literature

Oedipus Rex Parody

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Literature Text

N: There was once a time when a terrible curse befell Thebes and everybody was dying.

(Julia dies overdramatically)

N: (Oedipus and Creon acting out in background)The King, Oedipus, decided to figure out what was going on and why all of his people were dying. So he asked his brother-in-law Creon to consult Apollo.

(Julia is exiting subtly in background)

O: Creon, go consult Apollo!

N: And so he did. (Oedipus exits)

(Julia re-enters as Apollo.)

N: Apollo told Creon that the curse that was killing the citizens would be lifted if the murderer of Laius, the former king who’d been killed at a crossroads, was found and prosecuted.

(Apollo exits, Oedipus re-enters.)

N: When Creon told Oedipus of this, he went out to search far and wide for the killer.

O: (poses heroically) I WILL FIND THE KILLER!

N: Unfortunately, the citizens were not pleased about being questioned.

(Unwilling citizen is shaking head and being sassy and generally unhelpful to Oedipus’ overdramatic frustration, Tiresias is watching off to the side)

N: But then he spoke to a blind prophet named Tiresias who finally gave him some answers.

(Dramatic interaction between Tiresias and Oedipus with lots of gasps and accusing finger pointing)

N: Tiresias told Oedipus who had really killed Laius…

T: IT WAS YOU!

O: (Horrified gasp) WHAT?!

(Tiresias exits)

N: Oedipus was bothered by this.

O: (pouts)

N: He decided to consult his wife, Jocasta.

(Jocasta enters)

J: Don’t believe the prophets! They’re just out for attention!

N: Then Jocasta told Oedipus of how she had actually had a son with King Laius who was prophesied to kill King Laius and sleep with her, but the child had been killed.

J: See?! Prophets are ridiculous! (laughs)

N: Strangely, this didn’t comfort Oedipus.

O: YOU WHAT?!

N: But besides being bothered by his wife’s active social life, Oedipus remembered that he had been adopted, and he’d been told that he would someday kill his biological father and sleep with his biological mother. Not to mention, Oedipus once killed a man at a crossroads, which sounds like the way Laius died.

O: NOOOOOO! Can it be true?!

J: Forget about the past, Oedipus. We wouldn’t want you to stumble upon… I mean, yeah! It’s totally no big deal!

(Jocasta exits)

(Shepherd enters)

N: A shepherd explained to Oedipus that he was in fact abandoned as an infant and adopted by a new family.

O: (starts hyperventilating and runs around stage in a panic as shepherd exits, looking at him like he’s crazy.Shepherd dies halfway across exit and Jocasta shoves him casually offstage as she enters.)

N: Jocasta had even more disturbing news.

J: (like Darth Vader) Oedipus, I AM YOUR MOTHER!!!

O: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (Falls to knees overdramatically)

N: Then, she killed herself.

J: (mimes dramatically stabbing self and falls to ground dead)

O: (Stares in shock)

O:…

O:…

O:… (Deep in thought)

O: Oh YEAH! I did kill that guy!

O:…( realizes his fault) (loses deep in thought look) oops….

N: And then he realized that he was married to, and having kids with his own mother and gouged his own eyes out in horror and disgust.

O: (mimes this with two rubber bouncy balls)

O: Even when you gouge your eyes out, there are some things you just can’t unsee!

(Exiler enters)

N: And then he was exiled from Thebes!

(Exiler points him offstage and shoves him forward. Oedipus falls to ground and crawls blindly offstage, feeling his way around)

N: But the curse was broken, so it was all okay.

E: HOORAY!

All: The End!
We have to preform Oedipus Rex in groups in Intro to Theatre after reading only its summary, so I wrote this mini script for our group of four. And my one friend in the group edited it. I'm going to play Oedipus... XD
If you don't know anything about it, Oedipus Rex is a REALLY, REALLY WEIRD Greek play! Like, this is actually very, very true to the summary we found. It's seriously messed up.
So... If you didn't get it:
N: (Narrator)
O: (Oedipus)
J: (Jocasta)
E: (Exiler)
The rest don't speak.
Yes, two people in the group have several roles.
I do not own the original play or its story, of course. Only this messed up adaptation!
Warnings: (WHICH CONTAIN SPOILERS!) Because I'm paranoid...
Mentions a couple of really weird themes like people within their own families having kids together.
(I kept it as mild and g-rated as possible while still portraying the entire summary. I do not write anything graphic or nasty, I promise!)
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