Journal Topic
• What are the qualities that make a good
leader? Which one(s) are most important?
Essential Question:
What are the key story elements
found in the Prologue?
Homework
• Read the Parados (pp. 209-211)
• In this section of the story the plague that has
befallen Thebes is described. Identify some of
the details given about this plague.
• Contrast the mood found in the first
strophe/antistrophe with the mood of the
second strophe/antistrophe
At Your Desks…
• Skim over last night’s readings and find 2 lines
spoken by Oedipus that reveal the nature of his
character
Overview of the Prologue
A. Characters
1. Oedipus Rex – king of Thebes
2. Priest
3. Creon – brother of Jocasta
B. The Scene
1. Outside the palace of Oedipus
2. Suppliants (those seeking aid and comfort)
3. Mood – sorrow, despair, suffering, desperation
•
Storyline
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Plot
People of Thebes suffering
Oedipus walks about to show concern
Priest speaks on behalf of Thebes – save us!
Oedipus has sent “brother-in-law” Creon to consult
Oracle
Creon returns with message
•
•
Thebes is being punished for a past wrong
If the wrong is made right all will be well
F. The murder of Laius must be avenged
G. Oedipus indicates he will do his part in finding out who
did it
Literary Devices
• Metaphor
1. Priest reveals the problem in Thebes—people
are sick and dying
2. “Thebes is tossed on a murdering sea...A rust
consumes the buds and fruits of earth...” (l. 26-27)
3. Priest describes Thebes, “Keep the State* from going
down in the storm...” (l. 53) (* personification)
4. Creon describes what the Oracle has told him:
5. “...an old defilement we are sheltering...it is a deadly
thing...” (l. 100)
Literary Devices (cont.)

Dramatic Irony
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Oedipus refers to the people of Thebes as children:
“My children...in the line of Cadmus...” (l. 1)
“Poor children...my spirit groans for the city itself.” (l. 60)
Oedipus refers to the suffering of his people:
“I know that you are deathly sick...” (l. 62-63)
Oedipus speaks of not having seen Laius, “...I learned him from
others...” (l. 109)
G. Oedipus talks about avenging Laius’ death (ll. 134-145) “By
avenging the murdered king I protect myself.”
Literary Devices (cont.)
C. Flashback
ll. 107-111, 116-128
Use of flashback will be the means by which
Oedipus discovers his past and how the tragedy
will unfold
Characterization
A. What Oedipus says
1. ll. 1-15 (“My children…”)
fatherly, concerned, wanting to help
2. ll. 65-75 (“Sick as you are, not one is as sick as I.”)
compassionate, empathetic, taking action
3. ll. 134-145 (“You shall see how I stand by you…”)
eager to help his people, wary/suspicious
B. What others say
1. l. 16, ll. 35-47 (“The man surest…wisest…”)
revered and respected by the people
2. ll. 50-59 (“You brought us fortune, be the same again”)
provides hope for the people
Journal Topic
“Something I wish I knew when I
was younger”
~Or~
“Something I’d like to forget
about, but can’t”
The Parados
• The chorus acts as citizens of Thebes making
request to the gods for help and mercy
– Apollo – ll. 156-162, 166
– Athena – l. 163
– Artemis – l. 164
• Contrast of moods
– first strophe – mood is awe, prayerful, hopeful
– second strophe – despair, dark (death and decay)
Oedipus Rex – Scene 1
Storyline
• Oedipus speaking to the chorus (Choragos –
leader of Chorus) – Lots of irony:
– “Until now I was a stranger to this tale…”
– His proclamation:
• To track down murderer
• Murderer to be rejected/ostracized, exiled
– “…[I] take the side of the murdered king.”
– “If Laius had had luck in fatherhood…”
– “I take the son’s part, as though I were his son…”
• Oedipus tells Choragos he has sent for
Character
• Oedipus continues to show himself to be
proactive by sending for Teiresias (also reveals
his impatience)
• Shows himself to be concerned for Laius’s
tragic end
• Shows himself to be concerned about the
people – vows to find the murderer to rid
Thebes of its curse
Classwork
Answer questions in Yellow Question
Boxes on pp. 215-219
Teiresias
• Praised by Oedipus (ll. 287-303)
• “How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be
when there’s no help in truth.”
• Teiresias’ reluctance to act vs. Oedipus’
urgency
– Teiresias’ news must not be good (ll. 308-320)
• Oedipus’ view of Teiresias changes (“wicked
old man”)
• Oedipus begins to consider T. as a suspect
(330-333)
Teiresias (cont.)
• Accuses Oedipus of being blind (ll. 399 – 400)
• Teiresias predicts Oedipus’ fate: “…no man
that walks the upon the earth shall be rooted
out more horribly than you.”
• Oedipus: “My parents again!—Wait: who are
my parents?”
• Teiresias: “A blind man who has his eyes now;
a penniless man who is rich now; and he will
go tapping the strange earth with his staff…”
Literary Devices
A. Foreshadowing
1. ll. 359-363 – ‘It is not from me your fate
will come...”
2. ll. 413-417 – “No man that walks upon
the earth shall be rooted out more horribly
than you.”
B. Metaphor – ll. 405-407 – “Your parents’
curse will whip you...”
C. Imagery – ll. 238-242 – “...sick sterile
Journal Topic
Pride
When is it good?
When is it bad?
When have you seen it in
action? What happened?
Contrast and Theme
• Contrast between Oedipus and
Teiresias
Oedipus
Bold
Emotional
Seeing(?)
Teiresias
Reluctant
Rational
Blind
• Theme being developed:
Oedipus Rex – Scene 2
Vocabulary
• Perquisite
– A benefit
• Foreboding
– Ominous; foreshadowing something bad
• Malediction
– A curse
• Haughty
– prideful
Character Development
• Creon
– Feels slighted, takes accusations personally
– Displays honor ll. 484-496
– Rational – ll. 550-580
– Judge of character – ll. 635-636
Character Development
• Chorus/Choragos
– Gives benefit of doubt - ll. 497-504
– Rational – ll. 583-584
– Acts as peacemaker – ll. 615-620
– Emotional – ll. 623-629
Character Development
• Oedipus
– Paranoid – ll. 506-514
– Mocking (use of repetition) – ll. 519-524
– Uneasy – ll. 526-535,
– Irrational – ll. 540-541, ll. 595-597
Character Development
• Scene with Oedipus and Jocasta
– Jocasta
•
•
•
•
Influential – ll. 639-645
Confidant of Oedipus – ll. 657-659
Gracious – ll. 713-720
Comforting – ll. 804-813
– Oedipus
•
•
•
•
•
Trusting of Jocasta – ll. 657-659
Grows uneasy – ll. 685-686, ll. 700-701
Realizes errors – ll. 722-723
Rash – ll. 760-772
Remains in denial – ll. 773-791
– Use of Flashback
• Jocasta tells of the prophecy which did not come true
Journal: Choose 1 quotation below
and react to it
• “A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the
less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard;
Why aren't we like that wise old bird?”
• “By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by
reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which
is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most
bitter.”
• “A fool may be known by six things: anger, without
Ode 2
• The people desire to follow “the laws of the
pure universe”
• The Tyrant: child of pride, reckless, vain. He
attains to a height, but when he falls, his fall is
great
• The gods punish the proud
• More indecision on the part of the Chorus –
they now seem skeptical/critical of Oedipus