Old man
The play opens with Oedipus who is taken care of by his daughter, Antigone. In the vast majority of myths, Oedipus appears as a hero, a man who is able to conquer everything. Here however, he is described as being a ragged man, blind and unable to take care of himself and in need to be taken care of by his daughter. When Oedipus talks about his situation, he admits that the reason he ended up in that situation was because he was being punished for his deeds and for the sins he had committed.
Caring daughter
In the play, Oedipus has two daughters and two sons. While Oedipus expected to be helped by his sons, the opposite happened as they did nothing to help Oedipus return back to the city. Instead, the ones who helped Oedipus were his daughters, who stayed by his side and who made sure that he was taken care of. Because of this, the daughters are portrayed as being dutiful and loyal while the sons are portrayed as being rebellious and driven by their desire to rule over their father’s Kingdom.
Glorious King
After Creon kidnaped Oedipus’s daughters, Theseus assured Oedipus that he will bring them back. The chorus then imagines the battle between Theseus and Oedipus, describing Theseus as being a kind and just King while Creon is a King who is willing to do everything to win. Through the description of the hypothetical battle, Theseus is portrayed as being the hero while Creon is the villain who deserves to be punished.
Seeing his daughters again
An important image is when Theseus returns to Oedipus with his two girls. Oedipus is overjoyed by seeing his two daughters and begins thanking Theseus for his actions. Oedipus’s reaction portrays him as being a kind and good man, who loves and who cares for his children. Oedipus is not a distant father but rather someone who is not afraid to express his emotions towards his children.
