Act III begins with Creon’s return from Tiresias’s ritual. Having seen Laius’s ghost, Creon is unwilling to reveal the killer’s name to Oedipus. After Oedipus threatens him, Creon finally relents.

Creon extensively describes the ritual itself. He describes the terror and horror of the ghost’s arrival. Laius’s ghost arrives and states that the “greatest sin in Thebes / Is mother love” (628-629). He explains that the man who murdered him then was rewarded with his throne and wife, who was the murderer’s mother. The ghost continues, vowing that the only way to stop the plague is to banish the king.

Initially, Oedipus does not accept that Laius’s accusation is true, as he has actively sought to avoid fulfilling that very prophecy. When Creon advises Oedipus to abdicate, Oedipus accuses Tiresias and Creon of lying so that Creon can become king. Creon swears his loyalty and denies having any political ambitions, but Oedipus refuses to believe him. Oedipus accuses Creon of being a traitor and sends him to a cell.

The act ends with the chorus directly and explicitly defending Creon. They blame the gods’ wrath for the plague and support their

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