1. Be careful what you wish for.

2.  This is a story of a family with some problems.  It all starts with Anitgone’s grandfather, Laius.  When Laius’ father, Labdacus, the King of Thebes, dies, Laius is raised by his mother.  She rules Thebes as his regent.  Laius’ cousins, Amphion and Zethus, usurp the throne and plot to kill Laius.  Laius is smuggled out of Thebes.

3.  Laius is given to Pelops, the King of Thebes, to raise.  Laius becomes the tutor of Pelops’ favorite son, Chrysippus.  Laius abducts Chrysippus and takes him back to Thebes.  Laius discovers that his cousins are dead.  He claims the throne and holds Chrysippus hostage.

4.  Pelops raises an army and demands the return of his son, Chrysippus.  He discovers Chrysipuus is already dead.  Because Laius treated his host family so badly, he and his house are CURSED.  When Laius marries Jocasta, he is warned not to have children with her.

5.  Laius is warned that his son with Jocasta will one day kill him.  One night, Laius gets drunk—did Jocasta do this on purpose?—and Oedipus is conceived.  Uh-oh.

6.  When Oedipus is born, Laius orders his ankles pinned together so he cannot crawl.  Jocasta gives baby Oedipus to a servant to leave him exposed on a mountain to die.  The sympathetic servant instead gives the baby to a shepherd.  The infant is raised by the King and Queen of Corinth.

7.  A drunk tells Oedipus he is adopted.  Oedipus confronts his parents; they deny every word.  Oedipus goes to the Oracle for advice.  She tells him he will kill his father and marry his mother. She does NOT tell him the truth about his birth.  In an attempt to prevent this fate, Oedipus leaves Corinth.

8.  Oedipus decides, of all places, to go to, yes, you guessed it, Thebes.  On the way, he meets a dude in a chariot. They fight over who has the right to go first.  Oedipus kills Laius in self defense.  The only witness, a slave, flees. Wouldn’t you?

9.  Oedipus continues on to Thebes.  On his way, he encounters the Sphinx, who has ruled Thebes quite harshly.  She asks all travelers a riddle. If they can’t answer it correctly, she kills them and eats them.  Add suspenseful music here.

10.  “What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night?”  When Oedipus answers correctly (man), the Sphinx is so startled, she kills herself and throws herself into the sea, freeing the people of Thebes from her evil reign.  The people of Thebes are SO happy, they appoint Oedipus king.

11.  In addition to kingship, the people of Thebes give him the fair widow, Jocasta’s, hand in marriage.  They don’t know Oedipus killed Laius, thinking the Sphinx killed him  Oedipus and Jocasta marry and have four children: Eteocles, Polynices, Ismene, and Anitgone. (Hang on—we’re starting to get there.)

12.  Polynices and Eteocles are also cursed by their father for showing him disrespect on two occasions:  They served him using a silver table and a golden goblet that had belonged to Laius. Oedipus had forbidden their used.  They served Oedipus a hip-joint rather than a shoulder-joint of a sacrificed animal. Big dis.

13.  Oedipus curses his sons Eteocles and Polynices, saying that each will be killed by the other.  Have a familiar ring to it?

14.  A plague descends on Thebes. The fields, the women are barren.  Oedipus goes to the prophet Tiresias. He thinks he must avenge his father’s murder and hopes Tiresias can identify his father’s murderer. He hopes that doing so will please the gods and cause the plague to end.  Tiresias pleads with Oedipus to leave the identity of Laius’ murderer a mystery. Sounds like a plan.

15.  Oedipus realizes in his conversation that he killed his father, married his mother. Uh oh.  He puts out his eyes.  Jocasta kills herself. Not so good in a crisis.  Polynices and Eteocles agree to alternate as king.

16.  Well, it sounded like a good idea. Eteocles refuses to give up power after his year of serving as king. He likes the job.  Polynices raises an army and attacks Thebes.  The Thebans defend themselves against an invading army, but the two brothers—well, you know the rest—kill each other.

17.  Eteolces is remembered as the defender of Thebes.  Polynices is considered the attacker.  Creon, who is Jocasta’s brother, is left to rule alone, since his brother-in-law, Oedipus; sister, Jocasta; and nephews Eteocles and Polynices, are all dead.

18.  NOW, lift the curtain and let Antigone begin.