0
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
What is the function of the choragos in the drama Oedipus the king?
The Choragos Plays the lead role of the chorus
What is a metaphor for blindness versus sight in 'Oedipus Rex'?
A metaphor is a figure of speech that focuses on a word or phrase that strictly refers to one idea or object. It then applies that idea or object to another idea or object in order to suggest a similarity between the two. An example in 'Oedipus Rex' is subsequent Theban King Creon's saying, 'Who seeks shall find; who sits with folded hands or sleeps is blind'.
Why does Creon decide to set Antigone free?
The blind prophet Teiresias tells Theban King Creon that the lack of a proper burial to all of the casualties from the recent war between Thebes and Argos is bad luck for the city and its inhabitants. He also says that the gods and the people are on the side of Antigone for having given to her brother Polyneices the proper burial that the gods set up for humans. And so the King goes to the remote cave in which his niece Antigone is walled up. But he arrives in time to see his son Haemon dead, killed by his own sword, crumpled near the hanging corpse of his would-be daughter-in-law. His wife kills herself too soon after.
What character traits are possessed by Oedipus in Oedipus Rex?
Oedipus was essentially a Greek hero. The Greeks admired the concept of a sound mind in a sound body. Thus Oedipus was intelligent as well as strong. His intelligence was proven in his ability to solve the riddle of the Sphinx. His strength was exemplified in the killing of his own father.
The two most basic traits Oedipus showed was intelligence and physical prowess. He was a true Greek hero.
We shall just have to forget the Freudian aspects of his character.
Which came first Homer's Iliad Greek myths Sophocles Oedipus Rex Festival of Dionysus?
It is upon what we call the Greek myths, which was the religious stories of the Greeks for their gods and goddesses from which all of what we know (Illiad, Oedipus Rex, Festival of Dionysus) comes from.
What event does the second messenger report in 'Oedipus Rex'?
Jocasta's suicide and Oedipus' blinding are the events that the second messenger reports in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, the second messenger exits from the Theban royal palace. He informs the chorus about the events inside. He mentions that Theban Queen Jocasta hangs herself by the threads from her own robes before King Oedipus can kill her with his sword. He says that Oedipus places Jocasta's body on the floor and then plunges into both eyes the golden brooches that he removes from her robes.
What does Eurydice do in 'Antigone'?
The responsibilities as King Creon's wife and Haemon's mother, and then a suicidal act, are what Theban Queen Eurydice does in the play 'Antigone'. Eurydice takes her responsibilities seriously, despite her husband's difficult and unappreciative personality. But she ends up fatally stabbing herself upon learning of Haemon's suicide. He's the last of her four children, and like the others dies violently.
Without children and with the prospects of grandchildren now ended, Eurydice can't bear to spend another minute above ground despite all the benefits of being royal.
Addition:
It should be pointed out that Queen Euridice is not the same character as Eurydice, the wife of Orpheus.
What is Bacchus's special relationship to Thebes?
In line 209 of Oedipus Rex, it says Bacchus/Dionysus gave his name to the thebians' country, but I don't really understand what it means by that.
Why is Antigone a tragic character in 'Antigone'?
That she numbers among the play's cast of characters and that her life comes to an unfortunate end is the reason why Antigone can be considered a tragic character in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Antigone is a main character who influences and is affected by the interactions among the other main characters. Great changes can be expected of her as Princess of Thebes, and yet her life is cut short, suddenly and cruelly. What she does therefore defines her as a main character and what happens to her therefore defines Antigone as tragic.
How does the character of Tiresias function dramatically in 'Oedipus the King' and 'Antigone'?
Catharsis is the dramatic function of the blind prophet Teiresias in the plays 'Oedipus the King' and 'Antigone'. Catharsis refers to a purification. Teiresias tells the people of Thebes of what hasn't been done, but must be done in order to remedy an impure situation. In the case of 'Oedipus the King', the city suffers because of a murderer in their midst. Teiresias says that the murderer of Theban King Laius must be banished. In the case of 'Antigone', the city suffers because of an insult to the gods. Theban King Creon refuses to respect god given traditions by burying the disloyal Theban dead. Teiresias says that the body of Creon's nephew Polyneices must be buried.
What does Creon tell the guard?
Creon tells the guard to go find who is responsible for burying Polynises. If the guard does not find who is responsible with in a certain amount of time, the guard will suffer the consequences of a slow, painful death in place of the person who buried Polynises.
Why did Oedipus go tot Delphi when he was a young man?
Oedipus went to find out who his parents were after a intoxicated gentleman at a party mentioned that Polybus and Merope, his adoptive parents, were not his biological parents.
Whom does the chorus leader claim can settle the dispute between Oedipus and Creon in 'Oedipus Rex'?
It is Jocasta that the chorus leader claims can settle the dispute between Oedipus and Creon in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Creon cannot stop the argument that his brother-in-law Theban King Oedipus starts. The chorus leader cannot stop it either. But he is confident that Queen Jocasta, Creon's sister and Oedipus' conciliatory wife, can end it all.
When does Oedipus realize that he may have murdered Laius?
When he learns of Theban King Laius' death at a crossroads between Delphi and Thebes, where he himself kills a stranger at about that same time, then Theban King Oedipus realizes that he may be the murderer of his royal predecessor.
Does Oedipus have integrity in 'Oedipus Rex'?
Yes, Oedipus has integrity in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, the term integrity describes a consistent practice of accuracy, honesty and truthfulness. The description fits Theban King Oedipus. He is committed to honest communications and self-assessments as well as to truth in personal, professional and public life no matter the cost.
What does Jocasta believe about prophecy in 'Oedipus Rex'?
That not all prophecies come true and that prophets make mistakes are what Jocasta believes about prophecy in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban Queen Jocasta says that the gods are clear to understand when they have something to say. The problem is the intervening role of prophets between gods and mortals. Jocasta says that prophets are not gods and can make mistakes and that some prophecies therefore do not come true.
What does Creon remark as the most important act a son can do in 'Antigone'?
Theban King Creon considers obedience the most important act of a son to his father. He says that his friends must be his son Haemon's, his enemies Haemon's, and his choice or rejection of a future daughter-in-law Haemon's. According to the King, sons and subjects both must follow exactly the orders of their fathers and sovereigns. To do so is the greatest good. To do otherwise is the greatest sin.
Why is Oedipus left to die in 'Oedipus Rex'?
In an attempt to thwart a horrifying prophecy Oedipus is left to die in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban monarchs Laius and Jocasta are told that their son will grow up to kill his father. Killing a father is bad enough in ancient Greece. It is much worse to kill a father who also is one's sovereign. It is far less serious to kill an infant, particularly if that infant is fated to grow up and commit a serious offense against the gods and mortals.
What is the tragedy in Oedipus the King?
Oedipus is born a prince, but there is a prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother. So, his dad (the king) sends out a servant to kill him. Instead, of course, a shepherd finds, adopts, and raises him. Fast forward 20 something years. Oedipus is on his way somewhere, a noble is being very rude to him, so Oedipus kills the guy. Then he goes to a kingdom where the king has just been murdered. So, tadaa! He marries the queen and she bears him a few kids. Then he finds out about the prophecy, and that he has actually fulfilled it. Oedipus is so tormented that he gouges his eyes out. The end. The entire story is a tradgedy.
Why do the priests visit Oedipus?
The priest goes to Oedipus to ask for his help in saving the city of Thebes. A plague has wiped out all the crops as well as the livestock. It has also made all the women sterile so that they can no longer have children.
How does Creon justify his refusal to grant Polynices a proper burial?
That what one does in life carries over into death is the justification that Theban King Creon gives for refusing proper burial procedures to his own nephew Polyneices. Specifically, Creon sees Polyneices as a traitor to Thebes and therefore as no longer Theban or eligible for Theban rights. It's actually a call that Creon doesn't get to make, since a Theban's rights to proper funerals are god-given.
