Symbolism
What is the difference between the primary meaning of the text vs. the secondary meaning?
The primary meaning is the actual story. The secondary meaning is the depth/symbolism/meaning/figurative language that analyzes the text.
The author uses what is stated to mean something different than the literal or common meaning of it.
Verbal Irony
Who is Jocasta and how is she related to Oedipus?
He is Oedipus's Wife and mom.
A reference to the bible in a literary work.
Biblical allusion
Where did Sophocles live?
Athens, Greece
What are the symbolic meanings of fall, winter, summer, and spring?
Fall- decline, middle age, tiredness, harvest
Winter- old age, resentment, death
Summer- adulthood, romance, passion
Spring- childhood, youth, fertility
Actions that have an opposite effect to what was intended
Situational and Structural Irony
Who is the protagonist and the antagonist in Oedipus Rex?
Fate is the antagonist and Oedipus is the antagonist. This is seen since the protagonist, Oedipus lives under his prophecy of fate given to him by the Oracle.
An allusion to a piece of literature
Literary allusion
Who did Athens fight in the Peloponnesian War?
Sparta
What is the difference between symbolism and allegory?
Symbols represent many different things and can be interpreted in different ways. Allegories only represent one thing and have one specific message for the reader
Character does something that foreshadows an event that will occur later. The audience is able to identify this while the character themselves is unable to.
Dramatic Irony
Who was the king before Oedipus?
King Lauis
What are the six elements of Greek Tragedy
-Moral: right vs. wrong, Role of Fate, The Tragic Hero and Hubris, Traditional Plot Line, Chorus, Spectacle
What time period did Sophocles live in?
The Classical Period
One technique authors will do is kill off characters to cause action, cause plot complication, put characters under stress, or end plot complications. Give one example of this in Oedipus Rex.
Answers may vary but one example is Polybus (Oedipus’ adoptive father) He died in order to end plot complications. When everyone discovered that Polybus died from natural causes, they were relieved to know that Oedipus didn’t kill him like the Oracle prophesied
This is an example of ____ irony. “You are all ignorant. I will not reveal the troubling things inside me, which I can call your grief as well.” (391-393) Teiresias speaking to Oedipus
Verbal
What is the Chorus? What was their purpose? Why were they necessary in Greek theater?
The Chorus commented on events and participated in them. They were a large group within the cast. They made transitions between scenes, giving actors the chance to leave and announce the playbill.
What kind of allusion is seen in this quote“A: In a land called Phocis. Two roads lead there—one from Delphi and one from Daulia”
Geographical Allusion
What big three philosophers influenced the Classical Period?
Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle
Why is the crossroad a symbol in Oedipus Rex?
The crossroad is a symbol because it represents the cross between fate and freedom. Oedipus chose to run to a crossroad after discovering he was actually adopted. However fate had its way when the Oracle prophesied that he would kill his biological parents. This comes true when he actually does kill his father, Lauis, and fulfills the prophecy
Oedipus finds out that he had killed his father and married his mother and blinds himself to not see his atrocities. With the audience knowing this all along, what type of is irony this?
Dramatic/Situational irony
How does the chapter, Never stand Next to a Hero, from How to read Like a Literature Professor, play a role in Oedipus Rex?
Once Jocasta realizes that her new husband, Oedipus, is also her son, Jocasta hangs herself because she can’t live with the shame of incest and is traumatized. This relates to the chapter, Never Stand Next to the Hero, because Jocasta was killed off in the story line to highlight the wrongdoings of the protagonist, Oedipus.
What form of allusion is seen in the quote, “No, no, by sacred Helios, the god whose stands pre-eminent before the rest”
Religious Allusion or Mythological Allusion
How did Sophocles serve in the Athenian Government?
Sophocles served as a treasurer in Athens.