Oedipus Study questions Prologue- Second Stasimon Prologue (1 ...

Oedipus Study questions Prologue- Second Stasimon
Prologue (1-150) - Oedipus, Priest and Creon
1. How does Oedipus characterize himself How does he come across
2. Describe the effects of the plague that has struck Thebes (25-30).
3. Why does Oedipus send Creon to Delphi
4. According to Creon what did Apollo 3 say must be done in order to cure Thebes of its pollution 4
(95-107)
5. According to Creon what were the circumstances of Laius's death (114-123)
6. Why had Thebes ignored the crime at the time
7. What was the only detail that the lone survivor of the attack that killed King Laos could remember
8. What is Oedipus resolved to do Explain the irony. (pg. 5-6)
Parados (151-215)
9. What is the reaction of the Chorus to the advice of Apollo ('the Delian Healer') to Thebes (154-57)
10. What conditions in Thebes does the Chorus describe (170-182)
11. Whom does the Chorus represent
First Episode (216-462) - Oedipus, Chorus and Teiresias
12. Explain three examples of dramatic irony in Oedipus's speech (pg. 9-10).
13. Other than to stop the plague, what other reasons does Oedipus give for wanting to find Laius’
murderer (pg. 10)
14. What is Teiresias’ reaction to Oedipus's request for help and why (316-344)
15. What does Teiresias’ reveal to Oedipus as a result of the king's angry accusation (353;362)
(Note the emphasis on sight and blindness in the dialogue between Oedipus and Teiresias)
16. What suspicion does Oedipus begin to harbor about Creon (385-389)
17. What does Teiresias predict will happen to Oedipus (417-423; 452-460)

First Stasimon (463-512)
18. What is the Chorus's view of Teiresias's accusations against Oedipus (483-495; 504-511)
Second Episode (513-862) - Creon, Chorus, Oedipus and Jocasta
19. What motivates Creon's entrance at the beginning of this episode (513-522)
20. Why does Oedipus accuse Creon of conspiracy (555-556; 572-573)
21. How does Creon defend himself against Oedipus's accusation (583-604)
22. Why does Jocasta tell Oedipus about her baby What does Jocasta attempt to do (634-668)
Is she successful (669-697)
23. How does Jocasta try to assure Oedipus that he not guilty of Laius's death (707-722
24. Why is Oedipus frightened by the information given by Jocasta (726-745)
25. What happened to the one surviving witness to the killing of Laius (758-764)
26. Whom does Oedipus believe are his parents and where does he think he was born (774-775)
27. Why did Oedipus go to the Delphic Oracle and what was he told there (779-793)
28. What does Oedipus say happened at the crossroads
29. What detail in Jocasta's story of Laius's death does Oedipus take comfort in (842-847)
30. What does Jocasta say about oracles How does the Chorus react to her words
Second Stasimon (863-910)
31. What wish does the Chorus express in the first stanza (863-872)
32. In the beginning of the second stanza the Chorus says that hubris 'arrogant disregard for the
rights of others' produces the tyrant, without a doubt referring to Oedipus. In your opinion is Oedipus
a tyrannical ruler Is he guilty of hubris If your answer to these two questions is "yes", is he
therefore responsible for his own fate
33. What concern does the Chorus express in the fourth stanza ("the earth's navel" = the Delphic
Oracle) (897-910) 6

1. Oedipus seems to be a good leader. He has his city’s best interests at heart. He wants to fix
the plague. He comes across a bit stuck-up and arrogant.
2. Crops don’t grow, babies are not being born, birds fall from the sky,hunger, disease,
suffering.
3. Oedipus sends Creon to Delphi to ask the oracles/gods ( Apollo) what can be done to rid the
city of the plague.
4. They must find the former king, Laius’ murderer and banish him or kill him.
5. Creon said that Laius was killed by multiple robbers. Ther was only one witness who
survived.
6. Thebes did not spend much time investigating the crime because the sphinx was terrorizing
the city.
7. The only survivor of King Laius’ attack said that several robbers had killed him.
8. Oedipus decrees to find the murderer and cast him out of the city forever, alone with no help
or friendship. The Irony is that he is cursing himself, because he in fact is the murderer.
9. They are curious, fearful, wondering if they plague can be stopped by Oedipus. They are also
a bit hopeful with Oedipus taking charge.
10. Crops don’t grow, babies are not being born, birds fall from the sky.
11. The Chorus could represent the government officials ( Senators) or the townspeople
12. He asks the criminal to step forward ( it’s him) He threatens whoever know of this man to turn
him in. If anyone is found to be housing him or helping him he will be cast out. He says that
even he, himself is not immune to punishment if it should be found that he is protecting the
murderer. He says he will fight to find Laius’ murderer as if Laius were his own father ( he is).
He dooms the murderer to a life of misery.
13. He says he feels a connection to the former king Laius because he has he crown, has his
wife, and feels as if he is his own father in a way.
14. He tells Oedipus that he is the murderer of the former king
15. Oedipus begins to suspect that Creon is setting him up because it was Creon who requested
that Oedipus call Teiresias and when he accused Oedipus, he blamed Creon.
16. Teiresias predicts that when Oedipus realizes he has married his mother and killed his father
that his whole family will be cursed and that Oedipus will be cast out a poor, blind man.
17. The chorus is amazed by Teiresias. They feel Oedipus has been a good king and will support
Oedipus until they have more proof.
18. Creon enters mad because he has heard that Oedipus accused Creon of setting him up and
accused Creon of wanting the crown.
19. Because it was Creon that requested that Oedipus call Teiresias ( the soothsayer) for
information.
20. Creon says that he already has equal power to Oedipus, so why would he want all the bad
things that come with being King if he already has the power. He doesn’t want the headache.
21. Oedipus starts to worry that Teiresias might be correct and that the man he killed years ago
was in fact the king. Jocasta says that fortune tellers/ profits/ oracles/ soothsayers are full of it
because they got a prediction that her child would kill his dad and marry he mom so she sent
the baby away to be killed, so soothsayers cannot be believed. She is not very successful
because she mentions where the king was killed and that is where Oedipus murdered a man.

22. Jocasta reminds Oedipus the several robbers killed Laius so it could not be Oedipus as he is
only one man.
23. Oedipus is frightened because he killed a man where Laius died. He also recalls an oracle
the same a Jocosta’s that he was supposed to kill his father and marry he mother.
24. The surviving witness, upon seeing Oedipus as the new king, requests to be sent away from
the city.
25. Oedipus believes his parents are Polybus and Merope of Cornith.
26. Oedipus goes to the oracle to find out if he was a “changeling” ( adopted). He gets a
prediction that he will kill his father and marry his mother.
27. Oedipus says he got into an argument with a group of people and an old man hit him on the
head so he killed them all.
28. Jocosta reminds him again that the king was killed by many robbers, not a single man.
29. She again says that oracles are not to be believed. The chorus says the the gods are
powerful and that pride will lead to a downfall if humans are not careful.
30. Any answer will work if it sounds intelligent.
31. Any answer if they give a reason
32. Any answer if it sound intelligent.