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The Chorus
The messenger from Corinth informs Oedipus that King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth were not his actual parents. The messenger himself gave Oedipus as a baby to the Corinthian king and queen. He got the baby from a Theban shepherd whom he met in the woods. Oedipus's ankles were pinned together at the time—in Greek, the name "Oedipus" means "swollen ankles."
A Messenger Quotes in Oedipus Rex
The Oedipus Rex quotes below are all either spoken by A Messenger or refer to A Messenger. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 998-1310
Quotes
If you are the man he says you are, believe me
you were born for pain.
you were born for pain.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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A Messenger Quotes in Oedipus Rex
The Oedipus Rex quotes below are all either spoken by A Messenger or refer to A Messenger. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 998-1310
Quotes
If you are the man he says you are, believe me
you were born for pain.
you were born for pain.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
