Oedipus: The Legend
12-2 English
Miss Lindner
Where it begins…
Birth/Early Life of Laius
Prince of Thebes
Father was killed in battle, too young to rule the
country
Sent to live in Pisa with King Pelops
Raised with Chrysippus, Pelops son
Teenage emotions and actions
Early Life continued
Shamed of actions
Goes to apologize to Pelops
Chriysippus killed himself from the shame
Apollo curses Laius
Laius tells no one about the curse
Heads back to Thebes to rule
The Oracle at Delphi
Oracle
Laius heads there to see what he can do to repent his
curse
Oracle doesn’t give a straight answer
Tells him that his son will kill him and marry his
mother
Laius vows not to have any children
Stays away from his wife… until one night
Decides to tell Jocasta about the curse
Oedipus
Oedipus
King Laius asks the Theban Sheppard to kill his child
because he can’t do it himself
Takes him to the Cithaeron mountain
Can’t kill the child, gives to a Corinthian servant
Takes to King Polybus and Queen Merope
Raise him as his own
Oedipus continued
Oedipus is told Polybus and Merope aren’t his parents
Asks him parents, they say it’s not true
Oedipus can’t let it go, so he travels to the Oracle
Hears the same prophecy that King Laius was told
Decides to go far away from Corinth
Heads to Thebes
Prophecy
On his way to Thebes, gets into a scuffle with some
men
Outcome of the scuffle results in the fulfillment of half
of the prohecy
Encounters the Sphinx outside of Thebes
Answers the riddle correctly
Creon praises him, as do the citizens of Thebes
Fulfillment of Prophecy
Oedipus is regarded as a great hero
Creon wants him to be the King but there are a few
rules
Marries Jocasta
Story begins with the characters addressing the plague
that has been brought upon Thebes
Vocabulary
Group 1- Tragedy, Oracle, Sphinx
Group 2- Dramatic Irony, Catharsis, Hamartia
Group 3- Tragic Hero, Plague, Anagnorisis
Group 4- Crown of Laurel, Olive Branch, Peripeteia
Group 5- Supplication, Hubris
Characterization
Group 1- Oedipus
Group 2- Creon, Apollo
Group 3- Priest of Zeus, Laius
Group 4- Tiresias, Polybus
Group 5- Chorus, Merope
Scene 1 Discussion
Why has Oedipus sent for Tiresias?
Who are the members of the chorus supposed to
represent?
What happens during the interview between Tiresias
and Oedipus?
What predictions does Tiresias make?
What is Oedipus’ reaction to Tiresias’ charge: “…you
are the unholy defilement of this land”? What
villainous motives does Oedipus ascribe to Creon and
Tiresias?
While reading Scene 2
Scene 3
What does Jocasta bring to the Chorus? Why is this
significant?
What news does the messenger bring?
How did the messenger know that Polybus was not
Oedipus’ father?
How did Oedipus get his name?
What convinces Jocasta that the prophecy turned out
to be true?
What advice does Jocasta give Oedipus about trying to
solve the mystery of his birth?