Oedipus Review Flashcards
what did the Oracle tell King Laios and Queen Jocasta?
their newborn son would marry his mother and kill his father
Over what kingdom did King Laios and Queen Jocasta rule?
Thebes
What did they do in reaction to this prophecy?
they have their baby to a shepherd and ordered he be left out to die
Who adopted Oedipus?
Queen and Ling of Corinth
What does ‘Oedipus’ mean?
“Swollen Foot” and or “Club Foot”
Why did Oedipus run away from home?
he figured out the Oracle’s prophecy and he believed the king and queen of Corinth (who adopted him) were his real parents so terrified he ran away in order to protect him
How did Oedipus running away from home result in the part of the prophecy coming true?
While on his wanderings an old man tried running him off the road and they both fought because honor was at stake. Oedipus ended up killing the man thinking nothing of it as it must occur commonly, he would later find out it was his father he had killed
How did Oedipus’ encounter with the Sphinx save Thebes?
The Sphinx had been terrorizing the travelers going into the City (if they guessed wrong they would be killed, no one guessed right) Because no one could enter Famine was near at hand and when Oedipus was asked he answered correctly therefore killing the creature and saving Thebes.
What information does Oedipus not know about Thebes?
Thebes was the city he had been born in and where his Parents resided (or one of them now).
How did the second part of the prophecy come true once Oedipus entered Thebes?
Since he had saved Thebes and their king, Laios had just died (killed by Oedipus, unbeknownst to him), he was offered to take his throne and queen, Jocasta, as his bride, his mother
Why did Oedipus send Creon to the Oracle at Delphi?
figure out the cause for the plague that struck Thebes, responsible for the death of many crops, animals, and people
What did Oedipus learn from Teiresias?
the man he had killed on the road years ago was actually King Laios and he was the son of King Laios and Queen Jocasta (which he married)
Who were Oedipus’ and Jocasta’s children?
Polyneices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene
What did Creon learn at Delphi?
in order for the plague to go away, Thebes had to punish the murderer of King Laios
Who was the ruler when Antigone returned to Thebes?
Her two brothers had decided to rule Thebes together in alternate years
