The Chorus from "Oedipus at Colonus"

The Beauty of Athens

Many students have read the shocking tragedy Oedipus the King. However, not many have followed up with the sequel, Oedipus at Colonus. This play is actually a heck of a lot more upbeat. (Hey, maybe that’s why it isn’t popular. Who wants to watch an upbeat tragedy?)

CONTEXT:
The blind ex-king is led by his equally ill-fated daughter Antigone to the hallowed lands of Athens.

Oedipus seeks permission from King Theseus to rest in his domain. In return for Oedipus dying peacefully on the sacred ground near Athens, the Gods will bless the city-state. This play is Sophocles’ way of redeeming the character of Oedipus and praising Athens at the same time.

In this vividly descriptive monologue, the Chorus describes the beautifully tranquil surroundings where Oedipus will finally discover peace.

CHORUS:
Thou hast come to a steed-famed land for rest,
O stranger worn with toil,
To a land of all lands the goodliest
Colonus' glistening soil.
'Tis the haunt of the clear-voiced nightingale,
Who hid in her bower, among
The wine-dark ivy that wreathes the vale,
Trilleth her ceaseless song;
And she loves, where the clustering berries nod
O'er a sunless, windless glade,
The spot by no mortal footstep trod,
The pleasance kept for the Bacchic god,
Where he holds each night his revels wild
With the nymphs who fostered the lusty child.
And fed each morn by the pearly dew
The starred narcissi shine,
And a wreath with the crocus' golden hue
For the Mother and Daughter twine.
And never the sleepless fountains cease
That feed Cephisus' stream,
But they swell earth's bosom with quick increase,
And their wave hath a crystal gleam.
And the Muses' quire will never disdain
To visit this heaven-favored plain,
Nor the Cyprian queen of the golden rein.

Character Interpretation:

In the plays of Sophocles, the Greek Chorus often represented the citizens of the land. They offer commentary throughout the play, sometimes praising and sometimes criticizing the actions of the characters.

In Oedipus at Colonus, the Chorus members are citizens of Athens. When they meet a strange, blind, old man named Oedipus they want him to leave their sacred grounds. When they learn of his disturbing past, they are shocked and disgusted, but that soon gives way to pity and compassion. After King Theseus makes Oedipus a citizen, the Chorus then becomes protective of the old man.

In the above monologue, there is tenderness within the speech. The chorus lovingly describes the landscape and its mythological connections. They are welcoming Oedipus to his final resting place.

Monologue translated by F. Storr (Published in 19