Oedipus Rex Study Guide Questions PDF

Oedipus Rex: Study Guide Questions Directions: Please answer the following sentences. In addition, mark the answer in your text and list the page number along with your answers below. Prologue 1. What are the people of Thebes suffering from? They are suffering from a plague. Page 1...

Oedipus Rex: Study Guide Questions Directions: Please answer the following sentences. In addition, mark the answer in your text and list the page number along with your answers below. Prologue 1. What are the people of Thebes suffering from? They are suffering from a plague. Page 1 2. What does the Priest ask Oedipus to do? He wants Oedipus to end the plague that they are going through somehow. Pages 1 -2 3. What two reasons do the Thebans have for pleading to Oedipus for help? The plague and the people of Thebes are dying. Page 1 Find a reason why. 4. What initial step does Oedipus indicate he has already taken? He sent Creon, the brother of his queen, to the Oracle. Page 1 5. What is the message Creon was given from the oracle? The murderer of King Lauis out of Thebes. Page 1 6. Who was murdered long ago? The last King, Lauis, was murdered long ago. Page 3 7. What single clue about the murder does Creon reveal? He was on a pilgrimage and the savior says it was robbers that did it. Page 4 8. What prevented the Thebans from tracking down the murderer of Lauis at the time the murder occurred? They didn't know that he had been murder. Page 4-5 9. What does Oedipus promise to do? To find the murder and kill that person. Page 6 10. What is your first impression of Oedipus as a person and ruler? He is a good and just person. As a ruler, he is fair and wants justice to be served. He is also a little arrogant. Page 7 Scene 1, p. 9 11. What is Oedipus’ decree regarding the fate of the murderer? The decree is that he will be exiled him. Pages 9 - 10 12. What is the function of the chorus? The chorus explains the story more to help it along. Help set the tone/mood. Pages 17 - 19 13. Why does Teiresias refuse to tell Oedipus what he knows? The truth is something he probably doesn't want to know. He is trying to protect his King. Page 15 14. How does Oedipus react when Teiresias reveals to him the truth? He denyed that it was he who did it out of anger. Page 17  15. What does Oedipus say in anger that is offensive to the gods? Accusing Tiresias of betraying and trying to destroy the kingdom. Pages 12-13 16. What is the significance of Teiresias to the god Apollo? He is a servant to Apollo. Page 15 17. Whom does Oedipus assume is behind Teiresias’ claims? Creon. Page 17 18. List 4 of the many prophecies Teiresias gives to Oedipus regarding the murderer of King Lauis. That he killed his father and married his mother. He will be soon blinded. Believe to be a foreigner. Pain to his children. Father and Brother. Page 17 Scene 2, p. 19 19. What two reasons does the Senator give Oedipus for believing Creon is innocent? 1. That Teiresias was saying it in anger. 2. Creon is innocent. Page 19 20. What reasons does Oedipus give to prove that Teiresias is wrong? Oedipus thinks he would never murder anyone and didn't want to be banished. Page 20 21. What does Creon argue to prove he is not guilty of treason? "Void of clear proof" is a reason he is innocent. Creon doesn't want to be king. Page 24 22. Why does Jocasta have no faith in the oracles of seers and prophets? She doesn't really believe in Apollo. She thought her son was dead. Page 26 23. Why does Oedipus suspect that Teiresias may have been right? As Jocasta describes him, he gets anvious. The descriptions were close to where he was. Pages 26-27 24. What account from the Old Man may clear Oedipus’ name? The person might not have known it was him and he might get away with this secret. King Lauis was killed by a band of Scene 3,robbers. p, 32: Page 28 25. Why does the messenger’s message make Jocasta so joyful? p. 34 Jocasta is so joyful because she thought that the prophecy didn't come true. 26. According to Jocasta, why should Oedipus have no fear of sleeping with his mother? p. 35 She knows that Oedipus would never have to fear sleeping with his mother. He couldn't be married to his mother since he didn't kill his father. 27. What does the messenger tell Oedipus to prove that his fears are groundless? p. 36 Saying that he was given to him by another shepherd and that his ankles were binded. His parents weren't his parents. 28. Why does Jocasta want the questioning to end? p. 37-38 She doesn't want Oedipus to worry anymore. Starting to think the prophecy actually came true. 29. Why does Oedipus assume that Jocasta wants the questioning to end? p. 39 She doesn't want him worrying about the prophecy because she doesn't believe in it. She afraid that he is a son of slaves. 30. What clues does the messenger give that reveals the truth to Jocasta? p. 37 That his ankles were binded. All points of evidence point to Oedipus is her son. Scene 4, p.  31. Oedipus is about to interrogate the Old Man. Which characters has he already cross-examined in an effort to solve the mystery of Laius’ murder and his own identity? Creon, and the shepherd. Teiresias, the messages, Oracle, and Jocasta. Page 41 32. Why do you think the Old Man bursts in so angrily here? He thinks he was in trouble and he doesn't know what will happen if he tells the truth. Page 43 33. Who else in the play so far has called Oedipus “unhappy” because of his desire to learn more? Jocasta, Teiresias, and the Old Man. Page 42 34. Oedipus fails to become a dynamic character. What truths does he fail to see? That he had killed his father and married his mother. Anger controls him. Page 43 Exodos (The final scene), p. 44 35. How does Jocasta die? Jocasta hang herself. Page 44 36. As Oedipus stormed into the palace, do you think he intended to harm Jocasta? No, he wanted to see her because of the news they had found out. Maybe because his anger could control him. Page 45 37. Explain what Oedipus does to himself. With one of the pins from Jocasta's clothing, he gouged out his eyes. Page 45 38. Why does Oedipus choose blinding himself rather than committing suicide? Explain whether or not this is an act of bravery or cowardice. He thinks death is too good for his sins. He doesn't want to see his parents. This could be an act of bravery. Page 48 39. Why does Oedipus wish for all of Thebes to see him in his present condition? Oedipus wants them to know that he was one who killed Lauis. Page 54