Oedipus Rex
Summer Study Packet
Pre-AP English 2
Questions?
Mrs. Micki Clark
Mr. Jordan Fulkerson
micki.clark@hopkins.kyschools.us
www.micki-clark.com
http://www.hopkins.kyschools.us/webpages/jfulkerson/
jordan.fulkerson@hopkins.kyschools.us
http://wiki.micki-clark.com (search for Oedipus Rex and/or Oedipus Rex Packet)
Welcome to Pre-AP English 2!
We’re glad that you’ll be joining us for what we hope is a great year! 
You’re receiving this packet to help you as you read your summer reading novel (that’s
right, we said novel, singular). One word of caution: there’s nothing wrong with using
SparkNotes, CliffsNotes, or other reading aids to help you understand as you read.
However, if you use these in place of your reading, there’s a lot of fine detail you miss.
Please understand that relying on these aids in place of reading the actual text
will result in a lower grade—we’ve read them too, and we know what they do and
do not address.
Do I have to do this packet?
The short answer is yes.  The long answer is that we cannot take it up on the first
day of class for a grade. However, all of these activities are activities that we will be
doing/going over in class the first week or two of school, so if you do the packet over the
summer, you’ll have considerably less homework the first week (plus you’ll know what
on earth we’re talking about). All of these materials will be taken up for a grade at
some point during the first few weeks of school—you’ll have to do it eventually,
so why not do it now?
I really don’t understand. Why do we have to read this anyway?
Oedipus Rex is a very notable classic text. You will often encounter allusions to
Oedipus in your readings in both English and social studies courses. Oedipus is also
part of a trilogy, and the play Antigone, set after the events of Oedipus, is a sophomore
class read. We’ll be doing a lot of material that will expect you to know the back story of
King Oedipus and his family.
Assignment 1: Map of Ancient Greece
On the blackline master map provided, mark the locations of the following places:






Thebes
Sparta
Athens
Delphi
Corinth
Mount Olympus
ANCIENT GREECE
King
Labdacus
son
married
Creon
married
married
son
siblings
Assignment 2: Family Tree
Fill in the family tree with the other names (it’s okay if you
need to use the Internet to find some of them).
Four children (note with M or F for male/female):
1.
2.
3.
4.
Assignment 3: Ancient Greece Web Quest
Using the Internet, find the answers to the following questions. Write down the Web site you used to
answer each question.
1. Who was the world’s first actor?
2. Who added a second actor to the stage? HINT: this man is considered the “father” of theater
3. Who is believed to have added the third actor to the stage?
4. Draw and label a diagram of the Greek theater. What do the Greek names for each of the parts
mean?
5. What is the function of the chorus in Greek drama?
6. What are the characteristics of a Greek tragedy?
Assignment 4: Guided Reading Questions
Page numbers refer to the Dover Thrift Edition, ISBN 978-0-486-26877-4.
There are no traditional scene and act numbers like you’re used to, so for our purposes, we will mark
scene changes by the entrance/exit of the chorus. So, for us:
Scene Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Page Range
1-6
6–8
9 – 17
17 – 19
19 – 31
31 – 32
32 – 39
39
40 – 42
42 – 44
44 – 46
46 – 53
53 – end
Last Line
“In saving and in plague-staying, Phoebus, come!”
“And light thy torch of pine!”
“Then come and say that I am no true seer.”
“He shall not, ever, be put to shame.”
“I would do nothing that displeases you.”
“Worship is out of date.”
“Other—that I should leave my birth unknown?”
“Of those he liefest loves, Oreads of Helicon?”
“I ought not—and slain whom I might not slay!”
“And breathe again, and close my watching eyes.”
“A sight—such as he that loathes must pity!”
“For what thou didst attain to far outwent thy measure.”
“He pass life’s goal.”
Scene 1
1. Which characters are onstage during this scene?
2. In the priest’s first long monologue, what does he tell Oedipus? What has been happening in
Thebes?
3. (research) Who is Apollo?
4. What answer does Creon bring from Apollo? What are they supposed to do?
5. How did Laius die? Summarize the story Creon tells (be detailed, this is important).
6. What promise does Oedipus make at the close of the scene?
Scene 2
1. (research) Who is Jove? Artemis? Phoebus? Ares? Zeus?
2. SUMMARIZE what the chorus is telling the audience.
Scene 3
1. Knowing what you do (that Oedipus is Laius’ son), where is the foreshadowing in Oedipus’ long
speech at the beginning of the scene?
2. (research) Who is Tiresias?
3. Why do you think Tiresias will not tell Oedipus what he knows?
4. Whom does Tiresias name as the murderer?
5. Look at the exchange between Tiresias and Oedipus beginning with “Yes, if the truth…” and
ending with “…Your life being all one night.” Identify the irony in these lines (remember, irony
is a difference in how things are supposed to be/perceived to be versus how they are).
6. Why does Oedipus think they are accusing him?
7. Summarize Tiresias’ speech on line 17: “I go…”
Scene 4
1. Read the lines of the Chorus. Do they support Oedipus or Tiresias? How do you know?
Scene 5
1. Why has Creon arrived at the palace?
2. Toward the close of the argument, what punishment does Oedipus say he wants for Creon?
3. Summarize Jocasta’s version of Laius’ death. Underline details that are new.
4. Why does Oedipus tremble?
5. Summarize Oedipus’ speech beginning on p. 28 with “And you shall know”. Underline the
details that coincide with Jocasta’s version of Laius’ death.
Scene 6
What does the chorus say about pride? Of which characters do you think they are speaking?
Scene 7
1. Which city is the messenger from?
2. What message does he carry to Oedipus?
3. What was Loxias’ prophecy?
4. Who is the messenger, and what role did he play in Oedipus’ youth?
5.
On page 38, Jocasta begins urging Oedipus to drop it. Why do you think she wants him to leave
it be?
Scene 8
This interlude of the chorus is very short. What does the Chorus say?
Scene 9
Summarize the exchange between Oedipus, the messenger, and the old man. What new details do we
learn?
Scene 10
Why does the chorus “envy not” Oedipus? How has the attitude of the chorus changed from the
beginning of the play?
Scene 11
1. What news of Jocasta does the second messenger bring? How and why did it happen?
2. What news of Oedipus does the messenger bring?
Scene 12
1. Why does Oedipus say he blinded himself?
2. Does the senator think Oedipus did the right thing (p. 48)? How do you know?
3. What does Oedipus ask Creon to do for him?
4. Which two people has Creon brought to comfort Oedipus?
5.
What does Creon’s last line mean (“Think not…thy measure”)?
Scene 13
Paraphrase (put into your own words) the chorus’ closing speech.
Assignment 5: Statement of Theme
A theme is merely the central idea of a text. In this activity, you will be identifying the themes you see
present in the novel. FAIR WARNING: SPARKNOTES WILL NOT HELP YOU WITH THIS ACTIVITY. 
1. What is this play about? Make a bulleted list of the general topics of this play.
2. On the next page after this assignment sheet, you will find a list of abstract nouns. HIGHLIGHT
any and all abstract nouns that you feel can apply to this play (is it about truth? Justice?)
Step 1: Identify the
general subjects of the
reading material.
Step 2: Identify the
abstract subjects of the
reading material.
Step 3: Write a thematic
statement expressing
what the author is trying
to say about the general
and abstract.
Thematic practice example: “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost
Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Robert Frost
1. The literal subjects of this poem are fire and ice.
2. One possible abstract noun for this poem is desire (see the third line).
3. Now, consider why the poet might prefer desire/fire to hate/ice? Write a sentence that
expresses that.
Now, for the highlighted abstract nouns for Oedipus, choose five and write thematic statements below:
Abstract Noun
Thematic Statement
100 Abstract Nouns
success
beauty
justice
annoyance
love
bravery
wealth
happiness pleasure
poverty
wisdom
fear
riches
appetite
calm
care
loneliness
belief
disregard
joy
sorrow
infancy
hatred
coldness
childhood solitude confusion
brilliance
peace
clarity
slavery
failure
stupidity
kindness
idea
luxury
nap
talent
luck
ability
wit
freedom
thought
thrill
right
loss
generosity honesty
gain
friendship dishonesty
growth
fact
goodness
company
fiction
movement
anger
lie
sleep
cleverness
truth
awareness
envy
irritation
fashion
trend
generation
religion
philosophy
belief
clarity
talent
timing
rhythm
union
marriage
divorce
delay
advantage
argument
dream
goal
horror
Final Summer Reading Assignment and Test
After we conclude our first week or so of activities relating to Oedipus, you will have an AP-style multiple
choice test and a constructed response writing prompt.
If you would like to get a head start on the constructed response, you can download it off Mrs. Clark’s
class wiki by visiting the packet page: http://micki-clark.com/wiki/index.php?title=Oedipus_Rex_Packet
Unfortunately, we can’t post the AP questions online for you to download and practice (they are
copyrighted). However, if you’d like to get a practice passage, you can see Mrs. Clark in room 15 or Mr.
Fulkerson in room 30 before school concludes.
One final word: we will be learning a lot of vocabulary this year. If you’d like a head start, our literary
terms vocabulary is already online. You can use the flashcard website Quizlet to study. The link to our
flashcards is: http://quizlet.com/11211437/pre-ap-english-2-literary-terms-flash-cards/
If you’d like to download and practice the flash cards as an iPhone app, A+ Flashcards Pro is a free
download. Download the app, and then click the plus sign in the corner to add the flashcards.
Click “Quizlet.” Then, click to search by creator: