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Oedipus WHO?

(Characters)Literary Devices So Ironic! Character

Quotes Background

Info

Oedipus’ uncle and brother in law

Creon

The patron god of Thebes (also known as

Loxias and Phoebus)

Apollo

The literal translation of the title character’s name

“Oedipus Rex”

“King swollen-foot”

The name of Oedipus’ adopted mother and father

in Corinth

King Polybus and Queen Merope

The name of Oedipus’ two daughters (hint: the sequel to this play is named after

one of the daughters)

Antigone and Ismene

What literary / dramatic device is presented in the following lines:

[Jocasta enters carrying garlands][Both Oedipus and Creon exit stage left]

Stage Directions

What literary device is presented in the following lines:

“And the bleeding eyeballs gushed and stained his beard – no sluggish oozing drops but a black rain and

bloody hail pour down”

Imagery (visual)

What literary device is presented in the following

lines:“King, you yourself have seen our city reeling like a wreck

already; it can scarcely lift its prow.”

Figurative Language / Metapor

What literary device is presented in the following lines:

“A deadly double striking curse, From father and mother both, shall

drive you forthOut of this land with darkness on

your eyes”

Imagery (light vs. dark)or foreshadowing

What literary device is presented in the following lines:

“Give me a sword I say, to find this wife no wife, this mother’s womb,

this field of double sowing whence I sprang and where I sowed my

children”

Alliteration or metaphor

What type of irony is presented in the following lines?

“You came and by your coming saved our city, freed us from tribute which we paid of old to the Sphinx,

cruel singer” (Priest to Oedipus)

Dramatic Irony

What type of irony is presented in the following lines?

“Whoever he was that killed the king may readily wish to dispatch me

with his murderous hand; so helping the dead king I help myself.”

(Oedipus)

Dramatic irony

What type of irony is presented in the following lines?

“Teiresias, you are versed in everything, things teachable and

things not to be spoken, You have no eyes but in you mind you know with what a plague our city is afflicted.”

(Oedipus)

Situational Irony

What type of irony is presented in the following lines?

“Do not concern yourself about this matter, listen to me and learn that human beings have no part in the craft of prophecy, Of that I’ll

show you proof”(Jocasta to Oedipus)

Dramatic Irony

.

What type of irony is presented in the following lines?

“There, there we saw his wife hanging, the twisted rope around her neck. When he saw her, he cried out fearfully and cut the

dangling noose.”

Situational Irony

Which character said the following:“I’m willing to give all that you may need: I would be very hard should I

not pity suppliants like these”

Oedipus

Which character said the following:“I say you are the murderer of the king whose murderer you seek”

Teiresias

Which character said the following:“I was not born with such a frantic yearning to be a king – but to do what kings do. And so it is with

everyone who has learned wisdom and self-control. As it stands now

the prizes are all mine – and without fear”

Creon

Which character said the following:

“Because Polybus was no kin to you in blood”

Messenger (from Corinth)

Which characters (2) said the following:

“O God, I am on the brink of frightful speech.”

“And I of frightful hearing.”

Herdsman and Oedipus

Greek theater got its start as an activity at religious festivals honoring what Greek diety?

Dionysus (god of wine)

Greek plays generally included how many major actors in each scene and

how many chorus members?

up to 3 main actors and 12-15 chorus members

What is the Greek term for any heroic flaw or weakness?

Hamartia

Name the three Unities that Aristotle used to describe the “perfect” play

(he was inspired after reading Oedipus Rex)

Unity of Time, Action, and Place

When was Oedipus Rex written and by whom?

approx. 468 BCE and Sophocles!