Oedipus
WHO?
(Characters)
Literary
Devices
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Character Background
So Ironic!
Quotes
Info
Oedipus’ uncle and
brother in law
Creon
The patron god of Thebes
(also known as
Loxias and Phoebus)
Apollo
The literal translation of
the title character’s name
“Oedipus Rex”
“King swollen-foot”
The name of Oedipus’
adopted mother and father
in Corinth
King Polybus and Queen
Merope
The name of Oedipus’ two
daughters (hint: the sequel
to this play is named after
one of the daughters)
Antigone and Ismene
What literary / dramatic device is
presented in the following lines:
[Jocasta enters carrying garlands]
[Both Oedipus and Creon exit stage left]
Stage Directions
What literary device is presented in
the following lines:
“And the bleeding eyeballs gushed
and stained his beard – no sluggish
oozing drops but a black rain and
bloody hail pour down”
Imagery (visual)
What literary device is
presented in the following
lines:
“King, you yourself have seen
our city reeling like a wreck
already; it can scarcely lift its
prow.”
Figurative Language /
Metapor
What literary device is presented in
the following lines:
“A deadly double striking curse,
From father and mother both, shall
drive you forth
Out of this land with darkness on
your eyes”
Imagery (light vs. dark)
or foreshadowing
What literary device is presented in
the following lines:
“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”
Alliteration or metaphor
What type of irony is presented in
the following lines?
“You came and by your coming
saved our city, freed us from tribute
which we paid of old to the Sphinx,
cruel singer” (Priest to Oedipus)
Dramatic Irony
What type of irony is presented in
the following lines?
“Whoever he was that killed the king
may readily wish to dispatch me
with his murderous hand; so helping
the dead king I help myself.”
(Oedipus)
Dramatic irony
What type of irony is presented in
the following lines?
“Teiresias, you are versed in
everything, things teachable and
things not to be spoken, You have no
eyes but in you mind you know with
what a plague our city is afflicted.”
(Oedipus)
Situational Irony
What type of irony is presented
in the following lines?
“Do not concern yourself about
this matter, listen to me and learn
that human beings have no part in
the craft of prophecy, Of that I’ll
show you proof”
(Jocasta to Oedipus)
Dramatic Irony
What type of irony is presented
in the following lines?
.
“There, there we saw his wife
hanging, the twisted rope around
her neck. When he saw her, he
cried out fearfully and cut the
dangling noose.”
Situational Irony
Which character said the following:
“I’m willing to give all that you may
need: I would be very hard should I
not pity suppliants like these”
Oedipus
Which character said the following:
“I say you are the murderer of the
king whose murderer you seek”
Teiresias
Which character said the following:
“I was not born with such a frantic
yearning to be a king – but to do
what kings do. And so it is with
everyone who has learned wisdom
and self-control. As it stands now
the prizes are all mine – and without
fear”
Creon
Which character said the
following:
“Because Polybus was no kin to
you in blood”
Messenger (from Corinth)
Which characters (2) said the
following:
“O God, I am on the brink of
frightful speech.”
“And I of frightful hearing.”
Herdsman and Oedipus
Greek theater got its start as an
activity at religious festivals
honoring what Greek diety?
Dionysus (god of wine)
Greek plays generally included how
many major actors in each scene and
how many chorus members?
up to 3 main actors and 12-15 chorus
members
What is the Greek term for any
heroic flaw or weakness?
Hamartia
Name the three Unities that Aristotle
used to describe the “perfect” play
(he was inspired after reading
Oedipus Rex)
Unity of Time, Action, and Place
When was Oedipus Rex written and
by whom?
approx. 468 BCE and Sophocles!