Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Tittle:
OEDIPUS REX
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Author:
Sophocles
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Major Themes:
-Religion, Sympathy, and Freedom
Religion was one of the major themes I encountered in Oedipus Rex play due to the fact
that the whole was centered around Oedipus and his ways of doing things and his ways of
pursuing them. For example the selection stated the following “That must the God bestow. But to
Gods above all men, I am a mark of hate. And for that same reason you will obtain it straight.”
Meaning what they have done in the past is going to come back and hunt them for good or bad. It
also stated that he wanted the Gods to not take away his precious belongings he cherished the
most like his family. The selection said “Go; but let the children stay. Do not take them from me!
Think not to have all at thy pleasure; For what thou didst attain to far outwent thy measure”
Meaning you can only enjoy things to a certain time and beyond that there is no more, is done,
Sympathy was anther theme that I encounter in Oedipus Rex. I found this to be a possible
theme because even though Oedipus doesn’t know at first if the men which he encountered in the
place or “palace you can say” where the three roads meet and that he killed was his father. You
could tell that he was pretty depressed due to the actions that he took and he couldn’t believe it
that a lot of people were telling him that it couldn’t be true that a particular man could have been
his father. Based upon my knowledge in my opinion I could say that felt sympathy or a “negative
feeling” of what he had done especially marrying and having kids from his own mother at the
end of the selection.
Another them that I encountered through the play were freedom or the ability to do
anything that an individual pleases to do. My reason for stating that this was a good theme was
due to the fact that it brings the whole play together as in the sense of a unity it elaborates the
whole meaning that it had between the lines. For example Oedipus thinks he has the power to do
anything for the simple reason that he is the commander in chief or “king” of Thebes. This brings
up another interesting fact as he is conducting his little investigation with the Thebes and as he
keeps on digging deeper and deeper he slowly starts to discover and getting the idea that he
might be the killer of his own fleshing blood his own father. For example in the play it stated that
there was a gift from an old shepherd he immediately decides that he wants to see him so he can
interrogate him. This shows how he uses his ability of his “freedom” or willingness to obtain
anything that he pleases at any means necessary for that individual.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Major and Minor Characters:
Major:
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

Oedipus: King of Thebes. He is the main character because he is the tragic hero you can
say in the play..
Jocasta: She is the queen, wife/ mother of Oedipus. She was formerly married to Laius
previous king of Thebes.
Tiresia: A prophet in the selection with the title of king.
Creon: Brother of Jocasta. Oedipus is willing to kill him because he is supposedly saying
that Oedipus killed Laius.
Antigone and Ismene: Daughters of Jocasta and Oedipus, showing up in the end of the
story.
Minor:
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Priest of Zeus: Elaborates about the kind of ruler that Oedipus is and what’s going on at
Thebes.
Messenger from Corinth: brings news to the kingdom that king from Corinth is dead.
Second messenger: Servant of Oedipus household.
An old shepherd: A individual tobe interrogated about Oedipus past.
The Chorus: Composed of senators of Thebes.
A boy: Leads Tiresia to the scene.
Inhabitants of Thebes: The Audience; witnesses of what’s happening.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Method of revealing Character:
Characters are revealing through the play to the scene by Direct/ Indirect
characterization meaning to give clues to as of what is going to be introduced later on.
Later on implying things or topics that the next character will be talking about. For
example in Oedipus Rex the topic introduced by one character as of too giving clues of
what the role of the next character was going to portray. For Example: Tiresia tells
Oedipus that he is the killer of king Laius later on introducing Jocasta with her
knowledge of what the oracle had told king Laius and this lead to Oedipus to finally think
that he might the character accountable for the killing of his own fleshing blood which
was his father.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Significance of the setting:
The setting of Oedipus Rex is in the Ancient Greek city of Thebes. This is significant to
the whole story because this is the city where this dramatic tragedy from this tragic hero happens
and it can be said “where it all originated”. The setting is used as the crime scene due to the fact
that this is the place (city) where Oedipus Rex met with the formerly past king Laius and not
knowing he was his own fleshing blood his “father” they met on the three way intersection and
since Oedipus wanted the right away and king Laius wanted the same thing as well Oedipus got
feed up and killed him. The major reason why the setting is ironic to the whole play is because
Oedipus didn’t know that the land that he was currently ruling was the land that his own father
used to rule. At the end of the play Oedipus Rex gets his eye stabbed and probably he is going to
have the same faith that his father had in dying in the same land that they once ruled. This also
brings the reason to say that there were also minor settings where they would have small talk and
other stuff etc.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Fictional Society:
The fictional society was a very key role to how the play would turn out just the
importance of the language and the setting in general was some important factors. The thing that
was valued back in the Greek times were there beliefs, tradition, God in general and there
business of handing things. The people that were in power had to be the King he would
command his society to basically anything he wanted them too. This affects the play in the fact
that it makes it that much more interesting and making you anticipate what will happen next. For
example the story states “I am sore afraid The prophet was not blind; but you will make More
certain, if you answer one thing more. Indeed I tremble; but the thing you ask I’ll answer, when I
know it.” This shows how the society used to initiate in vocal conversations and it sort of takes
you to their time period and picture the encounter. It also makes you wonder what their next
move is going to be and how they would manage it. This would include there beliefs in showing
how they would go about handling it.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Narrator Role & (Chorus):
In Oedipus Rex Play the speaker or narrator is the chorus. According to the research on
Oedipus Rex I found out a majority of diverse things they would portray but the main role they
had was to entertain the audience , also enriching the plot of the story this would consist of,
introducing, describing, and summarizing the characters as well as what’s happening throughout
the play. In Oedipus Rex the chorus serves as transitions of one scene to another since they
would always be talking after one character had exited, another character was getting ready to
come in. During the time they spoke they sang almost everything that they were saying in this
lines they comment on the characters as well they sort of summarized what had happen so far
during that one specific scene. In Oedipus Rex they also describe how each specific character is
acting as well describing what he is doing and in certain lines they also describe the feelings of
certain characters mainly consisting of all there actions.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Occasion, Plot, and background information:
Before the play of Oedipus Rex began important events that lead to this plot. Oedipus
was a average joe guy that happened to be walking on the road when a guy in a chariot came and
runed him over. My research brought me to the conclusion that he looked rich because he was
riding a horse and he was well dress. Oedipus got mad and fought the guy till he was dead. After
this incident he kept walking until he got to a road where three streets intersected. At this place
there was a Sphinx who was challenging pedestrians with riddles and had them annoyed because
he wouldn’t let them go through and mind about there business. When Oedipus came he solved
the Sphinx riddle and became king of Thebes for the simple reason that nobody had solved the
riddle until he came along and challenged him and he was a king.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Intended Audience?
I would say that the intended audience through the play would be the average individual
in any time period but mainly the society of the Greeks back in there time period just for the fact
of all the diction they stated. For Example the selection stated “O, it is plain already! Woman,
who was it told this tale to you? A servant, who alone came safe away. Is he perchance now
present, in the house? Why no; for after he was come from thence, And saw you governing..”
This shows the type of roles they played and for whom they were acting out to base upon there
criteria of understanding what was happening and going on. Overall the Greeks had the
advantage in this category.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Moral/Ethical problems and how the reader captures it:
The biggest questions that are asked trough out the selection are basically what will
happen next after a situation occurs and how that individual would response to the outcome. For
example In the selection from a exert it says “What have I done? What do you want to know?
Did you give him that boy he asks about?” This shows how the story is unraveling and getting
more crucial as time passes just too see what the reader can conclude of human nature based
upon all the crucial lines of play skit that is set before him. Here is another example “Could we
have him back Quickly? We could. But why this order? Wife, I fear me I have spoken far too
much” This makes the reader infer that something bad is about to come up in the selection and
make the exposition that much better.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Present Quotations:
Mood/Tone: “What have I done? What do you want to know? Did you give him that boy he asks
about?” This shows how the mood is very tense and puzzling for the characters to actually
understand the outcome.
Imagery: “I am sore afraid The prophet was not blind; but you will make More certain, if you
answer one thing more. Indeed I tremble; but the thing you ask I’ll answer, when I know it.” This
shows how you can picture the situation that is being presented before as you read and his
knowledge of answering the direct statement.
Symbolism: “Then, by a double vote, not one alone, Mine and your own, take me, and take my
life as of I were the King Thebes” This shows how dedicated he is that he is to self-centered to
care about of the outcome.
Characterization: “That must the God bestow. But to Gods above all men, I am a mark of hate.
And for that same reason you will obtain it straight.” This shows how they make an individual
stand out beyond limits of a certain thing and try to question the statement.
Figurative Language: “O, it is plain already! Woman, who was it told this tale to you? A servant,
who alone came safe away. Is he perchance now present, in the house?” This makes you try to
wonder what they are meaning trough what they said and to try to depict it, This makes the play
much more interesting.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Relevance of Work:
The relevance of this Greek work to modern time is very symbolic in a way that makes
you question what the society was thinking back in the day vs. present society. The way that they
depict there diction and placement of grammar in certain areas vs. modern day comics etc. The
media service revolves around the same “globe” you can say in there infomercial’s and news cast
breaking news. I believe that nothing from back in the day to the present day world is a big
difference just because without them we wouldn’t of been were we are at today speaking about
this play/story. Like for example all the quotation’s they would use we use that today in modern
literature to explain the meaning between the lines. That’s a very crucial step to any reading to
see whether or not the reader actually captivates what he or she is reading. And I believe that this
novel doe’s a very good job at that and testing their awareness of the ending result.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Fate in the “works”:
From my understanding “fate” was a key thing in the novel. Fate is one of the
major things I encounter in Oedipus Rex play because as stated in the play that an oracle told
King Laius which is Oedipus father that “That so it should befall, that he should die by a son’s
hands, whom he would have by me”. This quote from the play shows how the oracle reveals
Laius fate this oracle described to him everything that was going to happened which in result it
all happened as Laius as the oracle had told him it would. I found that a very crucial part in the
selection because I felt as if the whole story revolved around this same idea of “fate” I felt as if
everything fell into place after this incident occurred that he killed his dad then he found out it
was actually true and going to the process off stabbing his eyes and dying in the land that he
killed his dad on so it was meant to be you can say. Overall it was the main thing it was centered
among.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
Archetypal Motifs:
Creation: I believe that the play happened resulting from the outcome of the last event
that had just occurred that’s how the whole story evolved and stemmed. In regards to the
setting and its involvement to this crucial step.
Immortality: When Oedipus kills his dad in retaliation and him knowing that was his dad
that he killed he later on kills himself. That’s how the story un bailed itself.
Hero Archetypes: They go through a whole journey to show that they are eligible and
that makes them “them”. They do something that was unthinkable and that’s how they
gain the respect. The ending of the story is where they realize the real meaning of things.
Jason Navarrete
AP Lit
1st pd
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