Student Question
Why was Creon late returning to Thebes from Delphi in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex?
Quick answer:
Oedipus never learns why Creon is late returning from Delphi, but we can speculate that he was simply a day late. Oedipus suspects Creon of treason for a number of reasons. First, Oedipus believes that Creon may have paid Tiresias to deliver false prophecy. Then, when Oedipus asks Creon to be his regent while he goes into exile, and tells him to put all the laws in writing so that they will not be forgotten in his absence, Creon states that this is unnecessary because Oedipus's father has already written down the laws and left them with the oracle at Delphi.We are actually never told why Creon is late returning from
his visit to the oracle at Delphi. Creon never makes an excuse for his
lateness, nor does Oedipus ever raise the issue again once he points out to the
priest that Creon is taking longer to return than Oedipus would expect, as we
see in his line, "... And already enough time has passed that I wonder what he
is doing, for he has stayed beyond the proper time" (78-80). However, we do
learn that Creon's tardiness helps give rise to Oedipus's
suspicions that Creon is conspiring to overthrow him. Therefore, we
can also assume that Oedipus believes Creon's tardiness has to
do with his treasonous plot, although we later learn that
Creon is completely innocent of any plot against
Oedipus.
Oedipus first begins to suspect Creon of treason when Creon informs him that the late King Laius...
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was killed by bandits. Oedipus finds it hard to believe that bandits, or a bandit as Oedipus suggests, would kill a king unless they were paid to do so by some external party, as we see in Oedipus's lines, "How did a bandit come to dare so much, unless he acted with money from here" (135-136). Therefore, Oedipus suspects a conspiracy to overthrow the crown of Thebes has been afoot since Laius's time. Next, afterTiresias delivers his
horrible prophecy, Oedipus believes that Creon has paid Tiresias to deliver
false prophecy in an effort to drive Oedipus away so that Creon can have the
crown. However, Creon denies all accusations of treason and even remains
faithful to Oedipus after he has had his great fall. Creon will not even assume
power as king until he has consulted the gods for advice.
Hence, while we never learn why Creon is late, we certainly learn that his
lateness had nothing to do with treasonous plots against Oedipus.
Why might Creon be late returning from Delphi in Oedipus Rex?
At the beginning of this tragedy the audience is introduced to Oedipus who is anxiously waiting for the return of Creon after he has been sent to the Oracle at Delphi to work out what needs to be done to stop the plague from tormenting the people of Thebes. Oedipus is anxiously expecting Creon any day, as Oedipus makes clear in the following speech:
Today's the day. When I count the days gone by
It torments me... what is he doing?
Strange, he's late, he's gone too long.
When Creon himself finally arrives, he is very reluctant to share his news in front of the people of Thebes and wants Oedipus to hear it in private. Given the context of the rest of the play, it might be possible to assume that Creon already has suspicions of who the murderer of Laius might be, and he might have received some kind of premonition that his news might bring tragedy to Thebes and to Oedipus. This would explain his reluctance to return home quickly, as he needs time to think through the message he has been given. It would also explain why he is so reluctant to share the news with Oedipus openly. This is a play where so many characters at least half-suspect the truth that the action drives inevitably towards, and perhaps Creon is no exception, even at this early point in the play.