It's Apollo's doing -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 10:26:33 03/11/08 Tue
Author: Betsy Peters
Subject: It's Apollo's doing

When Creon returns from the oracle, Oedipus announces that he hopes, "O Lord Apollo! May his news be fair as his face is radiant" (p.6). The priest responds, "It could not be otherwise: he is crowned with bay, The chaplet is thick with berries." I find it interesting here how Creon returns dressed up for a sacrificial festival. The gods have made some decree and want the humans to act upon it. The dress of Creon appears to prefigure the coming action-- the community will identify Oedipus as the guilty victim, and, as the gods have ordered, they will send him as the scapegoat out of the community. Creon's dress at this point bears with it a strong sense of divine ordination. Creon surely doesn't seek a scapegoat for the community himself--he is just dressed up like a worshiper of Apollo. He cannot bear the blame--he is just doing the god's bidding.

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