Questions 1-30 are due Wednesday. You do not need to write in complete sentences or write in paragraph form. However, you MUST number the questions.
1. Which group of words and phrases best matches Sophocles’ Oedipus?
a. Greek Mythology, mystery, tragic hero, faith, swollen foot
b. Greek Mythology, drama, hamartia, fate, swollen foot
c. Roman Mythology, irony, tragedy, faith, Sophocles, daughter
d. Roman Mythology, foreshadowing, hamartia, fate, swollen foot
2. What does Oedipus’ name mean?
3. Who named Oedipus and why did they name him that?
4. Name 4 different abstract ideas presented in the text. You can not use words that are synonymous with one another.
(Abstract ideas will never be adjectives like blind, tragic, proud)
5. What does the chorus beg Oedipus to do in the exposition?
6. Describe (in as best detail as you can, the part of the plot that we would consider to be the climax, or turning point of the play.
7. Where does the Oracle live, and which of the Greek gods does he represent?
8. Thematic statements present abstract ideas like Truth, Knowledge, Trust, and Justice combined with what aspects of humanity?
9. What warning did King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes try to prevent, and who warned them?
10. What instructions did Laius give the shepherd whom he gave to Oedipus and what did he do first?
11. What did the pitying shepherd actually do with Oedipus?
12. What does the herdsman do with Oedipus after he takes him from the shepherd who was supposed to leave him to die?
13. Which city does Oedipus grow up as prince of?
14. Why does Oedipus travel from Corinth to Delphi in the first place?
15. At Delphi, what two horrifying prophecies does the oracle predict for Oedipus?
16. How does Oedipus determine to avoid his terrible destiny?
17. In your own words, why does Oedipus decide never to return home to Corinth?
18. The parts of the plot when Oedipus completely believes his parents to be the king and queen of Corinth is best described by which two parts of the plot?
19. Why does Oedipus kill the man in the chariot near Thebes?
20. Who is the old man in the chariot that Oedipus kills?
21. Work out the following metaphor: Oedipus kills Laius at a crossroads.
22. What kind of creature does Oedipus meet outside Thebes?
23. What riddle does the monstrous Sphinx ask Oedipus?
24. What is the right answer to the riddle the Sphinx asks, and how is that the answer?
25. Explain two ways the situation with the riddle of the Sphinx is ironic.
26. Explain how the answer to the riddle presents an instance of foreshadowing.
27. How do the Theban people react to Oedipus’ solving of the Sphinx’s riddle?
28. Why was the city of Thebes “kingless”?
29. On what group of people do the citizens of Thebes blame the murder of King Laius?
30. Who does Oedipus marry?
31. What is the literary element used that causes tension and positions the audience as omniscient?
32. What is the literary purpose for using Dramatic Irony?
33. Provide 2 examples of fate as presented in Oedipus.
34. Provide 2 more examples of fate as presented in Oedipus
35. What is Creon’s relation to Jocasta?
36. What is Creon’s blood relation to Oedipus? What does Oedipus think his relation to Creon is?
37. Provide one example of dramatic irony as presented in the play.
38. Explain how Tieriesias’ character is “double ironic.”
39. Why does Tiresias come to Thebes in the first place?
40. How does Jocasta brush off the idea of prophecies being true?
41. Why does Oedipus become distressed when he hears the prophet Jocasta received so many years ago?
Oedipus becomes distressed because he remembers killing a man who resembled Laius at a crossroads.
42. What important information does Jocasta reveal to Oedipus that leads him to the realization that he might be the murderer of Laius?
43. Why does Oedipus send for a shepherd during the falling action?
44. What bit of information do Oedipus and Jocasta receive from a messenger that causes them to rejoice?
45. After the death of Polybus, king of Corinth, Oedipus feels a little bit more safe because the oracle’s first prophecy can not possibly come true (or so he thinks). What is his new concern?
46. The messenger, overhearing Oedipus’ concerns about marrying Merope, offers some information that he thought would bring even more rejoicing for Oedipus. What news was that, and for what two reasons did he think Oedipus and Jocasta would rejoice at this?
47. What’s up with all the double identities in this play (shepherd, herdsman, witness / king, murderer / brother-in-law, uncle, new king)? What is one theme of identity explored in this text?
48 After Oedipus learns from the messenger that Polybus has died and that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents, he determines to track down the shepherd referred to by the messenger. What are the “truths” of Oedipus’ birth that he wants to hear from the shepherd?
49. Why does Jocasta run out of the palace in grief? What does she do next?
50. The shepherd refuses to speak at first, when he arrives at Thebes. How does Oedipus get him to talk?
51. With what does Oedipus rake out his eyes?
52. Explain how this is a metaphor: Oedipus blinds himself. (Hint: why doesn’t he hang himself or stab himself?)
53. Who takes over Thebes during the resolution?
54. What is Oedipus waiting for at the end of the play?
SHORT RESPONSE QUESTIONS
1. How does dramatic irony create tension in the play? Support your response with specific textual evidence (as specific as you can get without the words in front of you!!)
2. List examples of how Oedipus fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero.
3. At what points in the play can we interpret Oedipus as having excessive pride, or hubris?
4. At what points in the play can we interpret Oedipus’ myth as one of a tragedy of fate? In this case, one might argue that Oedipus is blameless.
5. What do you understand to be the major conflict in the play? In other words, what do you see all of the other conflicts amounting to? (*Discuss only the MAJOR conflict, as you INTERPRET it.)
