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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
Dramatic irony is at work; it reveals that Oedipus often speaks rashly.
The exposition of "Oedipus Rex," a tragedy by Sophocles, introduces the audience to the city of Thebes, which is suffering from a plague. King Oedipus, determined to save his people, sends his brother-in-law Creon to the Oracle of Delphi to uncover the cause of the suffering. Through this setup, we learn about Oedipus's role as a ruler, his concern for his citizens, and the prophecy that foretells his tragic fate, establishing the central themes of fate, identity, and moral responsibility.
How are both dramatic irony and cosmic irony or irony of fate shown in the play 'Oedipus the King'?
Dramatic irony is seen in the marriage of the main character of 'Oedipus the King'. Cosmic irony also is seen in the main character's fate. It's found in Laius' and Oedipus' embracing of fate by the very attempt to flee it. A situation in the play 'Oedipus the King' is dramatically ironic when it isn't in harmony or sync with the accompanying actions or words. This lack of harmony in the drama is expected to be understood by readers and viewers, but not by the characters themselves. For example, ancient Theban society doesn't allow marriage in the direct line. Marriages in the direct line include those between mother and son. Theban King Oedipus and Theban Queen Jocasta are presented as the happy couple and as the happy parents of happy children. And yet the King unknowingly is his wife's son, and the King's children are all the unknowing products of an unacceptable, incestuous relationship. Indeed, the royal family appears to be in compliance with the laws that govern marriage and society. But in reality the royal family unknowingly breaks the laws that separate acceptable from unacceptable behavior. A situation is cosmically ironic when the fateful event that is to be avoided happens through the very attempt to escape it. For example, Theban King Laius is warned that any son of his marriage to Theban Queen Jocasta will become a father killer. The King and the Queen have a son whom they leave alone and exposed to harsh weather and to hungry animals and birds. But their son survives and grows up to carry out - albeit unknowingly - the very fate that the couple seeks to avoid. In taking the original prediction to heart and trying to change fate, the three main characters find themselves with a prophecy that they themselves help to be carried out in full instead of to be thwarted.
It gives Oedipus information that will later cause him to suspect that he is Laius's murderer.
What does Jocasta tell Oedipus in 'Oedipus Rex'?
Her experiences with prophecies and her first husband's crime scene are what Jocasta tells Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban Queen Jocasta concludes that not all prophecies come true because of her first husband King Laius' predicted fate to be killed by his son. Instead, Laius dies at the hands of robbers in the Delphi-Daulia intersection in the neighboring land of Phocis. She says that this happens just before her second husband Oedipus defeats the Sphinx and settles down in Thebes.
What line spoken by Oedipus is key to the process leading to anagnorisis in 'Oedipus Rex'?
Here are some telling lines:
"Slain in a skirmish where the three roads meet?" (756)
"Thrill through my soul, my queen, at this thy tale." (753)
"What say'st thou? Did not Polybus beget me?" (1049)
How old is Oedipus when he dies?
Oedipus did not die. He only blinded himself. At the time when he dethroned himself it is estimated he was around 50.
What do the last two lines of antistrophe 3 mean in 'Oedipus Rex'?
In antistrophe 3 of the parados, the chorus concludes with a plea for Bacchus' help. Bacchus is a god who's liked while the war god Ares isn't. A military solution is feared and rejected, in the immediately preceding strophe 3. So the chorus asks Bacchus, 'blithe god whom we adore', to get any soldiers drunk. The drunkenness will remove the influence of Ares, the 'god whom gods abhor', from Thebes.
Must Oedipus find out how to end the pestilence in Thebes in the beginning of 'Oedipus Rex'?
Yes, Oedipus must find out how to end the pestilence in Thebes in the beginning of "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban King Oedipus is admired and respected by his people. They look to him to solve problems that fight back at going away. Oedipus therefore promises the latest group of suppliants that he will find out how to end the pestilence that threatens harvests and both animal and human populations in Thebes.
What damage does Oedipus do to himself near the end of the play?
Oedipus has sex with his mother and murders his father.
What is the difference between 'Antigone' and Sophocles' other works?
The story of 'Antigone' holds a unique place within the body of plays that Sophocles [496 B.C.E.* - 46 B.C.E.] left for generations of literary readers and theater goers. It's his only script in which the title character is a woman who dies in the course of the play. Equally unique is his treatment of the conflictbetween legal and moral duties.
Whom does Oedipus send to find out why a curse is on the city in 'Oedipus Rex'?
Creon is the person whom Oedipus sends to find out why a curse is on the city in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, children die before birth or shortly thereafter, crops are failing and livestock are ailing because of a pestilence ravaging all Thebes. Theban King Oedipus therefore does what any good royal does in ancient Greece by seeking information from the Apolline oracle at Delphi. It is Creon, his brother-in-law and royal colleague, that Oedipus sends on the mission to find out what causes and what will end the pestilence in Thebes.
Heighten their interest, increase their appreciation and reinforce their beliefs are the effects that the superstitious nature of the audience at the time had on their appreciation of "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, audiences during the ancient Greek dramatist's lifetime believed in a universe dominated by the gods and ruled by fate. They could feel themselves immediately being drawn into Theban King Oedipus' experiences with destiny. Additionally, they too knew what it was like to live in cities where important decisions were made by kings in consultation with oracles, prophets and sacrifices.
What contributed to the power of thebes?
The power of Thebes in ancient Greece was largely attributed to its military strength, particularly the elite Sacred Band, which was a highly disciplined and effective fighting force. Thebes also benefited from strategic alliances, notably with Athens and other city-states, which helped it to assert dominance in the region. Additionally, Thebes' leadership during key conflicts, such as the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE, marked a turning point that diminished Spartan power and elevated Theban influence in Greece. The city's rich cultural and religious heritage further bolstered its status among Greek city-states.
How many children does Oedipus have in 'Oedipus Rex'?
Four (4) is the total number of children that Oedipus has in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban King Oedipus is the second husband of Queen Jocasta. The royal couple has four children, two boys and two girls. The eldest children are the twin brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, and the youngest children are the Princesses Antigone and Ismene.
How does Tiresias react to King Oedipus pleading for help?
An initial refusal to help is the reaction of Teiresias the blind prophet to Theban King Oedipus pleading for help. He doesn't want to cooperate, because he knows the ugly reality behind the beautiful illusion of happy royal married life in Thebes. He knows that albeit unknowingly Oedipus is a murderer and a sex offender.
Specifically, Tiresias knows that Oedipus kills his father and royal predecessor, Theban King Laius. Then as a reward for saving Thebes from the beastly Sphinx, Oedipus marries Laius' grieving widow, Theban Queen Jocasta. So Jocasta becomes wife and, albeit unknowingly, mother to her only son.
Teiresias knows that Oedipus will find this information completely unbelievable. So the prophet is in a bind. He may lose his life by telling his superior the shocking truth.
At the same time, Teiresias may lose his life by saying nothing. A pestilence is ravaging the Theban population, livestock and harvests. If not stopped, it may kill the entire city. The only way of stopping it is identifying and punishing Laius' killer[s]. And that killer is the prophet's and the entire city's superior and king.
What is the source of Oedipus' greatness in 'Oedipus Rex'?
Defeat of the Sphinx is the source of Oedipus' greatness in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, the monstrous Sphinx asks Thebes a seemingly unanswerable riddle. She eats all Thebans who cannot give her the correct answer. But Oedipus figures out the answer and puts an end to the Sphinx before she puts an end to all Thebans.
What masks are used in 'Oedipus Rex'?
One set of identical masks for the chorus and individualized tragic masks for each of the characters are used in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, the mask for each member of the chorus of Theban elders is the same since there is only one choral viewpoint. There is a feminine mask for the character of Theban Queen Jocasta. Masks for Creon, King Oedipus, the priest of Zeus and Teiresias the blind prophet are more elaborate to indicate each character's more elevated social status in Thebes. But all of the masks are alike in being molded on a marble or stone cast, being made of such organic materials as linen and wood products and being adorned with animal or human hair.
Who are king polybus and queen merope?
King Polybos and Queen Merope are the king and queen of Corinth who take in Oedipus in Oedipus Rex after his parents abandon him.
