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Oedipus Rex
More than 2,420 years old but still studied today, the play ‘Oedipus Rex’ tells a tragic tale of mistaken identities, inescapable fates, and horrific human misdeeds. Contributors typically compare and contrast the play’s characters, storytelling techniques, and subject matter with similar pieces of literature from the same and different settings and time periods.
3,240 Questions
Best and worst parts of creon and antigone argument in the Oedipus cycle?
The best part is the good sense and simplicity and the worst part is the excessive pride in his intelligence.
Who were brothers in 'Antigone'?
The brothers in the play 'Antigone' were Eteocles and Polyneices. They were the brothers of Antigone and Ismene. They both were killed during the recent fight against the enemy from Argos. All four were the children of Oedipus and Jocasta.
How does Antigone bury her brother Polyneices?
By giving him an above ground, partial burial through covering him with a layer of dust and by conducting proper funeral services through anointing his body with ritual liquids are how Antigone buries her brother Polyneices.
because she is the wife of oedipus and the brother of creon
What are Creon's fatal flaws in 'Antigone'?
In 'Antigone', Theban King Creon's biggest, most fatal flaw is his pride. He believes that he can issue laws that directly contradict the god-given justice, morality, rites, rituals and traditions by which Thebans live their lives and prepare for their deaths. He believes that he can ignore the responsibilities of an uncle to his nieces and nephews, a sovereign to his people and his prophet, a husband to this wife, a human to his gods, a future father-in-law to his intended daughter-in-law, and a father to his son. All of the many other fatal flaws of the King trace back to that pride. The royal flaws include anger, disrespect, hardheartedness, ingratitude, narrowmindedness, and stubbornness. For example, he shows anger and ingratitude toward the blind prophet Teiresias who just does his job and tries to warn the King of the error of his ways. The King shows disrespect to the gods by issuing a law that goes against the divine code of conduct towards the dead. The King shows hardheartedness towards the disloyal Theban dead and the loved ones that the dead leave behind. TheKing shows narrowmindedness towards Antigone whose compassion leads her to bury Polyneices, who is the King's nephew, her brother, and a disloyal Theban dead. And the King shows stubbornness towards his son Haemon who doesn't want to lose Antigone, who is his first cousin and beloved fiancee.
At one point Apollo reveals that whoever hold the person of Oedipus will win the war at Thebes.
Is Antigone aware of the punishments which Creon has promised for anyone attempting such a burial?
Yes, Antigone knows that violators of her uncle, Theban King Creon's law are to be punished. The law requires non-burial of the disloyal Theban dead. The punishment is death by stoning. Antigone indicates knowledge of both the crime and the punishment in the beginning of the play. For she discusses both subjects with her sister Ismene, whom she asks to be an accessory.
What happened to the surviving servant in 'Oedipus Rex'?
The sole survivor of the events that lead to the death of Theban King Laius asks to be released from palace service. He wants to go back to the field to tend to his crops and his sheep. He prefers to be as far away as possible from Theban city life once he learns that Oedipus is now the King of Thebes and the husband of Theban Queen Jocasta.
That servant also is the shepherd who long ago is given the three day old baby Oedipus by Jocasta. Instead of killing the baby as ordered, he gives him to another shepherd who takes him home to Corinth, to be raised by the childless King Polybus and Queen Merope. Oedipus resembles his father, Laius. So the servant recognizes Oedipus as Laius' son and subsequent killer at the time of their fateful meeting at the crossroads of three paths.
How are Antigone and Creon related in 'Antigone'?
As future daughter-in-law to future father-in-law, as niece and great niece to uncle and great uncle, and as subject to sovereign are the ways in which Antigone is related to Theban King Creon.
Specifically, Antigone is the fiancée of her first cousin Haemon, who is Creon's only surviving child. She is the daughter of her father, Theban King Oedipus. But she is both the daughter and the granddaughter of her mother, Theban Queen Jocasta. The double relationship is due to the albeit unknowing incestuous marriage of Oedipus to his own mother, Jocasta. Jocasta is Creon's sister. Finally, Antigone is a Theban citizen who is expected to obey the gods and her king.
What is the dramatic importance of the first speech of the priest in Oedipus Rex?
The first speech of Oedipus imparts the true character of the man. He comes across as compassionate, caring and definitely well meaning. His leadership qualities are evident as he is even to willing attempt feats mortals pray that gods will do. Audiences who know the story of Oedipus can see the excruciating irony in all that he says.
How had Oedipus become the King of Thebes?
He came from Corinth, and killed King Laius (The current king) on his way away from Corinth. He reached Thebes where a Sphinx laid in wait to ask a riddle to all of the people that showed up to the gate of Thebes. If answered correctly, The plague would be lifted. The riddle was, what walks on 4 legs in the morning, 2 in the daytime, and 3 at night. The answer was Man (4 legs = baby, 2 legs = adult, 3 legs = Elder with cane.) The plague on Thebes was lifted and the people that lived there annointed him King, forgetting about Laius, and thats where the movie starts off.
How was Haemon related to Antigone?
Theban King Creon was the brother of Queen Jocasta. He was the father of Haemon. Jocasta was the mother of Antigone. So Creon was Antigone's uncle, and Jocasta Haemon's aunt. That made the betrothed couple Antigone and Haemon first cousins.
Which Freudian stage describes the Oedipus and Electra complexes?
The phallic stage, age 3 to 6 years.
How did Oedipus Rex gain the throne?
Oedipus Rex saves the city of Thebes from the rule of a Sphinx who demands sacrifices of the city's young men. She requires that they answer the riddle: what has one voice, four legs, then two legs, then three legs? (the answer is man, crawling as an infant, walking on two legs as an adult and using a cane as an old man.) Oedipus is the only one to fulfill the Sphinx's riddle and free the city, and as Laios, the previous king of Thebes has been just recently killed, Oedipus is given the throne of the city, and Iokaste, the queen of Thebes, as his wife.
What happens to the Sphinx after Oedipus solves her riddle?
The Sphinx throws herself over a cliff once her riddle is solved by Oedipus. Her livelihood is gone, with the riddle's solution. The Sphinx is in the habit of terrorizing all who try to pass her by on the way in or out of Thebes. She terrifies Thebans into paying her heavy taxes. She agrees to let into Thebes only those who solve her riddle.
But no one gets into Thebes, because no one knows what the Sphinx looks for as an answer. Until Oedipus, no one guesses that man is the living being that gets about on all fours in the morning, twos in the afternoon, and threes in the evening. No one realizes that the morning represents the crawling of an infant, the afternoon the steady stride of the adult, and the evening the need of an elder for a walking stick.
Why does Antigone feel it is her duty to bury Polyneices?
Antigone feels that it is her duty to bury Polyneices because he is her brother, and it was a sacred duty to bury the dead so that they could pass the river that encircles the kingdom of death. She disobeyed Creon's proclamation, but followed the sacred laws.
Theban King Oedipus may or may not have been a historical king. He was descended from Cadmus, who was the founder and first king of Thebes. Cadmus established his city around 2000 B.C.E.* Cadmus in turn was the son of King Agenor of Tyre, in Phoenicia. In the ancient literature of the Greek speaking world, the family lines ascending from Oedipus to Cadmus, and descending from Oedipus, were preserved in such pieces of literature as plays by Aeschylus [525/524 B.C.E. - 456/455 B.C.E.] and Sophocles [496 B.C.E.-406 B.C.E.].
But were those plays based on fact? Or were their characters and their story lines made up to prove a point? Or was it a working out of the two?
*Before the Christian Era
What is the prediction the oracle gives to King Oedipus to make him leave his home?
That he's fated to kill his father and marry his motheris what the Delphic Oracle says to subsequent Theban King Oedipus. Oedipus believes his biological parents to be King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth. He's tenure tracked as the heir to the throne. It's a good life that he doesn't want to mar, there or elsewhere, with murder and incest. So that's why the Oracle's words are enough to send Oedipus running as far away from what he thinks are home and family as possible.
Does Jocasta learn Oedipus is her son before or after Oedipus realizes Jocasta is his mother?
Theban Queen Jocasta is first to realize that her husband, Theban King Oedipus, is her son. That's why she begs him to stop the search for the killer of Theban King Laius. She walks away when she doesn't succeed in this attempt. She goes off to her room, and kills herself.
Jocasta's first marriage had begun on a sour note because of a dreadful prophecy. It was predicted that she and her husband would have a son who'd kill his father and marry his mother. She and Laius tried to keep the prophecy from coming true. But their plans and efforts only ensured the carrying out of the horrible warnings.
Why does Oedipus doubt what Teiresias tells him about the identity of Laius' murderer?
He does not know that the person he killed on the road from Corinth was Laius.
