Oedipus Worksheet Questions with Accurate Answer 2024

Oedipus Worksheet Questions with Accurate Answer 2024 Who were King Laius and Queen Jocasta? They were the rulers of Thebes and the biological parents of Oedipus. Why did King Laius and Queen Jocasta decide to get rid of their infant son? They were told by an oracle that their son would kill Laius and marry Jocasta. Why didn't the abandoned baby (Oedipus) die? After being given to a shepherd who was supposed to leave the baby to die, the shepherd changed his mind and gave it to a worker that then gave the baby to the rulers of Corinth. Who were King Polybus and Queen Merope? They were the rulers of Corinth and the non-biological parents of Oedipus. Oedipus grew up in Corinth. Why did he leave that city behind? Oedipus had heard of the same prophecy his real parents did, so he moved away from Corinth to avoid it, thinking that his non-biological parents were actually his real ones. Whom did Oedipus encounter when he entered Thebes? Oedipus unknowingly met his biological father, Laius, who was going on a pilgrimage. After being angered, he killed his father. What was the riddle of the Sphinx? "What goes on 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs at noon, and 3 legs in the evening?" Answer: man What happened to Oedipus in the subsequent years in Thebes after defeating the Sphinx? Oedipus became the King after defeating the Sphinx, and married and had kids with Queen Jocasta (his mother). Years after the defeat of the Sphinx, the city was afflicted by a terrible plague, and Oedipus sent his brother-in-law to ask the oracle at Delphi for advice. What message did Creon deliver to Oedipus? The plague will end when the murderer of Laius, former king of Thebes, is caught and expelled; the murderer is within the city. Who was Teiresias? A blind pophet in Thebes. Oedipus seeked out for him in order to receive help regarding the killer of Laius. What did Oedipus discover as he sought to obey the oracle at Delphi? Teiresias stated that Oedipus himself was the killer of Laius. What was the end result of the play? Jocasta hangs herself, Oedipus blinds himself and is exiled by Creon in order to save Thebes. At the beginning, where does this play take place? In Thebes, at the front of the King's palace, upon the steps and around the altars. Which character begins the play? A playwright very carefully introduces a play. Why might Sophocles have selected this character to introduce the play? Oedipus begins the play. Sophocles might have chosen this character to introduce the play because he is the main character. Which three characters speak in the prologue of the play? What attitude does Oedipus assume toward the suppliants seeking his help? Oedipus, Teiresias and Creon. The attitude of Oedipus is caring and emphathetic -- he states that he will find the killer of Laius. What deities are mentioned in the prologue? Why are they included? The mentioned deities are Zeus and Apollo. Apollo is included because he is the god of prophecies, which is what they story revolves around, and Zeus is mentioned because the prophet in the play also works under Zeus. At the beginning of the play, what does the priest ask Oedipus to do? To help save Thebes from the plague. What initial step does Oedipus indicate he has already taken against the plague? Oedipus states that he has sent Creon to an oracle of Apollo to ask about the plague. What is the significance of Delphi? It holds the oracle of Apollo. Who is Creon? Oedipus's brother-in-law and uncle. What message does Creon bring from the oracle at Delphi? In order to clear Thebes of the plague, the killer of Laius needs to be found and punished. What single clue about the murder of King Laius is revealed by Creon? Robbers killed King Laius and one witness saw it happen. What does Oedipus think about this clue (the hint revealed by Creon about the murder of Laius)? What might this perception foreshadow? He believes that it is weird for a group of robbers went after such an important person. This perception foreshadows that what Creon said may be false. What research method is Oedipus encouraged to use to discover who the murderer of Laius is? He questions and gathers information from citizens, witnesses, and prophets. What prevented Thebes from tracking down the murderer of Laius at the time the murder occurred? The Sphinx What was the Sphinx? A mythical creatue with a woman's head, wings of a bird, and the body of a lion. Who solved the riddle of the Sphinx? What happened to the Sphinx after the riddle was solved? Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx, and as a result, the Sphinx lost its power. How was Thebes tortured by the Sphinx? What happened to Thebes as a result of solving the riddle? What prizes did Thebes give the one who solved the riddle? The Sphinx made it so that people could not enter or leave the city and asked riddles that would kill the answerer if they were wrong. Thebes was saved after the riddle was solved, and Oedipus (the answerer) was made King of Thebes and was offered the hand of Queen Jocasta. What does Oedipus promise to do at the end of the prologue? To protect Thebes and enforce peace. Of what symbolic signifance are the olive boughs, strewn at the altar steps as the Thebans address Oedipus? Why does Oedipus tell the suppliants to lift their olive boughs as they depart? The olive boughs represent peace. When the Thebans bring it to Oedipus, it is an offering to him. When it is raised over his head, he is promising peace for them. Who are the people in the chorus? How do they differ from the characters in the prologue? The people in the chorus were the Theban elders. They differ from the characters in the prologue because the elders were normal people, while the people in the prologue were in positions with power and wealth. In strophe 1, at the very beginning, what does the chorus ask? The chorus is asking the gods to speak to them, most specifically the Daughter of Golden Hope. In antistrophe 1, to which divinities does the chorus appeal? Athena, Artemis, and Apollo are the gods that are appealed to. In strophe 2 and antistrophe 2, the chorus bewails its situation in Thebes. Describe the condition of the people of Thebes as the play begins. In Thebes, there was disease, death of children, diminishing of crops, and women not being able to have children. If the children were born, they would be stillborn. What is the message of the chorus in strophe 3 and antistrophe 3? The elders are asking Apollo, Dionysus, Artemis and Zeus to kill the plague for them. At the end of the parados, to what new god and his attendants does the chorus appeal for safety from death? Dionysus. He is prayed to because he is the god of fertility. How does Sophocles connect the parados to the first episode? Oedipus acknowledges the chorus praying to the gods. What is the substance of Oedipus's pledge to the people of Thebes? He told the people that he will stop at nothing to find the killer. He also told the crowd that if any of them were the killer, they would not be harmed and would only be banished. What does Oedipus think was unlucky about Laius's fatherhood? What actually was unlucky about it? Oedipus believed that it was unlucky for Laius to not have a kid. However, it was actually unlucky because Laius did have a son who killed him. Who were Labdakos (Labdacus) and Polydoros (Polydorus)? Labdakos is the father of Laius, and Polydoros is the father of Labdakos. Who is the chorus leader, and what is his task in scene 1? A representative of the Theban elders. His task is to give advice and information. What he says will be respected and taken into consideration. "The voice of reason." At his entrance, how is Teiresias described by the Chorus leader? What audience attitude should this description establish? He is described as being a respected person who speaks the truth, so he should be trusted and listened. What methods of augury or divination are mentioned? Godcraft - talking to the gods Birdlore - using birds to predict the future Why does Teiresias at first refuse to tell Oedipus the truth? Teiresias knows that Oedipus will not believe him. How does Oedipus react when Teiresias reveals the truth? Oedipus does not believe him and tells him to leave. He starts getting defensive, and believes that Creon and Teiresias are scheming to take his spot as King. Whom does Oedipus assume is behind Teiresias's claims? Why? Oedipus believes that Creon is behind the prophet's claims because he is trying to take his spot as King. What comparison does Oedipus make between himself and seers like Teiresias? What does this tell us about Oedipus? Oedipus asks Teiresias where he and the other prophets were while he was beating the Sphinx and saving Thebes. This tells us that Oedipus is exhibiting hubris (arrogant). When the choragus intercedes in the argument of Oedipus and Teiresias, of what does he remind Oedipus? The chorus reminds Oedipus and Teiresias of the task at hand (to find the killer of King Laius). What truths does Teiresias present to Oedipus in his speeches following the interruption of the choragus? 1.) Oedipus is the murderer of Laius 2.) Oedipus married "unnaturally" As ode 1 begins, about what does the chorus remind the audience? The death of King Laius and how the person that killed him will not escape. Why is the chorus astonished at Teiresias's claims? They are astonished that someone from Corinth has killed someone from Thebes (they have never been in war, etc.) With whom does the chorus finally side, Oedipus or Teiresias? Why do you suppose Sophocles has the chorus voice this opinion? They side with Oedipus. Sophocles has the chorus voice this opinion because it allows intrigue and suspense to the story. If everybody sides against Oedipus, then it makes the story boring. How does Sophocles connect ode 1 to scene 2? Creon adresses ode 1 (the accusations and death of King Laius) in scene 2. Why is it significant that Creon appears without Oedipus as scene 2 opens? This allows Creon to tell his side of the story without being interrupted by Oedipus. What character trait of Oedipus is revealed by the fact that Oedipus accuses Creon of treason without first heading his side? He is arrogant and not open-minded.