Monologue

Theseus Monologue from Oedipus at Colonus

From Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles

male · contemplative · 1:12 min

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Oft had I heard of thee in times gone by— The bloody mutilation of thine eyes— And therefore know thee, son of Laius. All that I lately gathered on the way Made my conjecture doubly sure; and now Thy garb and that marred visage prove to me That thou art he. So pitying thine estate, Most ill-starred Oedipus, I fain would know What is the suit ye urge on me and Athens, Thou and the helpless maiden at thy side. Declare it; dire indeed must be the tale Whereat _I_ should recoil. I too was reared, Like thee, in exile, and in foreign lands Wrestled with many perils, no man more. Wherefore no alien in adversity Shall seek in vain my succor, nor shalt thou; I know myself a mortal, and my share In what the morrow brings no more than thine.

About this piece

Theseus encounters Oedipus, recognizing his tragic past and expressing a willingness to help despite their shared experiences of suffering and exile.

40s · trust · fate · redemption · suffering · exile

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