Characters
He solved the Sphinx’s riddle; he is the current King of Thebes
Who is Oedipus?
He said,
“There were three highways coming together at a place I passed. A chariot, drawn by horses forced me off the road at his lord’s command. But as this charioteer lurched over towards me I struck him in my rage. The old man saw me and brought his double goad upon my head. Swinging my club I knocked him out of his car. I killed him. I killed them all.”
Who is Oedipus?
This literary device is shown when the text says, "you [Oedipus] have seen our city reeling like a wreck"
This was what Apollo sent down on the town of Thebes because they had not found and punished the murderer of King Laius.
What is a plague?
The plague is causing these three things to happen (name 2)
What is/are
1. Women can't have children, children born die, no growing children in Thebes
2. Disease on the cattle/animals
3. Disease on the plants/crops
She is Oedipus’ wife (and also his mom)
Who is Jocasta?
He says the following:
“I say that you are the murderer whom you seek.”
Who is Teiresias?
An example of this literary term would be at the end of Part II, Oedipus talks about the three roads as if they could speak and remember,
“O three roads, dark ravine, woodland and way where three roads met: you, drinking my father’s blood, my own blood, spilled by my own hand: can you remember the unspeakable things I did there?”
What is personification?
This person was sent by Oedipus to Delphi to find out what was causing the plague on the city of Thebes
Who is Tiresias?
This was the answer to the Sphinx’s riddle about what walks on 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs in the afternoon, and 3 legs in the evening?
What is a human?
He is the blind prophet/clairvoyant. He tells Oedipus he is King Laius’ murderer.
Who is Teiresias?
He says,
“If I am found guilty of treason with Teiresias then sentence me to death!”
Who is Creon?
Language appealing to the five senses: "And the bleeding eyeballs gushed and stained his beard"
What is imagery?
Teiresias is this type of person. Oedipus asks him to reveal any knowledge of King Laius’ murder.
What is a prophet/
Oracle/fortuneteller/
Clairvoyant ?
These are the details about King Laius’ death according to Oedipus (Who was there with the king? Where was it? Why did Oedipus kill them?)
Who is/What is
1. The king was with his servants; Oedipus was the only murderer
2. Three Roads Meet is location
3. Oedipus killed them out of self-defense; the carriage was trying to drive him off the road and attacked him first (road rage)
He is Jocasta’s brother. Oedipus believes this man is trying to take his power and throne.
Who is Creon?
This person says,
“No, when he [servant] came home again and saw you king and Laius was dead, he came to me and touched my hand and begged that I should send him to the fields to be my shepherd...so I sent him away"
Who is Jocasta?
The opposite of what we expect in a situation. Oedipus unknowingly kills his father and sleeps with his mother while he believes he is “fleeing” from his father and mother to avoid those exact acts
What is situational irony?
These are the reasons why Creon says he would not attempt to take Oedipus’ throne (Name 2)
What is
1.Creon already has the perks without stress/duties
2.Creon hates anarchy
3.Creon tells Oedipus he can directly ask the priestess at Delphi if he [Creon] is telling the truth
4.If he [Creon] is found to be at traitor, Oedipus can kill him
This is what King Laius and Jocasta did to prevent the prophecy concerning their son from coming true.
What is bind the baby’s ankles together and
leave him on the side of a mountain to die?
These are the names of Oedipus’ adopted parents
Who are Polybus and Merope?
At the beginning of the play, this person says to Oedipus, "You came and by your coming saved our city, freed us from the Sphinx, cruel singer...Raise up our city, save it, and raise it up."
Who is the Priest?
When we (the reader/audience) knows Oedipus’ true identity, but he does not until the end of the play
What is dramatic irony?
Oedipus grew up in this town. He fled this town and never returned when the oracle told him he would kill his father and sleep with his mother.
What is Corinth?
Oedipus says that Teiresias can’t be that great of a fortune teller because he wasn’t able to do these TWO things.
What is/are
1. Answer the Sphinx’s riddle
2. Identify Oedipus as the killer at the time of the murder or anytime during Oedipus' reign as king (why reveal it so late?)