Oedipus

1.Who wrote the play?
~Sophcoles

2. Briefly define the Oedipal Complex.

~A theory that states a boy is attracted to their mothers and resent their fathers.

3. What is the setting of the story, specifically, the where?

~The royal palace in  Thebes, Greece

4. As the play opens, what horrible thing is going on?

~the plague is going around.

5. Whose death must be avenged in order for the horrible thing from number 4 to end?

King Laius was murdered, he was the former king.

6. Who is Oedipus’ wife?

~Oedipus' birth morther, Jocasta.

7. Who is Oedipus’ mother?

~His wife, Jocasta.

8. Who is Oedipus’ father?

~Former King that was murdered, Laius was his birth father. His adoptive father is Polybus, th king of Corinth

9. Who killed the King of Thebes (the answer for #5)?

~Oedipus his son.

10. What is Oedipus’ tragic flaw?

I believe he was intellegince.With his intellegince he solved the riddle of the Sphinx and became king. But when combined with his "blindness", it created his ultimate demise.

11. As you read through Oedipus, you'll note that sight/vision/seeing (including "second sight") is very

important to the overall story--in the literal as well as the metaphorical/symbolical aspect.  You don't have to do this in complete sentences if you don't want---v v v v v v v

12. Describe/discuss/explain/list how sight/vision/seeing/"second sight" is/are used in the play to advance the plot--to advance the story as a whole.  Include an explanation of why it's important as well as how it helps you (the real audience) understand (get) what others on the stage and in the play don't understand.

~Basically, Oedipus was blind to who he really was. Yes he could see, but he was unaware of who he really was and had become, secondary blindness. Tiresais is literally blind, but see's truth and most for what it truely is. Jocasta is secondary blind, because she doesn't realize that she is Oedipus's mother.When she finds out she commits suicide. When Oedipus finds out the truth he gauges out his eye making his literally blind and able to see like Tiresais.

13. As a play, there's a lot that can and can not be done on the stage.  Explain why you think some things within this play in particular are done on stage while others are done off stage.

~Graffics/effects were horrible back then. So if Oedipus were togauges his eyes out on stage it would not have looked realy. So it was spoken not acted.

14. Do you believe in fate?  Explain fully your answer.

Yes. I believe everything happens for a reason. For example, when my boyfriend was stopped at a red light when he first got his lisence, a drunk driver ran the light and hit him head on. This guy was well over the legal limit and under age. My boyfriend was okay, however the driver side of the car was completely messed. How he got out of that alive I can only ask Jesus why he was spared.But the drunk driver was arrested about a mile down the road after he flipped his car. Later my boyfriend found out the drunk driver had cause 3 other wrecks the same day. I belive it was fate that he got hit so the driver could serve his time. I am very thankful my boyfriend made it out alive, and that the other driver was charged with 4 counts of attempted man slaughter, underage drinking, and DWI.  

15. Explain how fate plays a role in Oedipus.

~Fate is a HUGE role in Oedipus life. He was not wanted by his mother and father so they sent him to die. Only, he didn't die. He came back and, unknowingly, killed his father and married his mother. If he wouldn't have pushed so hard to find out who murdered his father, he would not have gauged his eyes out.

16. Have you ever thought how ironic this play is? It's weird how the events come together and make everything happen the way it does. If things were to happen just a little bit different the story would be completely changed.

~Yes i do believe it would have changed a great deal. Esspecailly if Oedipus knew his father before he found out who killed him. If he would have listened to Tiresais and not persued the mureder he would still be able to literally see. So many things would have been changed. Then the who story would have not been so ironic or interesting to read.

Extra: Name either one of the other two plays in the Oedipus Trilogy—punctuation count

Oedipus at  Colonus, and Antigone