely accuses Creon and Tiresias of treachery, and even forces the reluctant shepherd to tell his story, which publicly reveals Oedipus to be the murderer and husband of his own mother. The same leadership skills that have brought him fame and success—decisive action, a desire to solve mysteries using his intellect—drive him to his own destruction.
Oedipus Quotes in Oedipus Rex
The Oedipus Rex quotes below are all either spoken by Oedipus or refer to Oedipus. 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 1-340
Quotes
Here I am myself—
you all know me, the world knows my fame:
I am Oedipus.
you all know me, the world knows my fame:
I am Oedipus.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Now my curse on the murderer. Whoever he is,
a lone man unknown in his crime
or one among many, let that man drag out
his life in agony, step by painful step—
a lone man unknown in his crime
or one among many, let that man drag out
his life in agony, step by painful step—
Lines 341-708
Quotes
Just send me home. You bear your burdens,
I'll bear mine. It's better that way,
please believe me.
I'll bear mine. It's better that way,
please believe me.
Did you rise to the crisis? Not a word,
you and your birds, your gods—nothing.
No, but I came by, Oedipus the ignorant,
I stopped the Sphinx! With no help from the birds,
the flight of my own intelligence hit the mark.
you and your birds, your gods—nothing.
No, but I came by, Oedipus the ignorant,
I stopped the Sphinx! With no help from the birds,
the flight of my own intelligence hit the mark.
No man will ever
be rooted from the earth as brutally as you.
be rooted from the earth as brutally as you.
Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich,
he will grope his way toward a foreign soil,
a stick tapping before him step by step.
he will grope his way toward a foreign soil,
a stick tapping before him step by step.
But whether a mere man can know the truth,
whether a seer can fathom more than I—
there is no test, no certain proof
though matching skill for skill
a man can outstrip a rival. No, not till I see
these charges proved will I side with his accusers....
Never will I convict my king, never in my heart.
whether a seer can fathom more than I—
there is no test, no certain proof
though matching skill for skill
a man can outstrip a rival. No, not till I see
these charges proved will I side with his accusers....
Never will I convict my king, never in my heart.
Lines 709-997
Quotes
Look at you, sullen in yielding, brutal in your rage—
you will go too far. It's perfect justice:
natures like yours are hardest on themselves.
you will go too far. It's perfect justice:
natures like yours are hardest on themselves.
You who set our beloved land—storm-tossed, shattered—
straight on course. Now again, good helmsman,
steer us through the storm!
straight on course. Now again, good helmsman,
steer us through the storm!
Listen to me and learn some peace of mind:
no skill in the world,
nothing human can penetrate the future.
no skill in the world,
nothing human can penetrate the future.
Lines 998-1310
Quotes
Man of agony—
that is the only name I have for you,
that, no other—ever, ever, ever!
that is the only name I have for you,
that, no other—ever, ever, ever!
If you are the man he says you are, believe me
you were born for pain.
you were born for pain.
Lines 1311-1680
Quotes
"...is there a man more agonized?
More wed to pain and frenzy? Not a man on earth,
the joy of your life ground down to nothing
O Oedipus, name for the ages—"
More wed to pain and frenzy? Not a man on earth,
the joy of your life ground down to nothing
O Oedipus, name for the ages—"
My destiny, my dark power, what a leap you made!
Take me away, far, far from Thebes,
quickly, cast me away, my friends—
this great murderous ruin, this man cursed to heaven,
the man the deathless gods hate most of all!
quickly, cast me away, my friends—
this great murderous ruin, this man cursed to heaven,
the man the deathless gods hate most of all!
Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day,
count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.
count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.
Get the entire Oedipus Rex LitChart as a printable PDF.
Oedipus Quotes in Oedipus Rex
The Oedipus Rex quotes below are all either spoken by Oedipus or refer to Oedipus. 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 1-340
Quotes
Here I am myself—
you all know me, the world knows my fame:
I am Oedipus.
you all know me, the world knows my fame:
I am Oedipus.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Now my curse on the murderer. Whoever he is,
a lone man unknown in his crime
or one among many, let that man drag out
his life in agony, step by painful step—
a lone man unknown in his crime
or one among many, let that man drag out
his life in agony, step by painful step—
Lines 341-708
Quotes
Just send me home. You bear your burdens,
I'll bear mine. It's better that way,
please believe me.
I'll bear mine. It's better that way,
please believe me.
Did you rise to the crisis? Not a word,
you and your birds, your gods—nothing.
No, but I came by, Oedipus the ignorant,
I stopped the Sphinx! With no help from the birds,
the flight of my own intelligence hit the mark.
you and your birds, your gods—nothing.
No, but I came by, Oedipus the ignorant,
I stopped the Sphinx! With no help from the birds,
the flight of my own intelligence hit the mark.
No man will ever
be rooted from the earth as brutally as you.
be rooted from the earth as brutally as you.
Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich,
he will grope his way toward a foreign soil,
a stick tapping before him step by step.
he will grope his way toward a foreign soil,
a stick tapping before him step by step.
But whether a mere man can know the truth,
whether a seer can fathom more than I—
there is no test, no certain proof
though matching skill for skill
a man can outstrip a rival. No, not till I see
these charges proved will I side with his accusers....
Never will I convict my king, never in my heart.
whether a seer can fathom more than I—
there is no test, no certain proof
though matching skill for skill
a man can outstrip a rival. No, not till I see
these charges proved will I side with his accusers....
Never will I convict my king, never in my heart.
Lines 709-997
Quotes
Look at you, sullen in yielding, brutal in your rage—
you will go too far. It's perfect justice:
natures like yours are hardest on themselves.
you will go too far. It's perfect justice:
natures like yours are hardest on themselves.
You who set our beloved land—storm-tossed, shattered—
straight on course. Now again, good helmsman,
steer us through the storm!
straight on course. Now again, good helmsman,
steer us through the storm!
Listen to me and learn some peace of mind:
no skill in the world,
nothing human can penetrate the future.
no skill in the world,
nothing human can penetrate the future.
Lines 998-1310
Quotes
Man of agony—
that is the only name I have for you,
that, no other—ever, ever, ever!
that is the only name I have for you,
that, no other—ever, ever, ever!
If you are the man he says you are, believe me
you were born for pain.
you were born for pain.
Lines 1311-1680
Quotes
"...is there a man more agonized?
More wed to pain and frenzy? Not a man on earth,
the joy of your life ground down to nothing
O Oedipus, name for the ages—"
More wed to pain and frenzy? Not a man on earth,
the joy of your life ground down to nothing
O Oedipus, name for the ages—"
My destiny, my dark power, what a leap you made!
Take me away, far, far from Thebes,
quickly, cast me away, my friends—
this great murderous ruin, this man cursed to heaven,
the man the deathless gods hate most of all!
quickly, cast me away, my friends—
this great murderous ruin, this man cursed to heaven,
the man the deathless gods hate most of all!
Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day,
count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.
count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.