Theme: The Role Of The Gods

Question 1

What are Jocastas and Oedipus attitudes towards the gods ?

Answer 1

Characters oscillate between being respectful of the gods and Apollos oracle to dismissive and sceptical of the gods and their power

Question 2

How is Oedipus’ perceived relationship to the gods important?

Answer 2

The priest commends Oedipus in the prologue as being close to the gods ‘first of men….[in] face to face encounters with the gods’
- deeply ironic: out of all the characters Oedipus is the most ignorant of the gods
- that assertion by the end of the play highlights the difference in mortal knowledge and the power of the gods if Oedipus the best of all men cannot understand them

Question 3

What is ironic about Jocastas dismissal of property and therefore the power of the gods ?

Answer 3

Dismisses the oracles in an attempt to reassure Oedipus ‘Apollo brought neither things to pass’
- she believes oracles mean nothing, juxtaposed as she then prays in supplication of the gods after the 2nd stasismon

Question 4

How do the role of free will and the gods intertwine in Oedipus punishment ?

Answer 4

• ‘Apollo ordained my agonies..But the hand that struck my eyes was mine’
• encapsulates the tragic conceit on of double determination
• the gods fated Oedipus to such tragedy yet he recognises how he invoked this

Question 5

How is the end of the play important to the gods ?

Answer 5

The gods have full power over the characters in this play
- Apollo is consulted over what action to take with Oedipus ‘I wanted the god to clarify my duties’
- at the end it’s not a formal resolution all that we are left with is that the gods will decide, whatever Creon hears from the oracle
- exacerbates the gods full power of the characters in this play

Question 6

How does the end of the play and the start of the play demonstrate the power of the gods ?

Answer 6

Start of the play it’s established Oedipus sent Creon to Delphi to find a resolution to the plague
- ‘ I sent Creon..to Delphi’

By the end of the play Creon states he had to find out what the gods advised him to do
- ‘ I wanted the gods to clarify my duties’

The gods control the narrative and the characters actions entirely on a more discreet level advising Oedipus and Creon and on the overt through the fate of Oedipus and Jocasta