Plot
Where is the play set?
Thebes
What does Oedipus beg for at the end of the play?
He begs for exile back to Mount Cithaeron.
Where did Oedipus kill Laius?
The crossroads
swollen foot
What are Ms. Phelan's cats names?
Cooper and Momo
What is the state of the city as the play opens, and why?
What is the relationship between Jocasta and Oedipus?
What do Oedipus' swollen ankles symbolise?
That he is marked by fate.
What literary device is used when Oedipus declares he will find the murderer of Laius, unaware that he himself is the murderer?
Dramatic irony.
Hubris
Where was Oedipus raised?
Corinth
What are Oedipus' adoptive parents names?
Polybus and Merope
what does it mean when Oedipus says "my children" when addressing the people of Thebes?
He looks at them like his children, his responsibility. He is paternal in his care for the people.
What is the riddle of the Sphinx, and what is its answer?
"What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?" The answer is "Man".
What is xenia ?
an ancient Greek custom meaning respect to both the host/guest.
Why does Oedipus leave his hometown?
Because an oracle told him that he would kill his father and marry his mother.
How is Tiresias characterised with irony?
He is a blind prophet
What affliction does Oedipus have and how did he get it?
Swollen ankles, as his ankles were pinned together as an infant
What are three themes within the text?
Fate, free will, truth
2 truths and a lie:
1. I ran a marathon this year
2. I know sign language
3. I can read latin
3 is the lie.
Where was Oedipus abandoned as a baby?
Mount Cithaeron.
In what ways is Creon a foil for Oedipus?
He is reasonable and logical in the face of Oedipus' outrage. He is a mirror for what Oedipus lacks.
"nothing human can penetrate the future"
- who says this and what is the context?
Jocasta, and she is explaining to Oedipus that he need not worry about the prophecy he was given as she believes her prophecy did not come true.
Why does Oedipus blind himself?
Because he can't stand to see the truth also he feels it is his first true act of agency.
What football team does Ms. Phelan go for?
Geelong (obv)