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 short speeches which were considered to hint at his rebellion against priestcraft. They were so accepted by his enemies at the time, and his later writings lent to them fresh significance. Philoctetes makes Œdipus understand how dangerous is the enmity of the priesthood:—

Jocasta thus questions the authority of the oracle:—

These two last lines have often been quoted as indicating the revolt against religious belief which was then stirring in the mind of the dramatist. But what they