Oedipus Essay Questions

Essay on King Oedipus Questions
Scene 1 (Pages 25–39)
1. Oedipus characterizes himself by in line 7 of scene 1, Oedipus says, "I Oedipus, a name that all
men know."(known afar) This shows he has much pride for himself. He feels he is very important,
and that no one is above him. He knows the people need his help, and he feels prideful that they
would need him. The people view him as their saviour. They are relieved to have him there to help
them, and they almost worship him for his help. But as for Oedipus his attitude towards the
suppliants is good, he anticipates his subjects needs and is always one step ahead of them.
2. The conditions in Thebes the Priest describes is there city is in a tide of death from which there
is no escaping. For example "Death in...show more content...
This statement brings grief to the elders because they support and believe Oedipus. Creon
defends himself against Oedipus's accusation by Creon points out that he has an equal third (the
other two thirds belonging to Oedipus and Oedipus' wife) in governing Thebes, and yet he lets
Oedipus rule entirely while he enjoys his life and all the pleasures of royalty. Therefore, he says,
there is no reason for him to kill Oedipus to take the throne and he does not want to rule. Oedipus
is free to judge him, Creon says, but not without some proof, as it is "not right to think good men,
without a reason, bad or bad men good."(Line 609) Creon believes that it takes time to judge for:
"time alone can make it clear a man is just while you can know a traitor in a day."(Line 613)
Oedipus threaten to do is Oedipus says that if someone plots quickly, he must respond quickly or
he will have missed his chance and the other person will have gotten what they wanted.
Furthermore, he calls Creon a traitor and says he wants him dead. Oedipus promises not to harm
the man that comes forward, or is known to have killed Laios. He is not interested in taking this
man's life, only that he no longer lives in Thebes, so that the city can get better. He therefore
promises only to exile Laios' killer.
12. (Also 13) As Creon leaves, Oedipus' wife, Jocasta, asks her husband to explain to her why he is
so angry. Oedipus says
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Oedipus Essay
This analysis of Oedipus's character shows how Oedipus, the protagonist and the antagonist against
himself, dealt with unfortunate situations which sealed his fate. Oedipus was a strange round
character that was really interesting and mysterious. Oedipus's life was a good example of a true
Greek tragedy; he worked himself up to be a great king and ultimately in the end he died with only
his perception on life. Oedipus was once a man of power who falls impoverished. He goes from
having much respect in his great position to being impure, blind, and expelled from the land that he
once ruled. At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus's wisdom and actions as a king are very
effective. To his subjects he is respected and very well...show more content...
His pride in himself is even greater than what the people propose it to be. However, Oedipus pride
can be backed up by the fact that he did save the city from disaster while virtually becoming king
almost immediately after his knowledge was known. Oedipus seems to use his pride to embellish
his power. "Here I am myself– / you all know me, the world knows my fame: / I am Oedipus"
(Oedipus the King, 7–9). Unfortunately Oedipus's initial attribute of pride and confidence soon
dwindled throughout the play. From the time that Oedipus's fate comes into action, when he hears
the perception of Tiresias, Oedipus is in due course in losing his fulsome nature. We see the round
nature of Oedipus go a full circle throughout the play; first he is flattering of himself and
self–governing, yet later we see him as impoverished and dependent on others. Oedipus's fate
seems to always win even though he tries tirelessly to beat it. His doesn't allow him to lose due to
his cockiness, but in the closing stages the story seems to show that Oedipus is starting to accept
the fact that he will never win. Towards the conclusion of the play when Oedipus gives his trust to
Theseus over his fortune giving burial he seems to find a peace again even though his life is still
not impressive. Oedipus's reflection towards the end of the play can be summed up by Jocasta's
statement, "Fear? What should a man fear? It's all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth

Oedipus Essay
Robert Anthony once said, "The problem with worry is that we attract the very thing we are trying
to avoid." This quote directly relates to the Greek tragedy Oedipus the King by Sophocles. In this
play, Sophocles gives Oedipus the tragic flaw, hubris (excessive pride in oneself), which eventually
causes him to run into his fate that he wanted to escape. Excessive pride in oneself has been the
downfall of multiple characters like Oedipus. Oedipus won't accept the fact that he cannot escape
his fate because of his uncontrollable arrogance. Pride has played a role in his life when he was
first told about his fate. Oedipus once went to an oracle to find out about his real father. According
to the oracle, "[Oedipus], You are fated to couple...show more content...
If Oedipus set his ego aside and let the carriage pass, he could have prevented the prophecy from
fulfilling itself.
Even though characters believe that they can avoid their fate, they truly cannot. Jocasta gave
birth to a child when she was married to King Laius, and one day an oracle came to Laius and
predicted his future. Jocasta was speaking to Oedipus about the prophecy that an oracle had told
King Laius, "An oracle came to Laius one fine day... and it declared that doom would strike him
down at the hands of a son, our son, to be born of our flesh and blood. But Laius...was killed by
strangers, thieves, at a place where three roads meet...my son–he wasn't three days old and the boy's
father fastened his ankles, had a henchman fling him away on a barren, trackless mountain... My
baby no more murdered his father..."(Sophocles 201). Jocasta and King Laius had a free will which
was to pin their child's ankles and hand him over to a shepherd to finish him. However the
shepherd was unable to fulfill the task, he explains, "I pitied the little baby, master, hoped he'd
[God] take him off to his own country, far away, but he saved him for this, this fate. If you are the
man he says you are, believe me, you were born for pain."(Sophocles 232). The attempt made by
Jocasta and King Laius failed and eventually the prophecy self– fulfilled itself. The free will of the
characters has made them contribute to the result of the prophecy. Jocasta and

Oedipus Essay
Sophocles "Oedipus the King" is a tragic play which discusses the
tragic discovery of Oedipus that he has killed his father and married
his mother. The story of Oedipus was well known to the athenian 's.
Oedipus is the embodiement of the perfect Athenian. He is
self–confident, intelligent, and strong willed. Ironically these are the
very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gained
the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of Sphinx. Sophocles
used the riddle of the sphinx as a metaphor for the 3 phases of
Oedipus ' life and to further characterized him as a tragic man.
The Sphinx posed the following riddle to all who came to obtain the
rule of thebes: "What is it that walks on 4 feet and 2 feet and 3 feet...show more content...
He is very dilligent in the
inquiriy and finally comes to the horrible truth that he himself is the
murderer. Jocasta kills herself at the horrible realization that she has
layed with her son and Oedipus puts out his eyes at finally seeing
the truth. This fulfills the final part of the Sphinx 's riddle for Oedipus
will have to walk with a cane for the rest of his life because of his
blindness, this will give him the 3 feet which man walks with at the
end of his years.
Oedipus used his intellect and diligence to answer the riddle of the
Sphinx. Many of the most intelligent young men of thebes has been

killed attempting to answer the riddle but Oedipus proved his
intelligence superior to theirs. Oedipus uses the same intelligence
and perseverance to find the killer of Laius. He does not give up his
search even when Jocasta warns him to stop and let the matter rest.
He calls the shepard and interrogates him till he discovers the
horrifying truth that he is the killer. Oedipus ' intelligence was
ultimately his flaw. Also, if Oedipus had not had been as
coarageous he would have have never ventured to answer the riddle
of the Sphinx. Thus even though he had killed his father he would
have never become king of Thebes and laid with his mother. In
addition, if Oedipus had had the courage but not the intelligence the
Spinx would have killed him for answering the riddle incorrectly.
Sophocles used this to characterized Oedipus as a tragic

Oedipus The King
Many events that lead to the tragedy of Oedipus Rex proved that his life was troubling defined by
Aristotle. Oedipus high ranking birth lead him to a eventful life because of what his parents
decision was at birth. "An Oracle came to laius one fine day and it declared that down at the hands
of a son, our son, to be born of our own flesh and blood" (Aristotle 201). This oracle was the telling
of this whole family's future and that it was going to lead them to some sticky situations. Oedipus
found out that someone in that kingdom killed laius and he wanted him dead so when he hears the
story he does not want to believe it. "My son he wasn't three days old and the boys father fastened
his ankles, had a henchman fling him away on a barren, trackless...show more content...
"But Laius so the report goes at least, was killed by strangers, thieves, at a place where three roads
meet..." (Aristotle 201). Jocasta's side of the story of what she heard from the shepherd that was
there that day he saw Oedipus kill his dad Laius. "You are fated to couple with your mother, you
will bring a breadth of children into the light no man can bear to see–you will kill your father, the
one who gave you life" (Aristotle 205). This quote was what Oedipus heard from Apollo and that
this lead him to filling the prophecy for his family. Due to the fact of Oedipus ignorance that has
caused him to be his biggest downfall. "Enough! Such filth from him? Insufferable–what, still alive?
Get–out–faster, back where you came from–Vanish!" (Aristotle 183). He does not want to believe
what Teiresias says and explain to him that he had children with his mom. "That day you learn the
truth about your marriage the wedding–march that sang you into your halls, the lusty voyage home
to the fatal harbor!" (Aristotle 183). Tiresias is desperately trying to explain to Oedipus what he had
done and he is not listening or taking his information to

Oedipus Essay
Hans
Rockwell
8/26/17
Question
1 Question
1.)
One of the responses people usually have about
Oedipus
is if he really deserved the fate that he ended up with.
It's
not his fault that
Jocasta
and Laius tried to outsmart fate and dispose of him. In trying to run from this prophecy, did he really
do anything any other person, given the culture, wouldn't have done? Is Oedipus a victim of fate or is
he responsible for the choices he makes?
What
does
Sophocles
suggest?
What
do you think?
Use
specific references from the text in your response. It is sort of an iffy question when we are trying to
figure out whether or not Oedipus...show more content...
There are definitely two arguments on whether or not
Oedipus
had fallen to fate or made his own decisions, but if you think about it, the prophecy stated literally
everything that was going to happen, and maybe it would not had happened if Oedipus did not
seek out everything because the prophecy only unfolded when he began to venture out and look for
the problem trying to solve his own problems. Him doing this unraveled something much worse and
is what led him to his banishment, so if you think about it, maybe fate did bring him to this terrible
ending, but how can we be for sure because he did make these decisions himself.
Jocasta
and
Laius
were the two to blame for believing in such a thing and leaving their child to die a terrible death,
only to come back and have the prophecy happen anyways. King
Laius
sought out the prophecy and found out that their son
(if

they had one), would eventually kill him.
He
did not want this so he gave up his son for adoption. Oedipus got into an altercation and ended up
killing his birth father even after he sought out the prophecy as well only to find out that he would
still end up killing his father.

Oedipus Rex Essay
"Crossroads, and hidden glade, oak and the narrow way at the crossroads, that drank my father's
blood offered you by my hands, do you remember still what I did as you looked on, and what I did
when I came here?" (Oedipus Rex, 1575–1580). Precisely placed at the crossroads of fate and
autonomy, Oedipus struggles to define what, exactly, is fate and what, exactly, is left to his own
discretion; Oedipus Rex challenges the common thought of Greek Society. Transcending more than
one thousand years, questions often posed within the context of this play come to light in high
school classrooms across America. What is seemingly an ineffective, antiquated piece of literature
from Ancient Greece, actually should serve as a piece of required reading...show more content...
Sophocles, through his writing, begins to engage in a contemporary debate of the time period:
fate versus free will. Philosophers of ancient Greece would often debate whether or not the gods
had control over one's life, and Sophocles entertains all aspects of this debate. Through the use of
a meticulously crafted plot, humanity appears to have solved the issue prophesied at the birth of
Oedipus. Ultimately, however, Sophocles demonstrates the revolving way in which preordination
of action ultimately comes to fruition. This is epitomized when Oedipus is met by King Laius,
his father, at the crossroads. When Oedipus is faced with the decision of whether or not to kill the
man in front of him, he fulfills the prophesy which had been placed upon him before his birth.
While this concept might seem like an ancient event that leads to an archaic discussion, it still
invades relevant, personal philosophy of the world. The high school years require each student to
arrive at a crossroads in their own life. Decisions permeate their existence. Behind everything, each
student has to arrive at a conclusion as to who is the driving force behind each decision; is it
themselves or is a higher power commanding everything to happen? This debate allows students to
expand their thought in order to engage a metaphysical debate relevant to discussions of society.
Sophocles uses the plot of the play to teach a lesson

Oedipus Essay
Oedipus, from the play Oedipus the King, is a very unique character whose different aspects are
revealed throughout the play. As he talks with characters such as Creon, Jocasta, and Tiresias, we
get a well painted portrait of the aspects of Oedipus' character.
The ambitious aspect of Oedipus' character is revealed through his conversations with the Leader
and the Chorus. When the Leader steps up at the beginning of the play to offer suggestions, Oedipus
gladly accepts; he asks no one to "hold back" (323) and for everyone to just say whatever
information they had on the killing of Laius. Oedipus is very open–minded to the Leaders
suggestions. He promises the citizens of his town, the Chorus, that he will find the murderer of King
Laius....show more content...
When Creon asks Oedipus to listen to him, Oedipus refuses Creon and insults him in public. Even
the arrogant King Oedipus can be kind and compassionate Oedipus is very kind and compassionate to
Jocasta. He shows deep love and compassion towards her. When Jocasta asks something from
Oedipus, "she receives from [Oedipus] whatever she desires". (648). An example of this is when
Jocasta requested him to stop arguing with Creon, Oedipus complied. While Jocasta is around,
Oedipus seems to be another person; he is affectionate, instead of "haunting" as he normally is;
even to Creon, he seemed to have calmed down and accepted some of Creon's attempts at proving
his innocence. Oedipus is not as kind as he is to Jocasta to everyone, especially towards Tiresias.
Oedipus may be a foul mouthed character, but Tiresias is just as absurd. Oedipus' short temper
and stubbornness is exploited when he talks to Tiresias. Another trait that is revealed is
impatience. When Oedipus insulted Tiresias in public, questioned his power to foresee, and
accused him of lying to his fellow citizens, he replied back promptly and accused Oedipus of
"scourging his own flesh and blood"(474), and said he will be "rooted from the earth brutally."
(489). Oedipus does not take this in well and kicks Tiresias out of his castle. Even though Tiresias
wasn't trying to accuse Oedipus of murder, Oedipus insulted

Oedipus Essay Questions

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