The Phoenician Women

Acts

• 0
  Act 0

  The complete text of The Phoenician Women. The curse of Oedipus plays out: Eteocles and Polynices meet in single combat before the walls of Thebes.

  103 lines
• Prologue

  Jocasta recounts the history from Cadmus to the present crisis: Eteocles and Polyneices are about to destroy each other.

  59 lines
• Parodos

  The chorus of Phoenician women describes the approaching Argive army.

  359 lines
• First Episode

  Polyneices enters under truce. The brothers confront each other. Jocasta's mediation fails.

  52 lines
• First Stasimon

  The founding myth of Thebes: Cadmus sowing the dragon's teeth. The city was born in violence.

  Not yet imported
• Second Episode

  Tiresias prophesies that Creon's son Menoeceus must die. The boy chooses to sacrifice himself.

  52 lines
• Second Stasimon

  The chorus laments the curse on Thebes and Menoeceus's fate.

  Not yet imported
• Third Episode

  The battle rages. The brothers agree to settle by single combat.

  54 lines
• Third Stasimon

  The chorus anticipates the duel with horror.

  Not yet imported
• The Duel

  The brothers kill each other simultaneously. Jocasta kills herself over their bodies.

  22 lines
• Kommos

  Antigone leads the blinded Oedipus onto the stage. The entire family's destruction is assembled.

  431 lines