|
English 240: Ancient Literature
Sophocles, Oedipus the King, Al Drake | Cyber Cafe M/W 10-11 | ajdrake@ajdrake.com Oedipus the King 1. Aristotle refers often in his Poetics to Oedipus Rex as an example of an excellent tragedy. Audiences have always found the play compelling--how do you explain its success? 2. In what sense is Oedipus, though a king, also an "everyman" figure? In other words, how might this play be said to explore something fundamental about the limitations involved in being human? 3. From lines 1-89, what qualities do the people attribute to Oedipus? What heroic qualities does he attribute to himself? Aside from saving Thebes, what is Oedipus being called upon to do? 4. From lines 169-245, what assumptions do the Chorus make about the relationship between humans and the gods? How does Oedipus contradict them immediately afterwards? 5. From lines 340-526, Oedipus engages with the blind prophet Tiresias. What is the basis of Oedipus' appeal to Tiresias--how does he try to get the truth from him? How is Oedipus' attitude towards Tiresias and the kind of knowledge he represents inconsistent? 6. From 527-72, why do the Chorus not accept the charges Tiresias has leveled against Oedipus? What would constitute proof for them? 7. From 573-750, Oedipus and Creon argue--how does Creon interpret Oedipus' anger? What charges does he make against the king, what prediction does he offer about Oedipus' future? 8. From 751-953 Jocasta inquires about the disagreement between Oedipus and her brother Creon. What information does she pass on to Oedipus that only makes his misery worse? What does Oedipus reveal about his past, and how much does he now understand about his guilt? 9. From 954-97, the Chorus assess the situation as it stands. What makes them anxious? How do their remarks affect your understanding of their trustworthiness as judges of the drama unfolding before them? 10. From 998-1182, first Jocasta and then she and Oedipus hear unexpectedly from a Corinthian Messenger. What does his information about Polybus at first lead both to assume about the power of prophecy and the course of human life, and what subsequent revelation proves devastating to them? How is this scene "ironic"? 11. From 1183-1350, Oedipus carries on to the bitter truth, which he hears from the old Herdsman mentioned by the Corinthian Messenger. Why doesn't he stop the process of unconcealment? What lesson does the Chorus draw from his ruin? 12. From 1351-1449, a Messenger describes what happened when Oedipus entered the palace and saw that Jocasta had hanged herself. How might hearing this event rather than seeing it change an audience's perspective on the events? 13. Regarding the same episode, what symbolic implications emerge from Oedipus' blinding himself? Do you find his action courageous and heroic, or do you interpret it some other way? Explain. 14. From 1450 on, Oedipus laments and seeks exile. How does he understand what has happened to him? Why is it necessary that the audience hear him after all that has occurred? 15. By the end of the play, what is the status of Oedipus as a tragic hero? Do you think that an audience would pity him, or judge him harshly? What do you think of the Chorus' final prounouncement? Explain. Oedipus at Colonus 1. From lines 1-141, when Oedipus first arrives at Colonus, what sort of reception does he receive, and what are his expectations? What does he offer the people of Thebes ? 2. From lines 142-336, how does Oedipus explain his ordeal and present circumstances to the chorus? What problem does he have in persuading them? 3. From lines 337-518, what is the state of relations between Oedipus and his children? Why is Oedipus still important to Thebes ? 4. From lines 519-76 and again from 1894-end, if you have read Antigone, how does the behavior of the sisters Antigone and Ismene in the present play compare to their behavior in Antigone? 5. From lines 577-616, what reason does the Chorus give for extracting from Oedipus the story of his past? How does he defend himself? What role does the complex metaphor of “sight” or “vision” play in his defense? 6. From lines 617-817, why does Duke Theseus of Athens accept the request of Oedipus? What does Oedipus promise he can do, and under what circumstances? What role does the Chorus play at the end of this section? 7. From lines 818-1008, during the argument with King Creon of Thebes, what powers does Oedipus ally himself with against his former kingdom? How does Creon try to undercut Oedipus' self-defense? 8. From lines 1009-1192, Creon faces the wrath of Theseus and Oedipus. How does Theseus contrast his own and his city's principles with Creon's actions? How does Creon counter the charges? 9. From lines 1193-1414, Oedipus is constrained to accept the will of Theseus and his daughters and see Polynices. Why are they all so insistent that he greet his hated son, and how is the situation ironic considering Oedipus' previous statements? Why is this section an appropriate point for the Chorus' observations about human existence? 10. From lines 1415-1645, how does Polynices' behavior in the wake of his father's rejection compare to Oedipus' conduct during his own ordeal in Oedipus the King? How does he respond to his father's oracles and curses? Why won't Oedipus relent? 11. From lines 1646-1893, Oedipus receives his summons and goes to meet his death. What is the character of that death? What does Oedipus bid Theseus of Athens do in order to avert destruction by Thebes ? 12. From lines 1894-end, Antigone and Ismene lament their father's death and their present circumstances. This makes psychological sense, but why is it important in understanding the significance of Oedipus' tragic life and mysterious death? 13. To what extent does Oedipus' insight during his exile and at the point of death compensate him for the ruin of his house and the pain he has suffered? In other words, to what extent does Sophocles offer his audience an “answer” to the problem of the relationship between humans and the gods? 14. Throughout, the chorus has offered variants on its final pronouncement, “all rests in the hands of a mighty power,” and it has said, too, that we should count no one happy until death has come. How do such statements complement or contrast with the actions and attitudes of the characters themselves concerning the gods and human life? Antigone 1. Do you consider Antigone or Creon the more important character in this play? Or do you consider them both equally important? In your response, consider why one or the other, or both, might deserve the title of protagonist or tragic hero. 2. What vision of rulership does Creon set forth? To what extent does he remain true to that vision? What would you say is Creon's most important mistake, and why? 3. With what powers does Antigone align herself? Would you say that her mission has more to do with personal concerns than with religious piety, or would that be an unfair interpretation of her conduct? Explain. 4. How important is gender in this tragedy? Which of the characters treats it as an important consideration? How does Sophocles’ handling of female characters differ, in general, from the way Aeschylus treats female characters? 5. Does the chorus in Antigone get to the bottom of why the two main characters suffer--do they understand the cause and nature of the tragedy that unfolds in front of them? Explain. 6. How important are the gods in this play? Can you tell with whom they side? Or do they remain inscrutable? Explain. 7. Do you think the way Antigone treats her sister Ismene is proper, given her insistence upon familial piety? What is the basis for Antigone’s harshness towards Ismene, and how does Ismene interpret Antigone’s approach to the respective claims of family and state? 8. Aside from simply advancing the plot, what is the significance of the Sentry in this play? How does his conduct serve as a foil for more important characters? How does that same conduct undermine Creon's claims about the best way to keep citizens loyal? *Edition: Sophocles. Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. NY: Penguin, 2000. ISBN: 0140444254.
|