The Chorus’s response to the sight of Oidipous still dripping with his own gore is conflicted; on the one hand it cannot bear to look at him and on the other it wishes to ask questions, learn by inquiry, and reflect on his circumstances. In its incapacity to look, it seems to mirror the attitude that prompted him to gouge out his eyes: it cannot bring itself to consider the implications for itself of what has happened to him. In its thirst for knowledge and understanding, it mirrors the penchant that guided Oidipous to obtain a fuller picture of his own life. The people of Thebes seem to express the same contradiction exhibited by their rulers. [Md] Questioning him therefore seems a particularly unpromising way to proceed; his self-blinding and failure to acknowledge the god suggest that he has little desire or capacity to deliver useful new insights. The procedure of inquiry through the posing of a series of questions suggests rather a consultation with Delphi. That the Chorus does not think of posing its questions to the god who has for decades been orchestrating events in Thebes seems only to underscore the limitations to which Theban understanding is still subject. This perspective on Thebes’ limitations may prompt the Athenian audience to consider that its own best course of action lies in consultation with the Oracle. [Mp] [Gt-a] [Mip]