The Prologues of Oedipus Rex and EverymanTwo Works Cited A prologue is a miniature version of the actual text. It responds to the literary elements of a work, exposes the reader to essential facts and foreshadows the outcome of the work. The prologue also introduces themes, characters, and literary devices to complement the work. Thus, through the study of the prologues of Oedipus the King and Everyman, we can learn much about the nature of the two plays. In the prologue of Oedipus, the pun “bear” is used. The play on words “bear” is a popular literary device used in many plays. To carry means to carry a baby; To carry can also mean to carry something heavy. The pun indicates that if one cannot bear the truth (which is a very heavy object placed on the heart), then one cannot bear new life. To be reborn, one must undergo the truth. When Oedipus says: “I, Oedipus, who bears the famous name”. (Sophocles, 715), he indicates that he bears the name and must therefore endure the fate reserved for him in order to conceive a new life. For Oedipus to fully live up to his name, he must accept the responsibilities that follow; He must escape the ways of the flesh. In the meantime, the Gods must bear Oedipus' pain until he is ready to accept it. Likewise, every man cannot achieve enlightenment (be free from guilt) because he cannot bear the truth. God explains why not everyone can be enlightened as He says: “They use the seven damnable deadly sins, / As pride, lust, wrath, and lust…” (Everyone, 761). This proves that everyone is too carnal and uses the ways of the flesh to stay earthbound. So when God says, “I see the more the more I forbear” (Every Man, 761), God carries the truth of Every man until he is ready, when Every man is no longer carnal . A major consistent theme in both works is that of suffering. In Oedipus the King, the kingdom of Thebes suffers because of Oedipus' sin. The suffering of Thebes is illustrated when the priest says: The flocks are sick; children die before they are born, and the work is in vain. The god of plague and pyre bursts into the city like a hateful lightning, and the whole house of Kadmos is devastated.,