Oedipus the King Scene 5

As the herdsman approaches, one of the elders says that he definitely recognizes him as a faithful shepherd. The herdsman, when asked, says that he was not raised a herdsman, but in the household. When asked where he reared sheep, he names several places, among which is Mount Kithairon. However, he becomes extremely reluctant to answer any more questions after they ask him if he knows the Corinthian. Despite this, when the Corinthian reminds him that they had herded sheep together for six months every year for three years, he admits to remembering. After much threatening, since he is reluctant to speak freely, he admits to giving the Corinthian a child, as he thought the Corinthian would take the child far away. Furthermore, he says that Jocasta had given him this child to get rid of in order to evade a dreadful oracle. Throughout all this, he begs Oedipus to stop asking questions, as he is sure that the answers are not what Oedipus wants to hear.

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