Name________________________________________
English IV (A)
Mr. Hoffmann
Oedipus Rex Scene 2 Quiz
1. What does Oedipus ask of the citizens of Thebes?
(a) He orders them to go to the shrines and give offerings to the gods.
(b) He orders them to gather together and stay in their houses.
(c) He orders them to reveal the murderer, if they know who he is.
(d) He orders them to hold a great celebration in the town.
2. What deal does Oedipus offer the murderer if he gives himself in?
(a) Oedipus offers to banish the murderer instead of killing him.
(b) Oedipus offers to limit the murderer's banishment.
(c) Oedipus offers the murderer his choice of death or banishment.
(d) Oedipus offers the murderer a place in Corinth in exchange for banishment from Thebes.
3. What does Oedipus decree that no citizen of Thebes shall do?
(a) shelter, talk, or consort with the murderer
(b) pray to any god but Apollo until the murderer is found
(c) leave the town until the murderer is found
(d) talk or gossip about the murder
4. What does Oedipus wish for himself, if he unknowingly hosted the murderer at his home?
(a) to be ripped from his land and family
(b) eternal damnation
(c) a life of solitude and sobriety
(d) all the bad things he wished upon the murderer
5. What does Oedipus say about the fact that Laius' death wasn't looked into before?
(a) Oedipus says that the town is actively covering up the murder.
(b) Oedipus says he understands that the town had other problems.
(c) Oedipus says that the town knew it was bringing tragedy upon itself.
(d) Oedipus says the town should have looked into the murder.
6. Why does Oedipus feel linked to Laius?
(a) He says the prophets have linked him to Laius.
(b) He is now married to Laius' wife.
(c) He feels bound to Laius by the Sphinx's riddle.
(d) He feels drawn to the memory of Laius.
7. What does the chorus leader tell Oedipus about the murderer?
(a) that the murderer likely had nothing to do with Thebes
(b) that he is not the murderer and doesn't know who the murderer is
(c) that he doesn't want to know who the murderer is
(d) that he suspects who the murderer is but doesn't know
8. Who does the chorus leader say should reveal the murderer?
(a) Oedipus
(b) Laius
(c) Apollo
(d) Creon
9. What course of action does the chorus leader suggest Oedipus should take?
(a) send another emissary to Delphi
(b) consult the prophet Teiresias
(c) look inside his own palace
(d) search every house in the city
10. What does the chorus leader think of Oedipus' curses on the murderer?
(a) that the murderer will laugh at them
(b) that the murderer will make fun of them
(c) that the murderer will ignore them
(d) that the murderer will take them seriously
11. Who leads Teiresias into Oedipus' presence?
(a) a small boy
(b) the chorus leader
(c) Creon
(d) Jocasta
12. What is Oedipus' attitude toward Teiresias when he first speaks to the prophet?
(a) defensive and annoyed
(b) angry and ironic
(c) derisive and snide
(d) deferential and complimentary
13. What does Teiresias say about his own wisdom, after Oedipus questions him about Laius'
murderer?
(a) It is a blessing and a curse.
(b) It is misunderstood, even by himself.
(c) It is fleeting and unreliable.
(d) It brings no benefits.
14. What reason does Teiresias give for not answering Oedipus' questions?
(a) He isn't sure about what he knows.
(b) He doesn't want to cause them both grief.
(c) He knows the truth, but the gods have told him not to say.
(d) He does not believe his own visions.
15. How does Oedipus react to Teiresias' unwillingness to speak?
(a) with fear
(b) angrily
(c) with sorrow
(d) jokingly
16. What does Teiresias believe about future events?
(a) He cannot change them.
(b) They can be stopped but only by Oedipus.
(c) They are for the best.
(d) They can be stopped by his silence.
17. Who does Teiresias accuse as the murderer?
(a) Jocasta
(b) Creon
(c) Oedipus
(d) himself
18. What does Teiresias say makes him strong?
(a) the gods
(b) the truth
(c) his powers
(d) anger
19. What does Oedipus ask Teiresias to do, after Teiresias says Oedipus is the murderer?
(a) fall on his knees and pray
(b) repeat what he's said
(c) leave Thebes immediately
(d) fight him
20. Who does Oedipus accuse Teiresias of being in league with?
(a) Creon
(b) Apollo
(c) Jocasta
(d) the oracle
21. What does Oedipus accuse Creon of?
(a) setting the Sphinx upon Thebes
(b) trying to overthrow him for the sake of power and riches
(c) killing Laius and causing the plagues
(d) wanting to marry Jocasta himself
22. What argument does Oedipus offer that Teiresias is not really a prophet?
(a) Teiresias is only faking blindness.
(b) Teiresias did not answer the Sphinx's riddle.
(c) Teiresias's prophecies conflict with the oracle.
(d) Teiresias changes his prophesies from one day to the next.
23. Why does Oedipus say he's not punishing Teiresias?
(a) because of Teiresias's stature in the community
(b) because he believes Teiresias is Creon's pawn
(c) because of Teiresias' age
(d) because clearly no one will believe Teiresias
24. What does the chorus leader rebuke both Oedipus and Teiresias for?
(a) not talking with Creon
(b) not talking with Jocasta
(c) not listening to each other and talking at cross purposes
(d) being angry and quarrelling instead of finding the murderer
25. Who does Teiresias say he serves?
(a) Zeus
(b) Oedipus
(c) Apollo
(d) Creon
26. What does Teiresias say Oedipus doesn't know?
(a) the power of prophecy
(b) the family he's come from
(c) the true wishes of the gods
(d) the name of the murderer
27. Who does Teiresias say he was "wise enough" to?
(a) Creon
(b) Apollo
(c) the gods
(d) Oedipus' parents
28. What does Teiresias answer when Oedipus asks the identity of his father?
(a) That it will be revealed today and destroy Oedipus.
(b) That Oedipus truly knows who his father is.
(c) That Oedipus has two fathers.
(d) That Oedipus will be better off not knowing.
29. How does Teiresias respond when Oedipus says the prophet speaks in riddles?
(a) that Oedipus is good at solving riddles
(b) that Oedipus will wish this riddle were never solved
(c) that the truth is as complex as a riddle
(d) that life is a riddle
30. Before Teiresias leaves, what does he say about the murderer's nationality?
(a) that he will turn out to be a native Theban
(b) that he is a Corinthian
(c) that he comes from no nation
(d) that he is an Athenian
31. What does Teiresias say about the murderer's eyesight?
(a) that he can see but not himself
(b) that he can see but not the future
(c) that he can see but will be blind
(d) that he can see but not the past
32. What does Teiresias say about the murderer's financial condition?
(a) that he is rich with wealth but not love
(b) that he is rich but not in spirit
(c) that he is rich but will be poor
(d) that he is rich but cannot buy contentment
33. Why does the chorus think it's time for the murderer to flee?
(a) Zeus' son, Apollo, is against him.
(b) Teiresias will eventually name him.
(c) Oedipus is against him.
(d) The ire of the city is rising against him.
34. How has Teiresias' pronouncement made the chorus feel?
(a) sorrowful
(b) fearful
(c) angry
(d) irritated
35. What does the chorus say about Oedipus' possible motive for killing Laius?
(a) The chorus remembers rumors of a quarrel between the two houses.
(b) The chorus thinks Oedipus may have desired the throne.
(c) The chorus knows of no quarrel between the two houses.
(d) The chorus thinks Oedipus may have been angry.
36. What does the chorus say about human prophets?
(a) It's impossible to tell if human prophets have real knowledge beyond the everyday.
(b) Human prophets are the same as the gods and priests.
(c) Human prophets are always wrong.
(d) Human prophets have human motivations.