Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King
(Oedipus Rex)
Independent Study Unit
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
PLEASE COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENTS IN THE ORDER LISTED. WORKSHEETS
ARE SPECIFIC TO CERTAIN SCENES / ODES.
NUMBERED H/O #7- #25 ARE IN ANOTHER FILE.
Assignments
1
View and take notes on Greek Theater PPT / be sure to copy lit. terms on lit term sheet
2
Read and take notes on Sophocles bio
3
Review “gods” info chart
4
Complete ANTICIPATION GUIDE.
5
Review Oedipus Terms Sheet
6
7
YOU WILL NEED TO SUMMARIZE EACH SCENE AND EACH ODE IN YOUR READING LOG
Read PROLOGUE / PROLOGOS
8
Complete H/O #8
9
Complete H/O #9 – Charting clues & complete Prologos boxes
Points
15
10
5
20
24
completed
10
Read Parados
11
Complete H/O #10 (The parados)
12
Copy on the back of handout #10 –The Parados (look very closely at the
language/diction):
What does Ares represent to the Chorus? What various things do they wish for
him?
How does the mood of Strophe 2 and Antistrophe 2 contrast with the mood of the
first strophe and antistrophe? What images in the second pair of stanzas focus on
death and decay?
10
4
13
Read Scene 1 / Summarize
5
14
Complete H/O #11 Oedipus Meets Teiresias
28
15
Literary Term: Paradox- A statement that seems contradictory but actually reveals a truth.
16
Complete scene 1 Honors questions
22
17
Complete H/O #12 – “Teiresias and the Paradox of Blindness” still for scene 1
10
18
Fill in Scene 1 box on “Charting the Clues” handout #9
19
Read Ode / Stasimon 1, SUMMARIZE, and answer the Ode / Stasimon 1 questions
5 pnts
6 pnts
Copy on Literary Terms sheet:
1. RHETORIC – the effective use of language
2. STICHOMYTHIA (line talk) – (stik uh MITH e uh) - a form of dramatic dialogue in
which two disputing characters answer each other rapidly in alternating single
lines, with one character's replies balancing (and often partially repeating) the
other's utterances. This kind of verbal duel or ‘cut and thrust’ dialogue was
practiced more in ancient Greek and Roman tragedy. It occurs frequently in Greek
drama, especially when characters are arguing or expressing strong emotions.
20
11
Done
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Assignments
Points
21
Read Scene 2 CREON, THE CHORAGOS, OEDIPUS & JOCASTA– and see if you can identify
examples of stichomythia
22
SUMMARIZE SCENE 2
5
23
Complete H/O # 14 on stichomythia
4
24
Fill in Scenes 1 & 2 on H/O #9 if not already done.
25
Complete H/O #13 – Oedipus accuses Creon (for Ode 1 & Scene 2)
26
Read Ode 2. Introduce the function of the Greek Chorus- (Roles – Strophe 1, Antistrophe 1,
Strophe 2 & Antistrophe 2)
27
Read H/O # 15
24
24
completed
28
complete boxes for the Parados, & Odes 1 & 2 (H/O # 15)
29
Read Scene 3 and Ode 3 (ROLES: SCENE 3-JOCASTA, MESSENGER, LEADER (CHORAGOS), OEDIPUS;
ODE 3 - CHORUS (STROPHE & ANTISTROPHE)
30
SUMMARIZE & Fill in Scene 3 on H/O #9 and fill in Ode 3 on H/O # 15
5 pnts
Complete H/O #16 – The Messenger from Corinth (Scene 3) – may need internet
31
32
33
5
46
Copy Lit. Term: Apostrophe- the act of addressing some abstraction or personification that is not
physically present: For instance, John Donne commands, "Oh, Death, be not proud." King Lear
proclaims, "Ingratitude! thou marble-hearted fiend, / More hideous when thou show'st thee in a
child / Than the sea-monster." Death, of course, is a phenomenon rather than a proud person, and
ingratitude is an abstraction that hardly cares about Lear's opinion, but the act of addressing the
abstract has its own rhetorical power. An apostrophe is an example of a rhetorical trope (a
rhetorical device or figure of speech involving shifts in the meaning of words).
Introduce Mt. Kithairon as a central image in the playExplain the significance of Mt. Kithairon – rising above the city of Thebes, it was supposed to be the location where people
went to pray to / worship Dionysus. It was the home of all foundlings – those lost in the wilderness (like Oedipus) / a place
of protection. Ultimately, O. will cry out against it, in the end, for protecting him in his infancy. Symbolically, the mountain
represents the struggle of man’s quest (the difficult mountain to climb) for perfection (the perfect blend of mind and spirit)
which would make him like a god. As a man achieved greatness in his quest (overcoming some of the obstacles along that
climb) he usually got a little cocky and displayed hubris, which would inevitably lead to his fall. This is what the Chorus
warns O. of in Ode 2. Though he climbed the heights of intellect and greatness (solving the riddle and becoming king), he
must be cautious of hubris. As a result, there is glory in the climb, and ignominy (disgrace) in the fall.
34
35
36
37
38
In this sense, Sophocles uses the mountain for a dramatic purpose
Complete H/O #17. DO NOT DO LETTER “F” IN PART III
Create a chart for II & III
read Scene 4 & Ode 4
Summarize & update H/O #9 & #15
5 pnts.
Complete H/O #18 – The Final Clue for Scene 4 & Ode 4
Complete H/O #19 Understanding Irony (for SCENE 4 & ODE 4)
Explain that irony is an important element of Greek tragedy in that it intensifies the drama
and increases the suspense – we can’t wait to see how the character will react when he finds
out what we already know
40
5
16
18
Done
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Assignments
Points
39
Read the Exodus (ROLES: SECOND MESSENGER, CHORAGOS, OEDIPUS, & CREON)
40
Summarize Exodus, complete H/O #9 & H/O #15
5
41
Complete H/O #20 – Unraveling the mystery
32
42
Lit Term - ARCHETYPE: the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are
copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype. (in Jungian psychology) a
collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in
individual psyches.
43
Complete Oedipus as archetype handout #23 (page 1 – 3)
44
Read H/O #24 – Classic definition of tragedy AND
45
Copy lit. terms:
Classical unities or three unities - are rules for drama derived from a passage in
Aristotle's Poetics. In their neoclassical form they are as follows:
1.
The unity of action: a play should have one main action that it follows, with no
or few subplots.
2.
The unity of place: a play should cover a single physical space and should not
attempt to compress geography, nor should the stage represent more than
one place.
3.
The unity of time: the action in a play should take place over no more than 24
hours.
Peripeteia - a sudden or unexpected reversal of circumstances or situation especially in
a literary work
20
Anagnorisis - the point in the plot especially of a tragedy at which the protagonist
recognizes his or her or some other character's true identity or discovers the true nature
of his or her own situation
A complex plot - in contrast to a simple plot, includes a reversal of the dramatic situation
(peripeteia) and/or recognition (anagnorisis). Complex plots unfold through an internal
logic and causality; they are not simply strings of episodes.
46
complete H/O #25
15
47
Complete Unities of Action PLOT chart – be sure to label the peripetia, the anagnorisis & the
catastrophe
12
TOTAL PACKET (IN RL) WORTH
435
Done
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
ANTICIPATION GUIDE
FOR Oedipus the King
Agree or Disagree? Read the following statements. Write an “A” if you
agree, or a “D” if you disagree on the line next to the statement. When you
have completed the assignment, you will have a chance to explain your
answers.
Remember, there are no right answers, but you will have to defend your
thoughts and opinions.
__________ 1.
It is possible to escape or trick fate.
__________ 2.
If we truly know ourselves, nothing bad will ever happen to us.
__________ 3.
We should not attempt to justify our actions, good or bad.
__________ 4.
Family secrets are best kept as just that – secrets.
__________ 5.
If you are in charge, you are allowed to be exempt from consequences.
__________ 6.
We should engage ourselves in bettering our community, even if it is ourselves that we
must change.
__________ 7.
Society places the burden of the sins of the parents on the heads of the children.
__________8.
There is more than one way to see.
__________ 9.
It is better to place blame on those around us than to look inside ourselves.
__________ 10.
There are no coincidences.
__________ 11.
All types of pride are evil.
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Gods Possibly Mentioned in Oedipus
Greek-to-Roman Mythology Name Conversion Chart
Greek Name
Roman Name
Identity
Symbols
Aphrodite
Venus
Goddess of love and beauty; Goddess of
pleasure; Goddess of Laughter and Fertility;
Daughter of Zeus; Mother of Eros; Wife to
Hephaestus
Myrtle, Dove, Sparrow, Swan,
Sceptre, Swallow, Hearts, Red Roses,
Cupids
Ares
Mars
God of War;
Parents: Zeus & Hera (their
most hated child); Aphrodite is his mistress
Spear, Dog, Sword, Helmet
Artemis
Diana
Goddess of the Moon; Goddess of Virginity and
Childbirth; Protector of Youth and Children;
Twin sister Phoebus; Parents: Zeus and Leto
Bear, Bow, Deer, Forest, Moon,
Cyprus Tree
Athena
Minerva
Goddess of Wisdom; Brain child of Zeus; Most
Intelligent; Patron God of Cities and Civilized
Life; God of handy craft Parents:Zeus and Metis
Agriculture, Wisdom, War, Purity,
Aegis, Owl, Olive Tree, Athens,
Golden Bridal, Flute, Weaving Loom,
Helmets, Staff, Shield, Spider Webs,
Head of Medusa
Cronus
Saturn
God of time; Ruler of the Titans; God of
agriculture; Wife is Rhea; Father to many Gods;
Parents: Ouranus and Gaea
Crow, Candle, Harvest, Sicle, Stone,
Sun, Moon, Stars, Planets
Dionysus
Bacchus
God of wine; Patron god of animal life and
vegetation life; God of Intoxication; Believes in
freedom and civilazation; God of drama and
Fertility; Earth god
Grape Vine, Ivy, Thyrsos, Golden
Challis, Dolphin, Torch, Grapes,
Purple Cloak, Serpent, Ram, Tiger,
Panther, Lynx, Leppard
Eros
Cupid
God of love; Son of Aphrodite and Ares;
Gangster of love; God of the wedding
Bow and Arrow, Blindfold, Magic
Bow, Silver, Lead, and Gold Arrows,
Pierced Heart
Gratiae
Goddesses of happiness,beauty & feast; Names
Aglia (splendor), Euphrosyne (mirth), Thalia
(Good Cheer); Queens of song, banquets, and
social life
Full Banquet Table, Songs, Myrtle
Tree, Grace, Beauty, Dance, Purity,
Flowers, Young Maidens, Gentleness,
Decorum, Gratitude
The Three
Graces
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
The Graie
Hades
Hermes
Medusa
The Muses
The Graeae
Pluto
Gray-haired since birth, have only one eye and
one tooth that they share; They lived on the
outer layer of the ocean; Known for wisdom;
Feast on flesh and Human Brains which they
cook; Their names are Enyo, Dino, and Pephredo
Eye, Tooth, Boiling Couldren, Long
Gray Hair
Sceptre, Cerberus, a cap of invisibility,
the key to the underworld, all
God of the mineral wealth of the earth; Zeus'
precious metals and gems; three
brother; Third in Power; Ruler of the dead; Wife
headed dog, a two pronged staff,
Persephone;
black cyprus, black chariot, horses.
Four seasons, ram, dolphin
Mercury
The messenger God; Delivered Pandora to
punish man; master thief; God of commerce;
Protects travelers; God of athletes and speech;
Brings souls to the underworld; Patron of
Doctors
Winged Helmet and Sandals,
Caduceus, Lyre, Magic Wand,
Doctors Staff, Tortoise, Palm Tree,
Dog
NONE
Born Human; Made into a gorgon by Athena;
Cries blood tears, has brass claws and Brass
Wings, has Serpent Hair; Killed by Perseus; After
she died Pegasus arose from her bleeding trunk;
Can Turn a man to stone with one glance;
Parents: Phorcys & Ceto
Statues of man, serpents, Pegasus,
Bow and Arrow
Camenae
Inspiring goddesses of songs; Clio - History,
Urania - Astronomy, Melpomene - Tragedy,
Disciplines of Literature, Art and
Thalia - Comedy, Terpsichere - Dance, Calliope Science, Stairway, Flute, Drama Mask
Epic Poetry, Erato - love poetry, Polyhymnia Songs to the gods, Euterpe - Lyric Poetry
Pan
Faunus
God of shepherds & flocks; Satyr, he has Goat
hands, legs, and hoofs and human arms and head;
Father Hermes; God of woods and fields; Patron
god of the shepherds; Patron and Protector of all
forest animals; Invented the Shepherd Pipes
Phoebus
Apollo
God of Music; Son of Zeus; Twin Brother of
Bow, Lyre, Laurel Tree, Dolphin,
Artemis; God of Truth, Archery, Philosophy, and Crow, Silver Bow, Lighted Torch, Sun
Light; Great Healer; God of Prophecy
Golden Chariot
Poseidon
Neptune
God of earthquakes & the sea; Brother of Zeus;
Second in Power; Ruler of Sea; God of Fertility
Animals, Red Pine
Trident, Horse, Bull, Dolphin, Sea
Horses, Waves, Earthquakes
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Zeus
Jupitor
God of the heavens, weather, fate, & kings; Rain
God; Cloud Gatherer; Thunder Maker; Lord of
the Universe; Son of Cronus and Rhea; Many
Brothers and Sisters Parents: Cronus and Rhea
Thunderbolt, Eagle, Oak Tree, Aegis,
Eagle, Golen Mist, Bull, Swan, Dear
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Greek Dramatic Structure – Divided into 5 distinct sections
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Prologue (Prologos) – The opening portion of the play. It sets the scene and contains the
exposition
Parodos – The entrance song of the chorus. They are named after the broad aisles on each
side of the theatre, along which the chorus entered or exited.
Episodes (scenes) – The scenes in the action of the drama. The episodes, performed by the
actors, are distinguished from the stasimons, performed by the chorus. The episodes
alternate with the stasimons.
Stasimons (odes) – choral passages, alternating with the episodes of the plot of the drama.
The ode is a type of lyric poem, using exalted, dignified diction, a poetic form created for the
choral passages. The chorus sang and danced the tragic odes, accompanied by musical
instruments. The tragic ode consisted of strophes and antistrophes, essentially stanzas of
the poems. The chorus sang the strophe, dancing in one direction around the orchestra,
changing directions with the antistrophe.
Exodus – The concluding section of the tragedy. Ends with the chorus singing their final
lines as they exit.
OTHER LITERARY TERMS
6.
Lyric poem-song-like poetry that focuses on expressing emotions and thoughts
Choral songs were divided into stanzas: strophe (turn), antistrophe (turn the other way), and
epode (added song) that were sung while the chorus moved (danced). While singing the strophe
an ancient commentator tells us they moved from right to left; while singing the antistrophe they
moved from left to right.
7.
8.
9.
Strophe – the first of the three series of lines forming the divisions of each section of a
Pindaric ode (An ode in the form used by Pindar [Ancient Greek lyric poet from
Thebes], consisting of a series of triads in which the strophe and antistrophe have the
same stanza form and the epode has a different form). The part of an ancient Greek
choral ode sung by the chorus when moving from right to left.
Antistrophe-the part of an ancient Greek choral ode answering a previous strophe,
sung by the chorus when returning from left to right.
Epode - the part of a lyric ode following the strophe and antistrophe and composing
with them a triadic unit.
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King – Honors Questions
SCENE / EPISODE 1 (Limited Teiresias questions) complete before H/O #12
1.
Reread Oedipus’ long speech beginning, “Ye *-*-*pray; ‘tis well, but would ye hear my words.” What
is his tone?
2. Why does Oedipus insist that he will seek out and avenge Laius’ murderer?
3.
In this speech, Oedipus refers to Laius’ descendants as “ill-fated,” but to his own good fortune in
obtaining Laius’ throne as driven by “chance.” Explain the difference between these two concepts, and
why Oedipus might choose to characterize these events in different ways.
4.
Structurally, why is it appropriate for the Chorus / Choragos to appear now?
5.
Once again, in whose voice does the Chorus speak?
6.
Why is it significant that it was Creon whom Oedipus sent to the Oracle and now it is Creon whom
Oedipus has sent to get Tiresias?
7.
Explain what Tiresias means by his first statement to Oedipus. “How terrible to know when it does not
help the knower” OR other translation: “How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be / When there’s
no help in truth!”
8.
How does the Chorus serve as the “conscience” of the play?
9.
How is Tiresias’ response to being ordered to leave comic and ironic? What traits of Oedipus’ does this
emphasize?
10. What does Tiresias mean when he predicts, “This very day will sire you and destroy you” OR other
translation: “This day will give you a father, and break your heart”?
11. Why does Tiresias say that Oedipus, of all people, should understand his riddles?
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King
Ode / Stasimon 1 Questions
1. According to Ode 1, which god will inevitably punish the murderer of Laius? What
misgiving disturbs the Chorus’s confidence in this ode, and how do they deal with this
misgiving?
2. In the course of Ode 1, the Chorus expresses both confident optimism and nervous
apprehension. How is the Chorus’s indecision a comment on the basic conflict of the
play so far? What possible resolutions to the conflict can you predict?
3. What seems to be the function of this ode in response to the preceding scene (scene 1)?
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Balance presented in Greek architecture and art
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King
Lesson 2-Handout 8
The Prologue
1.
Where does the play take place?
2.
Which character begins the play? A playwright very carefully introduces a play. Why might Sophocles have
selected this character to introduce the play?
3.
Oedipus identifies the citizen of Thebes as “generations of the living in the line of Cadmus.” Who was Cadmus?
4.
Which three characters speak in the Prologue of the play? What attitude does Oedipus assume toward the
suppliants seeking his help?
5.
Who are Athena and Apollo? Why are these deities mentioned in the Prologue?
6.
What does the priest ask Oedipus to do?
7.
What initial step does Oedipus indicate he has already taken?
8.
What is the significance of Dephi?
9.
Who is Creon?
10. What is the message from the oracle at Delphi with which Creon returns?
11. What single clue about the murder of King Laius is revealed by Creon?
12. What does Oedipus think about this clue? What might this perception foreshadow?
13. What research method is Oedipus encouraged to use to discover who the murderer of Laius is?
14. What prevented Thebes from tracking down the murderer of Laius at the time the murder occurred?
15. What was the Sphinx?
16. What was the riddle of the Sphinx? What was the answer?
17. Who solved the riddle of the Sphinx? What happened to the Sphinx after the riddle was solved?
18. How was Thebes tortured by the Sphinx? What happened to Thebes as a result of solving the riddle? What prizes
did Thebes give the one who solved the riddle?
19. What does Oedipus promise to do at the end of the Prologue?
20. Of what symbolic significance are the olive boughs, strewn at the altar steps as the Thebans address Oedipus tell
the suppliants to lift up their olive boughs as they depart?
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King
Lesson 2-Handout 9
Charting the Clues
As you read the play and discover the critical clues for solving the mystery of “Who Murdered the King?”, chart them below.
Be sure to chart the resolution of the mystery in the Exodos.
Section of the Play
Prologue
Clues
Who revealed the clue?
Scene One
Scene Two
Scene Three
Scene Four
Denouement: What finally happens to everyone?
Events
How do you know?
Exodos
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King
Lesson 3-Handout 10
The Parados: The Entrance Song of the Chorus:
1.
In strophe 1, what does the chorus ask? (pg. 168, line 168)
2.
In antistrophe 1, to which god and goddess does the chorus appeal for rest from their suffering? (pg. 168, line 180)
3.
In strophe and antistrophe 2, the chorus bewails their situation in Thebes. Describe the situation in Thebes.
Describe the condition of the people of Thebes as the play begins. (pg. 169, lines 190-217)
4.
What is the message of the chorus in strophe 3 and antistrophe 3? (pg. 170, lines 218-243)
5.
??At the conclusion of antistrophe 3, to what new god and his attendants does the chorus appeal for safety from
death? (pg. 169, lines 204-215)
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King
Lesson 3-Handout 11
Oedipus Meets Teiresias
1.
How does Sophocles connect the Parados to scene 1 (episode 1)?
2.
What is the substance of Oedipus’ pledge to the people of Thebes?
3.
What does Oedipus think is unlucky about Laios’ fatherhood? What actually was unlucky?
4.
Who were Labdakos (Labdacus) and Polydoros (Polydorus)?
5.
Who is the Choragos and what is his task in scene 1?
6.
What might be suggested by the fact that Oedipus had to send twice for Teiresias?
7.
At his entrance, how is Teiresias described by the Choragos> What audience attitude should this description
establish?
8.
In that method of augury or divination do the Ancient Greeks believe?
9.
Why does Teiresias at first refuse to tell Oedipus the truth?
10. How does Oedipus react when Teiresias reveals to him the truth?
11. Whom does Oedipus assume is behind Teiresias’ claims? Why?
12. What comparison does Oedipus make between himself and peers like Teiresias? What does this tell us about
Oedipus?
13. When the Chorus intercedes between the argument of Oedipus and Teiresias, of what does he remind Oedipus?
14. What truths does Teiresias present to Oedipus in his speeches following the interruption of the Chorus?
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King
Lesson 3-Handout 12
Teiresias and the Paradox of Blindness
Directions: Explain the paradox of blindness in each of the following examples from Oedipus the King
1.
Oedipus (to Teiresias): You child of endlessnight. You can not hurt me or any other man who sees the sun.
2.
Teiresias (to Oedipus): Listen to me. You mock my blindness, do you? But I say that you, with both your eyes, are
blind.
3.
Teiresias (to Oedipus): You do not even know the blind wrongs/That you have done (your parents), on earth and in
the world below.
4.
Teiresias (to Oedipus): But the double lash of your parents’ curse will whip you/Out of this land some day, with
only night upon your precious eyes.
5.
Once Oedipus discovers his true identity, he blinds himself.
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King
Lesson 4-Handout 13
Oedipus Accuses Creon – Ode 1, Scene 2
1.
As Ode 1 begins, what dos the chorus remind the audience in strophe 1 and antistrophe 1? (pg. 186, lines 526-549).
2.
In strophe 2 and antistrophe 2, the chorus reveals its astonishment at Teiresias’ claims. What claim shocks them? (pg. 187,
lines 561-572).
3.
When the chorus, in antistrophe 2, debate whether to believe Oedipus or Teiresias, with who do they side? Why do you
suppose Sophocles has the chorus voice this opinion? (pg. 187, lines 526-549).
4.
How does Sophoclese connect ode 1 to scene 2? SKIP
5.
Why is it significant that Creon appears without Oedipus as Scene 2 opens?
6.
What character trait of Oedipus is revealed by the fact that Oedipus accuses Creon of treason without first hearing his side?
7.
What rational argument does Creon use to convince Oedipus that he has no designs on the throne of Thebes?
8.
When the argument between Oedipus and Creon breaks into irrational verbal parrying, who intercedes to remind them of their
responsibility to act rationally? How is this scene reminiscent of scene 1?
9.
What seems to be the role of the Chorus? In responding to the Chorus, what evidence of hubris, or self-will, do we see in
Oedipus?
10. Who is Jocasta?
11. Why does Oedipus release Creon?
12. What is prophetic about Creon’s remark that “Natures like yours chiefly torment themselves”?
13. Hamartia is the mistake or error committed by a tragic character which in part accounts for his misfortunes. What is Oedipus’
hamartia?
14. What is the function of the dialogue between Jocasta and the Chorus?
15. What proof does Jocasta offer to support her opinion that mortal man is incapable of divination?
16. What detail for Jocasta’s story of Laius’ murder pricks Oedipus’ memory?
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
17. What eyewitness to the murder of Laius still exists? What is foreshadowed by the servant’s request to leave Teiresias as soon
as he discovers Oedipus on the throne?
18. Compare Oedipus’ version of his oracle with the oracle with given Jocasta and Laius about their son. Why does Sophocles
reveal “both oracles” in the same episode?
19. What is revealed about Oedipus’ personality by his description of the encounter he had with the old man where the three roads
meet?
20. Oedipus begins to suspect the truth and clings to the hope that Laius was killed by a band of robbers. If not, he says: “When is
a man more miserable than I?” Who in scene 1 issued essentially the same statement about Oedipus?
21. How does the Chorus respond to Oedipus’ despair?
22. What is foreshadowed when Oedipus states that the one detail of the Shepherd’s tale is the only hope left to him?
23. Why is it important to encounter the Chorus throughout the entire scene?
24. Attempt to find a point in scene 2 when four characters converse together.
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King
Lesson 4 - Handout 14
Stichomythic Dialogue (use after 2nd Episode)
Stichomythia
A poetic device originating in ancient classical tragedy, in which individual lines of verse dialogue are assigned to alternate
speakers. Character A is assigned one verse line, Character B takes the following line, Character A takes the next, and so
on. Stichomythia was used by the Greek and Roman tragedians as a technique for providing contrast to lengthy speeches
and choral passages, of which their plays are prin¬cipally composed. Ordinarily, the passages of stichomythia occur at
moments of high tension or conflict between the characters.
Stichomythia may be used to present thesis and counterthesis, question and answer, or argument and refutation. In its
best form, the structure of the lines is nearly parallel, and cue words lead the thought from one speech to the next. A
variation of the technique is antilabe, in which a single verse line is broken up between alternate speakers. This creates an
even more intense dramatic effect.
Stichomythic dialogue was a useful device for tragic playwrights of Ancient Greece. It allowed the playwright to distinguish
for the audi¬ence one masked actor from another, to separate long, rhetorical speeches, and to provide appropriate form
for argumentation, thus heightening audience emotion. 1
One example in scene 2 of stichomythia is
Creon: Now listen to me. You have talked; let me talk too.
You can not judge unless you know the facts.
Oedipus: You speak well: there is one fact; but I find it hard
To learn from the deadliest enemy I have.
Creon: That above all I must dispute with you. Oedipus: That above all I will not hear you deny.
Creon: If you think there is anything good in being stubborn Against all reason, then I say you are wrong.
Oedipus: If you think a man can sin against his own kind And not be punished for it. I say you are mad.
Discuss the characteristics of stichomythia in this example.
Find another example of stichomythia in scene I, in the argument between Oedipus and Teiresias. Discuss the
characteristics of stichomythia in this example.
Jack A. Vaughn, Drama A toZ: A Handbook (New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1978), 186.
Honor’s Modern Lit. Oedipus Independent study packet
Oedipus the King
Lesson 5-Handout 15
Greek Chorus
Directions: Review the choral passages you have studied thus far in Oedipus the King. Based upon your knowledge of how the Ancient
Greek dramatists employed their choruses, summarize the message of each choral response and speculate on the practical reasons for its
placement in the play. Complete this chart as you continue to read.
Choral Passage
Parados
Ode 1
Ode 2
Ode 3
Ode 4
Exodus
Summary of Message
Reasons for Placement