Everywhere that the protagonist of Oedipus at Colonus goes, he’s run out of town. And it’s not just that people are jerks (although some of them are). It’s that people are afraid of breaking the rules. Because when you break the rules in ancient Greece, the gods don’t like it and bad things happen.
Oedipus is the picture of a rule-breaker. He unwittingly killed his father and married his mother, breaking two of civilization’s most important taboos. So even though he did it involuntarily, he’s cursed. That means that other people are afraid of letting him into their cities because the curse might affect them, too. Rules are most definitely not meant to be broken in these plays.
Questions About Rules and Order
- Which character seems most preoccupied with following rules? Which character couldn’t give a flip about rules and order?
- Why does Creon want to bury Oedipus in a certain spot?
- Why isn’t Theseus allowed to reveal Oedipus gravesite to anyone?
Chew on This
The Chorus’ main concern is keeping order in Oedipus at Colonus.
Oedipus has never been a rule-breaker; he accepts his punishment even though his crime was involuntary.