VIRTUAL TOUR
Scene Three: Marionettes of the Gods
The Chorus speculate on gods and men, and how difficult it is to judge between Oedipus and Tiresias. [The Long Arm of the Lord ] Having gotten wind about the unjust accusations Creon enters, [Here Comes Creon, Again] followed shortly by Oedipus, and they go at it. [Boys Will Be Boys] The commotion brings Jocasta out of the palace, and she tells both of them to settle down. [Hold Your Horses] Creon leaves, and she asks Oedipus what happened. He tells her of Tiresias’ charge of regicide. Jocasta claims that this is impossible since Laius was killed by a band of brigands. And besides why believe prophecies? Laius’s death clearly disproves them. [The (Back) Story of Laius]
She explains how the gods denied Laius children because of his invention of pederasty, how at fourteen years old she became his second wife and got pregnant, how Laius went to Delphi and (because of an oracle he received) snatched their newborn infant and gave it to a henchman to expose on Mt. Cithaeron.
Much later she learned the cause—a prophecy that his son would slay him. But oracles lie, says Jocasta, “my son didn’t kill my husband, Laius killed my son. Thieves killed Laius. Where three roads meet. So don’t worry about it, darling.” [Destiny Schmestiny]
Oedipus is relieved, but is curious about the three-roads bit. [Say What?] As it turns out, he’d been there once before, and in a road-rage altercation had killed an old man along with a couple of servants. [Once Upon a Time Blues] Could that have been Laius? Nonsense, claims Jocasta. [Curtains Call] There was a survivor, a Shepherd now, who witnessed the massacre, and he can be summoned to recount his story.
