Quote bank Flashcards
(35 cards)
Here I am myself…
Here I am myself—
you all know me, the world knows my fame:
I am Oedipus.
you hurled the flame of pain
far, far from Thebes…
you hurled the flame of pain
far, far from Thebes—you gods,
come now, come down once more!
Thebes, city of death…
Thebes, city of death, one long cortege
and the suffering rises
wails for mercy rise
O golden daughter of god…
O golden daughter of god, send rescue
radiant as the kindness in your eyes!
Now my curse on the murderer. Whoever he is,
a lone man unknown in his crime…
Now my curse on the murderer. Whoever he is,
a lone man unknown in his crime… let that man drag out
his life in agony, step by painful step
Just send me home…
Just send me home. You bear your burdens,
I’ll bear mine. It’s better that way,
please believe me.
Did you rise to the crisis?…
Did you rise to the crisis? Not a word,
you and your birds, your gods—nothing.
No, but I came by, Oedipus the ignorant,
I stopped the Sphinx! With no help from the birds,
the flight of my own intelligence hit the mark.
Blind…, beggar…,
he will grope his way toward a foreign soil,…
Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich,
he will grope his way toward a foreign soil,
a stick tapping before him step by step.
But whether a mere man can know the truth, whether … No, not till I see…
But whether a mere man can know the truth,
whether a seer can fathom more than I—
there is no test, no certain proof… No, not till I see
these charges proved will I side with his accusers
Never will I…
Never will I convict my king, never in my heart
It’s perfect justice…
It’s perfect justice:
natures like yours are hardest on themselves
Look at you…
Look at you, sullen in yielding, brutal in your rage— you will go too far
You who set our beloved land—storm-tossed, shattered—
straight on course…
You who set our beloved land—storm-tossed, shattered—
straight on course. Now again, good helmsman,
steer us through the storm!
no skill in the world…
no skill in the world, nothing human can penetrate the future
Great laws…
Great laws tower above us, reared on high
born for the brilliant vault of heaven
They are dying, the old oracles sent to Laius…
They are dying, the old oracles sent to Laius
…Nowhere Apollo’s golden glory now—
the gods, the gods go down.
…
that is the only name I have for you,
Man of agony—
that is the only name I have for you,
If you are the man he says you are…
If you are the man he says you are, believe me
you were born for pain
is there a man more agonized?…
is there a man more agonized?… Not a man on earth, the joy of your life ground down to nothing
My destiny…
My destiny, my dark power, what a leap you made!
Take me away…
Take me away, far, far from Thebes,
quickly, cast me away, my friends
this man cursed to heaven…
this man cursed to heaven,
the man the deathless gods hate most of all
Now as we keep our watch and wait the final days…
Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day,
count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last
