OEDIPUS THE KING STUDY GUIDE Part 1 INTERPRETING

OEDIPUS THE KING STUDY GUIDE Part 1

INTERPRETING 1. How would you characterize Oedipus as a ruler? § He cares deeply about his people and considers himself their champion or defender. § Other answers? 2. Oedipus has 2 main reasons in locating Laius’ murderer. One is to lift the plague from Thebes. a) What is his second reason? § b) He fears that the murderer will want to kill him as well. How is his second reason significant in terms of plot? § He says that by “helping the dead king, [he helps] himself, ” and this is significant because Oedipus’ only danger is his “self, ” his character.

3. What 4 punishments does Oedipus declare on the murderer of Laius? § § Banishment from Thebes The curse of a miserable life His land should produce no crops His wife should have no children 4. Although Teiresias is blind, he has authoritative vision. a) Interpret his claim that “Of themselves things will come, although I hide them and breathe no word of them. ” § b) Teiresias is not responsible for the way things are in Thebes; destiny is always fulfilled. What is ironic about a seer being blind? § It is ironic that a blind character can “see the truth” more clearly than those characters that can actually see, specifically Oedipus, who is blind to the truth.

5. Teiresias says, “You blame my temper but you do not see / your own that lives within you. ” What else does Oedipus reveal about his character in his exchange with Teiresias? § He can be hotheaded, and he looks everywhere but to himself for the answers to his problems. 6. Discuss the references to darkness, blindness, and vision in Teiresias’ speech in lines 460 -486. § He acknowledges his own physical blindness and tells Oedipus that, in spite of Oedipus’ healthy eyes, he doesn’t see, and soon he will have darkness/blindness on his eyes.

7. a) Why does Oedipus distrust Creon? § b) He thinks Creon is conspiring against him for the kingdom. How does Creon try to prove that he has no interest in being king of Thebes? § Creon says that he now enjoys all the prizes/advantages of the kingdom without having to be king and live in fear. 8. In terms of plot, what is significant about the exact time when Oedipus comes to the crossroad where he kills the people in the carriage? § It is the same time that King Laius was murdered.

9. a) What reasons does Jocasta give for not having faith in the prophecy? § b) She says that Laius was killed by robbers, and she admits to leaving her and Laius’ infant son on a hill to die. In terms of their approach to destiny, what do Jocasta and Laius have in common? § They both go to great lengths to avoid destiny.

10. a) What role does the Chorus play in heightening the dramatic tension of the play? § b) By providing commentary on the action; they analyze the action for the audience. If you were producing a modern-day version of the play, explain whether you would include the Chorus and why. § Your answers? ? 11. Why is it futile for Oedipus to escape the circumstances of his life? § Oedipus, like everyone else, cannot escape the circumstances of his life. No matter where he goes and what he does to avoid his fate, destiny finds him. He cannot avoid it.

APPLYING 12. When Oedipus claims, “But yet / I must be ruler, ” Creon replies, “Not if you rule badly. ” a) What insights does Sophocles provide about the rights of the ruler and of the ruled? § b) Bad rulers no more deserve to rule than people deserve to be ruled by them. How do these ideas correspond with those in contemporary American life? § In contemporary American life, people in powerful political positions lose them if they prove corrupt or incompetent. Can you think of any examples?

ANALYZING TRAGEDY 1. Based on what you have read thus far, what choices has Oedipus made? § Run away from the prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother; kill the men at the crossroads; go to Thebes; investigate Laius’ murder so that the killer will be found and the plague will be lifted 2. What choices has Jocasta made? § To abandon her and Laius’ infant son to die 3. Explain the relationship between the following events: a) the riddling Sphinx terrorizes Thebes and b) Thebes suffers a plague. § Oedipus solves the riddle and saves Thebes, but he also brings a plague on Thebes because he unknowingly killed King Laius.

CRITICAL THINKING & READING: TRACING A MOTIF 1. Trace the knowledge motif from the beginning of the play to line 998 by noting examples of Oedipus in his quest for knowledge. a) b) c) Oedipus knows the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx, which makes him king of Thebes and responsible for finding out why Thebes is suffering a plague. Once he knows why, he must know who killed Laius. Finally, Oedipus seeks to know whether the man he killed at the crossroads was his father.

2. How does Teiresias figure in the quest for knowledge? § Teiresias, who knows everything, tries to show Oedipus that he doesn’t know where he lives, whom he lives with, and who he is. 3. Of what does the Chorus try to convince Oedipus about knowledge? § That human knowledge is limited and divine knowledge is beyond humans’ capacity for understanding.

ANALYZING CHARACTER: OEDIPUS Positive Negative