Oedipus Rex Flashcards
Sophocles
born in Colonus in the 5th century in 495 BC
sophocles wrote how many plays
123
3 plays that deal with oedipus’s story
antigone, oedipus rex, oedipus at colonus
characteristics of a tragic hero
fall from greatness, extraordinary person with a tragic flaw, experience moment of realization that he / she has made terrible mistakes, must suffer greatly due to his/her actions or flaw
3 purposes of the chorus in a play
set the mood, heighten dramatic effect, add movement, song, and dance
dramatic irony
an occasion when the audience knows more than the characters in the play do
who was the oracle at delphi
able to tell the future, would go into a trance & reveal Apollo’s wisdom
what was the oracle’s warning concerning oedipus
he would grow up to kill his father and sleep with his mom
how did oedipus’s parents react to this warning
pierced his ankles and tied him to keep him from moving and taken and left to die on mount cithaeron
what does oedipus mean in greek
swollen ankles
what was the sphinx
a unique demon of destruction and bad luck, a winged lion w a woman’s head; sphinx means “to strangle”
what was the punishment for whoever couldn’t answer the sphinx’s riddle
they were strangled
the play opens with a question: “why are you here?” what is the answer? what brings suppliants to oedipus?
his kingdom is begging the gods to heal them of the plague that has struck their city, the priests bring the suppliants to Oedipus, searching for a cure
reasons why the priest says thebes is dying
fresh crops & rich pastures are dying, the cattle is sicken and dying, women are dying in labor, and children are stillborn
besides “king,” what are 3 other names the priest calls oedipus?
savior, first of men, best of men
