Oedipus Rex Brief Questions

What did the chorus say at the end of the play ‘King Oedipus’?/What is the moral lesson in the play “Oedipus Rex”? ✪✪✪

Ans: “No man can be called happy until he dies happily.”

Where was the infant Oedipus left?

Ans: On Mount Cithaeron.

Who was Teiresias?

Ans: A blind prophet.

Whom did Oedipus send to the Oracle of Apollo?

Ans: Creon.

What was Oedipus’ greatness?/What gift was Oedipus’ greatness? ✪✪✪

Ans: Oedipus’s greatness was his ability to solve the Sphinx’s riddle.

What punishment did Oedipus declare on the killer of Laius?

Ans: Banishment from his country.

Who was Jocasta?

Ans: Jocasta was the biological mother and then wife of Oedipus.

Why did Oedipus blind himself? ✪✪✪

Ans: Oedipus blinded himself because he had done the most heinous act. He killed his father and married his mother.

Who are the foster parents of Oedipus?

Ans: The king and queen of Corinth, Polybus and Merope.

How did Jocasta die?

Ans: Jocasta committed suicide by hanging.

Who are the chorus in “Oedipus Rex”?

Ans: The chorus are the old men of Thebes.

Who knew that the terrible prophecy of Oedipus had already come true?

Ans: Teiresias.

Who is the tragic hero of “Oedipus Rex”?

Ans: Oedipus is the tragic hero of the play.

Where is the setting of the play “Oedipus the King”/”Oedipus Rex”?

Ans: Thebes.

What is the Greek title for the play “Oedipus Rex”?

Ans: Oedipus Tyrannus.

What is the Latin title for the play “Oedipus the King”?

Ans: Oedipus Rex.

What is a prologue?

Ans: A prologue is an opening for a literary work and provides background to understand the play’s action.

What is a chorus in Greek Plays? ✪✪✪

Ans: In Greek plays, a chorus is a group of men who comment on the actions or moral issues of the play through song, dialogue, and dance.

What is Sphinx? ✪✪✪

Ans: The Sphinx is a mythological character whose head and breasts are like a woman and body like a lion.

Why was Creon sent to the Oracle of Delphi?

Ans: Creon was sent to the Oracle of Delphi to seek help on how to end the plague and why the city is suffering.

Who killed Laius?

Ans: Oedipus killed Laius.

What accusation did Oedipus bring against Creon?

Ans: Oedipus accused Creon of treachery.

What truth did the messenger from Corinth disclose?

Ans: The messenger from Corinth disclosed that King Polybus is no more and that Polybus was not Oedipus’s real father.

How did Oedipus blind himself? ✪✪✪

Ans: He blinded himself with Jocasta’s golden brooches.

How many children did Oedipus have?

Ans: Four children—two sons and two daughters.

What was Delphi famous for? ✪✪✪

Ans: Delphi was famous for the oracle of Apollo and its accurate predictions of the future.

What is the tragic flaw of Oedipus? ✪✪✪

Ans: Oedipus’s excessive pride.

What is a hamartia or tragic flaw? ✪✪✪

Ans: Hamartia is an error or mistake of the tragic character that leads to the downfall.

What is the meaning of the word “Oedipus”? ✪✪✪

Ans: Oedipus means “swollen foot” in Greek.

What are the six constituent parts of tragedy?

Ans: Plot, character, thought, diction, music/chorus/song, and spectacle.

What is a play within a play? ✪✪✪

Ans: “A Play Within a Play” means a play that is being performed in another play.

What are the three unities of a play according to Aristotle? ✪✪✪

Ans: Unity of action, unity of time, and unity of place.

What is the English word for ‘mimesis’?

Ans: In English, ‘Mimesis’ means imitation. 

What is the best form of ‘discovery’ according to Aristotle?

Ans: The revelation of a character’s true identity or situation.

What did Laius look like? ✪✪✪

Ans: Laius was tall, had a little grey in his hair, and looked a lot like Oedipus.

Who was the “Dog-faced witch”?

Ans: The Sphinx.

What are the two major emotions of tragedy?

Ans: ‘Pity’ and ‘fear’ are the two major emotions of tragedy. 

Why did Oedipus flee from Corinth?

Ans: To avoid the prophecy of murdering his father and marrying his mother.

Who is the chorus in ‘Oedipus Rex’? ✪✪✪

Ans: Elderly citizens of Thebes.

What does the oracle of Delphi prophesy about Oedipus? ✪✪✪

Ans: Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother.

Where was Laius killed? ✪✪✪

Ans: Laius was killed at a crossroads.