Oedipus questions
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In what city does the play take place?
What is happening there?
Who is Oedipus?
What news does Creon bring from the oracle?
What happened to King Laius?
What does Oedipus promise to do to end the
plague?
Oedipus questions
• Who is the prophet that Oedipus consults?
• Who does the prophet eventually accuse as the
murderer?
• Does Oedipus believe him?
• Who does Oedipus accuse of conspiracy?
• What qualities does the prophet say the
murderer will have?
6th
• Setting
• Thebes- poor, sick, Ancient Greece, enduring hard
times.
• 3000 years ago
• Characters:
• Oedipus- New King, Mid thirties, Promised to save the
city, good leader.
• Creon- Oedipus’ brother-in-law, Military commander,
• Laius-Old king, died.
• Oedipus’ Goal
• Do whatever it takes to save the city.
6th
• Oedipus»
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New King, promised to save the city
Mid thirties
Good leader, stubborn, has a temper
Brother-in-law to Creon
• Creon» Oedipus’ brother-in-law
» Military commander
• Tiresias» Blind prophet
» Old
» Serious, intelligent, wise, calm
7th
• Setting
• Thebes- City, They’re enduring hard times, grim
• 2400 years ago
• Characters:
• Oedipus- The new king of Thebes, A good leader,
middle-age,
• Creon- Oedipus’ brother-in-law, military commander,
• Laius- The old king, he’s dead
• Oedipus’ Goal
• To do whatever it takes to save the city
7th
• Oedipus» New King, promised to save the city, accused
of murder,
» Mid thirties
» Good leader, stubborn, has a temper
• Creon» Oedipus’ brother-in-law
» Military commander
» Accused of conspiracy
• Tiresias» Blind prophet
» Accused Oedipus of murder
Oedipus Questions
• How does Creon react to being accused of
conspiracy?
• How does Oedipus act when he sees Creon
again?
• How does Oedipus want to punish Creon?
• Why would Creon not want to kill Oedipus?
• Who is Jocasta?
Oedipus Questions
• What was Laius’ prophecy?
• Did it come true?
• Who did Jocasta send for?
• What did the Oracle tell Oedipus?
• What did Oedipus do at the place where three
roads meet?
Intro
• HOOK- A question, an interesting fact, or a
provocative statement, a quote.
– Avoid – cliché, Personal pronoun
• brief summary of the topic
– One or two sentences about the subject.
• Brief intro about the author
– One sentence about the author.
• Thesis- Claim, 3 prongs or reasons for arguing.
Body Paragraph
• Topic Sentence – one of your prongs.
• Explanation of your prong – why you believe
what you say.
• Evidence – Direct quote from Oedipus.
• Supporting statement – analysis.
• Transition – tying one idea to the next, lead
your readers to the next paragraph.
• For final paragraph use conclusive statement.
Conclusion
• Restate your thesis in a new way.
• Say something about the author by brief
summary of your ideas.
• Final thought – interesting fact or statement
to leave the reader thinking.
Oedipus Themes
• Fate and Free will
• Do some characters seem to control their fates more
than others? If so, how do they do it?
• Wisdom and Knowledge
• In Oedipus the King is the pursuit of knowledge futile?
• Determination
• To what extent is determination an asset to characters
in the Oedipus the King?
• Power
• Remember the Oedipus accuses Creon of plotting
against him in order to get more power. Does Creon
seem satisfied being the King's brother-in-law?
Fate and Free Will
A central theme of the Oedipus the King is the tension
between individual action and fate. While free choices,
such as Oedipus’s decision to pursue knowledge of his
identity, are significant, fate is responsible for Oedipus’s
incest and many of the other most critical and
devastating events of the play. By elevating the
importance of fate, Sophocles suggests that characters
cannot be fully responsible for their actions. It becomes
difficult, for example, to blame Oedipus for marrying
mother given his ignorance.
Fate and Free Will
• Do some characters seem to control their fates more
than others? If so, how do they do it?
• Discuss Oedipus’ understanding of his own destiny. How
does this change throughout the course of this play?
• How does Oedipus’ fate impact the fates of other
members of his family?
• Do you think Oedipus would have fulfilled the prophecy
of killing his father and sleeping with his mother if his
parents hadn't tried to kill him as an infant?
Wisdom and Knowledge
In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is a seeker of knowledge
and truth. He struggles to uncover Laius’s murder and
his own identity, despite numerous warnings that he
should leave the truth alone. His pursuit of knowledge
and truth, however, results in ruin as Oedipus uncovers
his destiny, which he was better off not knowing. This
suggests that knowledge is futile and limited in its
ability to bring happiness to those who seek it.
Wisdom and Knowledge
• In Oedipus the King is the pursuit of
knowledge futile?
• Was it right of Oedipus to seek the truth
about his identity despite warnings not to?
• Discuss the motif of blindness and sight in the
context of the pursuit of knowledge
in Oedipus the King
Determination
Determination is one of Oedipus's and his mother's
primary character traits. Despite the important role of
fate in the lives of the characters, Oedipus and Jocasta
are all driven, at times stubbornly, to pursue their
goals. Determination in Oedipus the King is linked to
hubris and proves less an asset than a flaw to the
characters who possess it.
Determination
• To what extent is determination an asset to
characters in the Oedipus the King?
• Is determination a hindrance in the play?
• What, if any, correlation exists between
determination and self-deception the play?
Power
Power both corrupts and metaphorically blinds
characters in the Oedipus the King. As a ruler, Oedipus
is arrogant, unperceptive, and downright mean to
people around him. Assuming other characters are
trying to steal his power, Oedipus doesn't listen to their
wisdom.
Power
• How is Oedipus the King at the beginning of the
play different from Oedipus the cursed man at
the end?
• What gives a character power in this play?
• Remember the Oedipus accuses Creon of plotting
against him in order to get more power. Does
Creon seem satisfied being the King's brother-inlaw?