Oedipus Rex Test – Flashcards

Greek dramas were originally performed honoring Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, and rebirth.

Tragedy- a serious drama featuring a none, dignified protagonist who strives to achieve something but is ultimately defeated.; it is derived from the Greek "tragodia," meaning goat-song

The chorus commented on the events and participated in them. They were a large group within the cast. They made transitions between scenes giving actors the chance to leave the playing are, and announced the playbill.

Thebes

The plague. It's devastating the city and creating drama. They go and ask Oedipus for help.

Oedipus became the King of Thebes by killing the sphinx by answering it's riddle

Jocasta's brother

Creon says that a murderer living in Thebes is the reason for the plague. The gods command to take revenge on the killer.

King Laius

Laius was killed at the place where three roads meet by a group of highway men. The crime was never looked into because of the Sphinx's invasion on Thebes.

That person will be shunned and not be allowed to join in sacrifice, lustration, or in prayer

To be condemned to evil and wretchedness

Oedipus vows to do what a son to Laius would do and search for his murderer and punish him. It's ironic because Oedipus /is/ Laius' son

a blind seer

Teiresias refuses to tell Oedipus who the murderer is because it's Oedipus and he doesn't want him to overreact.

Oedipus

the murderer

Why would he kill Oedipus, he has all the perks of his job with no downsides

Creon is calmer and more down to earth.

The choragus was sad, so he felt bad and didn't do it.

She is Oedipus' wife and mom. She is Creon's sister

Oedipus fears he is the one who killed Laius

Same location as where he murdered a group of men on the highway, The king had a lot of people with him, and It was right before he got to Thebes

He's going to bring in a former servant to Laius who witnesses the King's murder, and question him

She doesn't believe it could be Oedipus because the servant very clearly said it was a whole group of highwaymen who attacked

Polybus and Merope, the rulers of Corinth

A drunk man at a party tells him they aren't his parents. His "parents" were angry, saying that it was just some drunk and meaningless rant.

he runs away from his "parents"

A a place where three highways meet, he was told to get off the road by the groom of an oncoming chariot. Then, Oedipus hits him. Ten, the King got out of the chariot with a club, and Oedipus killed him.

Oedipus shall face his own punishment and be shunned. Therefore, he says he'll flee. However, he can't go home because he doesn't want the prophecy to come true, so he'll have nowhere to go.

Oedipus thinks the shepherd who witnessed the murder can clear his name. If this man still claims it was a group of murderers, Oedipus is innocent. However, if he says it was one man now, he'll know he's guilty.

He went to the frontier district because when he saw Oedipus would be ruler of Thebes, he got frightened and couldn't let himself live there.

Jocasta is praying to Apollo because Oedipus is not being himself, he's so preoccupied with dread that he is the murderer.

The Messenger is from Corinth and he has come to tell Oedipus that Polybus has died, and the people os Corinth want him to take over as King.

Jocasta is excited to hear of Polybus' death because it means Oedipus' prophecy was false, and he has no reason to worry.

Polybus dies from natural causes, which relieves Oedipus because not he knows he should not be scared that he will kill his father. After hearing the news, Oedipus agrees with Jocasta that nothing but fate predicts your life's path

Oedipus was still worries because his mother was still alive, and he didn't want to sleep with her as the prophesies said.

Jocasta tell Oedipus that only pate can control your life

The Messenger tells Oedipus that he knows Polybus and Merope aren't his parents because he gave them Oedipus

The Messenger got the baby from a shepherd, who we know worked for Laius.

Jocasta tries to get the Messenger to stop telling Oedipus all this information because she figured out that she is Oedipus' mother.

Oedipus thinks that Jocasta's upset that Oedipus may be of a lower class

The Choragos thinks something bad will happen after Jocasta runs offstage.

Oedipus thinks that he is a child of luck, so no matter who his real parents are, he'll be honored.

The shepherd who once worked for Laius.

The Shepherd is very confused because he doesn't know that Oedipus was the baby he found, and he has no recollection of knowing the messenger.

THe messenger tells the shepherd that they spent three seasons together tending to their flocks

The servant isn't really answering the questions he's being asked, and everything he says is in a really angry tone

Oedipus is frustrated and angry with the old man, and binds that mans arms behind him. He threatened to kill him if he doesn't tell the truth.

The old servant says that Jocasta gave him the baby because there was a prophecy saying it would kill Polybus. He was told to get rid of it, but instead he gave it to the messenger. The shepherd pitied the baby and thought giving the baby to the Messenger would prevent the prophecy from coming true, but it did anyway.

Oedipus discovers that his worst fear, his prophecy, has come true, and he says he is damned.

The second messenger announces that Jocasta died.

she hanged herself after finding out that Oedipus was her son.

Because he said he never wanted to see the misery he creates, or the faces he never should have seen in the first place, again.

The choragus says that Oedipus is now a hideous sight. They say a demon had to have posessed him to get him to do that to himself. They say he is ruined.

by the tone of the Choragus' voice

Oedipus says Apollo is responsible for his self-harm.

Oedipus thinks the man who pitied him as a baby should die.

He wishes his life had ended on the mountain so he wouldn't have to deal with the guilt of murdering his father and sleeping with his mom and causing her death as well

Oedipus thinks his blindness is a good thing because that way he won't have to see his father or mother in the house of Death. Also, this way he would never have to fee his children, who could never be a good sight to his eyes ever again.

He wishes he had also made himself deaf, so his body would be an isolated jail cell

Creon is the new ruler of Thebes

Creon wants Oedipus to go into the house because he is a disgrace to mankind, and if he must rob humanity of it's dignity, he should at least do so in private

take him out of the country as soon as possible so no person can interact with him

he asks that Jocasta be given a proper funeral

nothing, they can take care of themselves.

take care of them because they need a father figure and no one will ever accept them when they find out their family situation

Oedipus feel bad for his daughters in particular because no man will ever want them. They won't be able to go anywhere without coming home in tears.

Oedipus tells his daughters to live their lives to the fullest and be happy

the moral lesson of Oedipus is to not assume life will turn out great until you're looking back on it on your deathbed.

noun; an expression of sorrow or mourning

noun; a humble plea

noun; uneasiness caused by guilt, remorse

noun; purification through ritual

adjective; capable of perceiving though intuition things that can't be seen

noun; something that is useful or helpful

noun; the act of foretelling the future

noun; melody

adjective; shameless, insolent, disrespectful

noun; murder of a monarch

verb; to talk incoherently or aimlessly

noun; a fatal epidemic or disease

noun; a shrine consecrated to the worship and consolation os a prophetic deity

noun; an omen or prophecy

verb; marry, to give ones loyalty to, to adopt or embrace a cause

noun; pretentious or hypocritical rites

adjective; turbulent, stormy

verb; to honor, to revere

verb; to harass or importune, as with requests, to cord around

verb; to make dirty, to desecrate, to pollute