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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
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What does Oedipus discover in his search to find the murderer of Laius?
That he killed his father Laius and married his mother Jocasta.
Is the act of Oedipus blinding himself is that weakness or strength?
You could say Oedipus blinds himself as a punishment. He said when he found Laius's jiller he would punish him, when it was found out that he himself was the murderer he punished himself.
Why does Oedipus not believe that he killed Laius?
That he thinks he knows himself and his life very well is why Theban King Oedipus at first doesn't believe himself to be the killer of Theban King Laius. He knows of having committed a murder on his way to Thebes. But he finds it unbelievable that his surly victim could have been royal. Likewise, he finds it unbelievable that a king would have behaved so violently and stupidly as to end up dying in a street brawl over a right of way at a crossroads.
What two people does the messenger say have died in antigone?
During the Exodus, the Messenger tells the story of how Antigone killed herself, and shortly afterwards, Haimon also kills himself.
What knowledge on the audience's part causes dramatic irony in 'Oedipus Rex'?
That Oedipus does everything he can to find the murderer of King Laius,
while the audience knows from the beginning that the murderer is himself.
Oedipus is Laius's murderer.
Yes, Theban King Creon has his nephew Polyneices buried. Previously, he refuses to allow Polyneices' corpse the god given rights of all Thebans to proper funerary rituals. He decides to deny these rights because of Polyneices having led an army of disgruntled Thebans and invading Argives against Thebes.
But Teiresias the blind prophet finally gets Creon to realize that this insult to the will of the gods leads only to disaster and misery. It's when Creon understands that his own family is included in the doom and gloom that he changes his former stance. He sees to it that Polyneices' body receives proper attention and burial.
What are examples of Greek culture in 'Oedipus Rex'?
Culture expresses how things are done by a certain people who tend to hold similar beliefs and speak the same or very similar languages. One example of an ancient Greek way of acting and believing may be found in the deference of mortals to their gods and their kings. Another is the certainty of punishment for disobedience to authority, be that authority divine or mortal. Still another is the abandonment of children to death by exposure to the weather, the dogs, and the birds. Child killing more often is found regarding girls than boys. But Theban King Oedipus is abandoned because of the predicted threat that he poses to the life of his father and sovereign, Theban King Laius; and to the moral reputation of his mother and wife, Theban Queen Jocasta.
Yet another example of Greek culture in 'Oedipus Rex' is the representation of beauty. The ancient Greeks appreciated beauty, and liked to see its representation in art and architecture. The play takes place in and around the royal palace of Thebes. The royal palace would have been a beautifully imposing structure.
Additionally, Theban Queen Jocasta may be another example of the ancient Greek's devotion to beauty. She must have been beautiful in appearance and personality, because she ended up marrying twice. Her first marriage, with the older Theban King Laius, may have been an arranged marriage. In that case, she would have been engaged to him at a very early age, if not from birth. She would have been raised to be pleasing to him in look and manner.
Jocasta's second husband, Theban King Oedipus, is young enough to be her son. In fact, unbeknownst to the subsequent spouses, he in fact is her son. But Jocasta must have been attractive enough in appearance and behavior to have won the heart of a much younger man. And it's clear in the play that Jocasta indeed has her own son's love.
What is Antigone's most notable characteristic in Scene 1?
Humanitarianism is Antigone's most notable characteristic in the first scene of the play. She's concerned about the respecting of god given rights of a proper burial to all Thebans. In this specific instance, those rights are carried out only for those Thebans who were loyal defenders of Thebes in the recent struggle with the Argive invaders. But they're supposed to be available to all Thebans regardless of whether they die loyal or treacherous.
Who do you think is the better leader Oedipus or Creon?
I personally think that Oedipus is a better leader because he was willing to exile himself to protect Thebes from the plague. Also, in Oedipus Rex, Creon discusses with Oedipus that he does not want to be king because he didn't want that responsibility; as long as Oedipus was king, he had all the privileges of royalty without having to worry about the politics of it.
When the audience knows something that a character on stage doesn't know, it is called dramatic irony.
Why was it difficult for Romeo and Juliet to get married?
Because Romeo's family and Juliet's family had an ongoing battle and never saw eye-to-eye, and did not approve of Romeo and Juliet's relationship, hence why they had to keep it a secret.
Hope this helps!
Do deer have the ability to think?
Yes they do,they make me look stupid every hunting season, but they do think, but their thinking is more of a survival thought process.
This is an interesting and difficult question - one that isn't possible to answer completely, since we can't ask the deer. The answer you get is going to depend on who you ask.
The modern materialist position (neuroscience) holds that deer think the same way as people - our brains are just more complicated. This theory fails in several important ways, however - casual observation indicates that deer and people think differently (there is no deer art or deer philosophy; deer don't ask questions about whether other animals think), and neuroscientists know far less about the brain than they let on. The simplest explanation in these cases is usually the best, and the materialist position only makes sense if you are committed to materialism a priori, and are willing to ignore evidence.
At any rate, I agree with the above poster - they think after a fashion, but there is a real, qualitative difference and it would be a stretch to say they think like people. It seems to be more of an automatic process - something happens to them and they react. They don't seem to be conscious and self-aware. >>M.T.<<
Can you make a case for Oedipus' innocence?
of course we can, but his innocent needs to prove it through the prophecy , fate and destiny
Because he had endless love for Juliet and thought he could never be with her although he thought she was dead.
It was a bad decision on many levels. Many people have lost their love and have later on healed and had a happy life. If someone loves you, they would want you to move on with your life and be happy, if they died.
What kind of role does Hamartia play in 'Oedipus'?
Hamartia is Oedipus' tragic flaw. His tragic flaw is his hubris, or his excessive pride. and in the end it leads to his downfall. He utters a curse condemning Laius's killer.
How is Oedipus' tragic flaw his most admirable quality carried to the extreme?
Theban King Oedipus' tragic flaws are his pride and his passion. He's proud of his ability to find solutions to problems. Carried to the extreme, his pride tends to convince him of the pointlessness of alternative strategies, plans and options.
The King likewise is proud of his ability to care about others, of his passionate nature of his beliefs and convictions. In the beginning of 'Oedipus Rex', he appears to have his feelings under control. But his feelings and his passions become more uncontrollable as the play's action progresses. Carried to the extreme, Oedipus' passionate nature travels a one-way street and allows for no reversals.
What do Creon's words suggest about how he views his son?
Theban King Creon views his son as someone to carry out his wishes. In fact, he says, 'Yea, this, my son, should be thy heart's fixed law - in all things to obey thy father's will. [...] But disobedience is the worst of evils'. The King further specifies that his friends must be Haemon's, his enemies Haemon's, and his choice or rejection of a bride Haemon's.
What is the point of view in 'Oedipus Rex'?
A point of view is the way in which an individual looks at someone or something. In 'Oedipus Rex', the points of view differ. In fact, the same thing appears to be viewed by different people from different angles. Throughout the play, therefore, the audience and the characters need to reconcile the differing points of view of Theban Kings Creon and Oedipus, Theban Queen Jocasta, Teiresias the blind prophet, a shepherd, a messenger, and the chorus.
What are the psychological perspectives in 'Oedipus Rex'?
A psychological perspective gives readers and viewers insight into the minds of the characters. The psychological perspectives in 'Oedipus Rex' therefore relate to the thoughts of Theban King Oedipus, Theban Queen Jocasta, Teiresias the blind prophet, subsequent Theban King Creon, and the chorus.
So readers and viewers are privy to the dawning horror of Oedipus and Jocasta in the gradual knowledge of the murderous, incestuous path that brings them to their previously happy marriage and parenthood. Readers and viewers also are privy to the reluctance of Teiresias to remove the appearance of decency from indecent relationships. They too are privy to the superficial struggle of Creon over the why and why not of grabbing royal power for himself alone.
And throughout the play, readers and viewers are privy to the weariness of the chorus over the state of things Theban. The chorus just wants to get through this latest set of woes and be ready for the next set of disappointments. As the play concludes, the chorus well knows that a mortal's fortune begins only with death. Until then, life means ducking the boomerangs of the gods and of other mortals.
What is Sophocles' philosophy on man's ability to understand the will of the gods?
Sophocles [496 B.C.E.-406 B.C.E.] seems to think that the will of the gods is mysterious to, and misapplied by, mortals. Mortals try to understand what the gods want and expect. But they often miss the mark.
For example, Theban King Oedipus learns of his fate to kill his father and marry his mother. He sees this as a warning to flee from Corinthian King Polybus and Corinthian Queen Merope, who in fact are his adoptive/foster parents. But he ends up killing his own biological father, Theban King Laius; and marrying his own biological mother, Theban Queen Merope.
Instead, he needs to keep his guard up and remain vigilant. For example, he needs to avoid violent situations with men old enough to be his father. Likewise, he needs to avoid romantic involvements with women old enough to be his mother. But Oedipus does neither. So the further he runs from his fate, the more he makes it happen.
What is strange about the reason that Oedipus gives for finding the murderer of King Laius?
Fear for his own life is the reason that Theban King Oedipus gives for finding the murderer of Theban King Laius. The reason is strange on two counts. On the one hand, that isn't the reason that's given by the Oracle at Apollo's Shrine for the man hunt. The Oracle says that the murderer must be identified, and punished with death or exile, in order for the devastating pestilence to end in Thebes. On the other hand, the reason is ironically strange, because Oedipus in fact is the murderer.
Why won't Antigone let Ismene join her?
She wants the pride for herself. She doesn't want to share it with Ismene especially Ismene didn't help bury Polynieces.
Additionally, Antigone is a care-giver. She is the only one of Oedipus' children to accompany him into exile and ease his last days. It is consistent with her character to not allow her sister to take the blame for her actions, which would result in her sister's death. It would have been different if Ismene actually had committed the act, but since she refused, Ismene deserved neither the fate nor the glory.
