Oedipus the King Study Guide
1. A play or a piece of literature that shows the downfall of a noble character is called a
2. In Sophocles' play, Oedipus the King, the title character, Oedipus, gets caught up in a sequence of events that lead
inevitably to disaster. In literature, a character like Oedipus who seems to be destined for failure is called a(n)
3. The destruction of Oedipus, like the destruction of many traditional characters in literature who are heroic, is caused by
a mistake or unwise decision or a weakness that students call a(n)
4. Given his hubris, or excessive pride, what makes Oedipus think that Creon is plotting against him in Oedipus the King,
Part I?
5. In Oedipus the King, Part II, lines 1465 to 1466, Oedipus regrets that his life was saved when he was a baby. He
expresses that regret by saying:
"Curse on the man who took/The cruel bonds from my legs, as I lay in the field."
What example of figurative language is used in those lines?
6. In Oedipus the King, Part II, line 1498, Oedipus refers to himself as a “miserable carcass.” This expression is an
example of how a writer's ____________ can reveal the character's feelings.
7. In Part II of Oedipus the King, a messenger tells Jocasta that Oedipus’ father, believed to be Polybus, is dead,
information which seems to relieve some of the anxiety of Jocasta and Oedipus. The audience knows, however, that
Oedipus’ father is actually Laius, whom Oedipus has killed. This situation in which the audience knows what the
character does not is an example of
8. An actor is alone on stage and reveals his private thoughts and feelings. He appears to address the audience directly,
but it is understood by the audience that they are hearing him “think out loud.” What dramatic device is being used in this
situation?
9. Read this passage from Oedipus the King Part II, and respond to the item that follows.
he struck his eyes again and yet again/with the brooches. And the bleeding eyeballs gushed/ and stained his
beard—no sluggish oozing drops/but a black rain and bloody hail poured down.
Name the literary device that is employed in the quotation.
10. When Oedipus states to Teiresias, “So long as you are here, you’ll be a stumbling block and a vexation; once gone,
you will not trouble me again” he is indicating that he has found Teiresias’s words to be ____________.
11. The following description appears at the beginning of Oedipus the King. These lines are an example of what dramatic
convention?
Scene: In front of the palace of Oedipus at Thebes. To the right of the stage near the altar stands the Priest
with a crowd of children. Oedipus emerges from the central door.
12. Describe the unhappy situation at the opening of Oedipus the King, Part I?
13. Oedipus is looking for the murderer of Laius because
14. In Oedipus the King, Part I, describe the tone of the speech in which Oedipus tells the citizens that they must help find
Laius’ murderer?
15. In Oedipus the King, the stage directions “Enter TEIRESIAS, led by a little boy” are meant to convey what
information to the reader?
16. In Oedipus the King, Part I, Teiresias announces his prophecy about Oedipus. The Chorus responds by saying, “I am
in a flutter of foreboding.” What emotion might the audience feel after hearing this statement?
17. Referring to Oedipus’ accusation that Creon is plotting against him, Teiresias says, “Creon is no hurt to you, but you
are to yourself.” Teiresias’ statement illustrates which premise of Greek tragedy?
18. What positive effect does the Chorus have on Oedipus throughout Oedipus the King, Part I?
19. What weakness in Oedipus’ character is shown in Oedipus the King, Part I?
Anger- he is very quick to get mad at people around him and accuse others of treachery
20. What is the main function of the Chorus in Oedipus the King, Part I?
21. Jocasta’s faith in Oedipus’innocence primarily stems from her
22. What does the Chorus identify as a tragic flaw in the following lines from Oedipus the King?
If a man walks with haughtiness / of hand or word and gives no heed / to Justice and the shrines of Gods /
despises—may an evil doom / smite him. . . .
23. The main conflict in Part I of Oedipus the King is an
24. Provide a word that best replaces prophecy in this sentence: “The seer made a prophecy that the king would lose
everything he had”?
25. In Oedipus the King, the Chorus is shown to be what?
26. In Oedipus the King, Part II, when Jocasta says, “It was from [Polybus] Oedipus fled, lest he should be his murderer!”
the audience is aware of a dramatic irony. What is the irony?
27. The Messenger’s ignorance of what fact lends dramatic irony to his meeting with Oedipus and Jocasta?
28. Oedipus refuses to return to Corinth with the Messenger, saying, “I will never come near my parents.” This statement
is ironic because Oedipus
29. Provide an example of an event in Oedipus the King, Part II, that is an example of situational irony?
30. What is Jocasta’s motive for discouraging Oedipus from summoning the Herdsman?
31. In Oedipus the King, Part II, why does the herdsman hesitate to speak the truth to Oedipus?
32. As Oedipus pursues the secret of his identity, he says, “But I account myself a child of
Fortune, beneficent Fortune, and I shall not be dishonored.” How does this ironic claim create suspense for the reader?
33. What emotion best expresses the motive for Jocasta’s suicide in Oedipus the King, Part II?
34. In Oedipus the King, Part II, what do Oedipus’ reactions to the truth and to Jocasta’s suicide reveal about his
character?
35. Oedipus learns his identity after he has
36. In the following passage, a messenger describes how Oedipus searched the palace for Jocasta. What motive might
Oedipus have had for calling for the sword?
. . . he paced frantically around, / begging us always: Give me a sword, I say, / to find this wife no wife, this
mother’s womb, this field of double sowing whence I sprang / and where I sowed my children!
37. In Oedipus the King, Part II, describe Oedipus’ motive in blinding himself.
38. Oedipus blinds himself as a direct result of
39. In Oedipus the King, Part II, Oedipus says that his house seemed to be a place of “fairness,” or beauty, when in reality
it held much “foulness.” What kind of irony is he describing?
40. At the end of the play, Oedipus is most like Teiresias in his blindness and in his
41. What is the greatest situational irony expressed by the Chorus at the end of Oedipus the King, Part II?
42. What is the reaction of the Chorus after Oedipus discovers his true identity?
43. By asking Creon to let him return to the mountains of Cithaeron, Oedipus hopes to
44. When the Chorus asks Oedipus what spirit urged him to blind himself, he replies with these lines. What motivates
Oedipus to offer this explanation?
It was Apollo, friends, Apollo, / that brought this bitter bitterness, my sorrows to completion.
45. When Oedipus’ downfall is complete, Creon becomes the sole ruler of Thebes. Why is this shift in power ironic?
Detailed Analysis QuestionsA. Do you pity Oedipus in Oedipus the King, Part I? Develop your thoughts in an essay supported by examples from the
play.
B. The quest for knowledge is a recurring theme presented early in Oedipus the King. Write an essay tracing the series of
revelations that Oedipus uncovers in his quest for knowledge in Part I of the play, beginning with the news that the Priest
delivers as the play begins. Describe how Oedipus responds to each revelation, and explain what his reactions suggest
about his character.
C. If you were a judge in Oedipus the King, Part II, would you find Oedipus guilty, or would you find him innocent, given
the circumstances under which he committed his crimes? Develop your opinion in an essay supported by clear reasoning.
D. Do you agree with the statement of the Chorus in Oedipus the King, Part II, that
Oedipus’ fate shows that the human condition is an essentially unhappy one? Develop your opinion in an essay supported
by examples.
E. The idea that humans fall because of their actions is fundamental to Greek tragedy, yet much of what happened to
Oedipus was foretold. In an essay, discuss how Oedipus’ fate was in part caused by his actions and in part caused by the
will of the gods. Use examples from the play to support your points.