SHORT QUESTIONS
1. Where did Oedipus send Creon at the beginning of the play?
Oedipus sent Creon to the Pythian temple of Apollo, to the oracle of Delphi to ask for advice to get rid of the plague that was terrorizing Thebes.
2. Where was Laius killed?
Laius was killed at a three way crossroad out of the country by Oedipus, when Oedipus and Laius had a scuffle and Oedipus ended up killing Laius.
3. Why did not anyone investigate Laius murder at the time it happened?
No one tried to find out why Laius was murderer because the city of Thebes was being terrorized by the sphinx, a mythical creature that specialized in riddles.
4. What was supposed to happen when the murderer would have been found?
When the murderer would have been found he would …show more content…
13. is the prophecy conditional or unconditional? why?
The prophecy is unconditional as Sophocles made it so that it is necessary for Oedipus to kill his father rather than might kill his father.
14. How did Polybus get Oedipus?
A Sheppard found Oedipus at the bottom of mount Cithaeron, he then took the baby to Corinth where he worked and gave him to king Polybus.
15. Is Oedipus really a victim of fate?
Oedipus is not really a victim of fate as even though the prophecy plays a huge role but all the choices of Oedipus are by free will and not by force of fate.
16. What is the riddle asked by the sphinx?
“ What is it that walks on four legs at dawn, two legs at midday and three legs in the evening and has only one voice, when it walks on most feet is its weakest”, the answer was “ man’.
17. What is the importance of the place where Oedipus killed Laius?
Oedipus killed Laius at a crossroad, in Greek mythlogy crossroads have a huge importance they are a place of decision and choices, the Greek goddess of crossroads had three faces namely; past, present and future.
18. What was the response of Tiresias when Oedipus asked who the murderer …show more content…
Trying to prevent prophecies from being fulfilled is one of the main reasons the Greek stories turn out to be tragedies as fate cannot be changed. An example similar to Oedipus is that of Perseus. Sophocles had the choice to make the prophecy conditional or unconditional, but he chose to make it unconditional thus it was fate for Oedipus to kill his father.
We cannot say that Oedipus was a victim of fate and did not have any choice. The oracle just presented him choice and he was the one who made the decision, which led him to fulfill the prophecy according to fate. Oedipus’ choice to leave Corinth, kill Laius, marry Jocasta, and send Creon for advice from the oracle are all his choice, none of them are predetermined.
Although fate plays an important role in Oedipus Rex, the characters are not bound to it without any kind of free will. They are allowed to make their choices but somehow fate twists them to fulfill the prophecy and predetermined
1. Where did Oedipus send Creon at the beginning of the play?
Oedipus sent Creon to the Pythian temple of Apollo, to the oracle of Delphi to ask for advice to get rid of the plague that was terrorizing Thebes.
2. Where was Laius killed?
Laius was killed at a three way crossroad out of the country by Oedipus, when Oedipus and Laius had a scuffle and Oedipus ended up killing Laius.
3. Why did not anyone investigate Laius murder at the time it happened?
No one tried to find out why Laius was murderer because the city of Thebes was being terrorized by the sphinx, a mythical creature that specialized in riddles.
4. What was supposed to happen when the murderer would have been found?
When the murderer would have been found he would …show more content…
13. is the prophecy conditional or unconditional? why?
The prophecy is unconditional as Sophocles made it so that it is necessary for Oedipus to kill his father rather than might kill his father.
14. How did Polybus get Oedipus?
A Sheppard found Oedipus at the bottom of mount Cithaeron, he then took the baby to Corinth where he worked and gave him to king Polybus.
15. Is Oedipus really a victim of fate?
Oedipus is not really a victim of fate as even though the prophecy plays a huge role but all the choices of Oedipus are by free will and not by force of fate.
16. What is the riddle asked by the sphinx?
“ What is it that walks on four legs at dawn, two legs at midday and three legs in the evening and has only one voice, when it walks on most feet is its weakest”, the answer was “ man’.
17. What is the importance of the place where Oedipus killed Laius?
Oedipus killed Laius at a crossroad, in Greek mythlogy crossroads have a huge importance they are a place of decision and choices, the Greek goddess of crossroads had three faces namely; past, present and future.
18. What was the response of Tiresias when Oedipus asked who the murderer …show more content…
Trying to prevent prophecies from being fulfilled is one of the main reasons the Greek stories turn out to be tragedies as fate cannot be changed. An example similar to Oedipus is that of Perseus. Sophocles had the choice to make the prophecy conditional or unconditional, but he chose to make it unconditional thus it was fate for Oedipus to kill his father.
We cannot say that Oedipus was a victim of fate and did not have any choice. The oracle just presented him choice and he was the one who made the decision, which led him to fulfill the prophecy according to fate. Oedipus’ choice to leave Corinth, kill Laius, marry Jocasta, and send Creon for advice from the oracle are all his choice, none of them are predetermined.
Although fate plays an important role in Oedipus Rex, the characters are not bound to it without any kind of free will. They are allowed to make their choices but somehow fate twists them to fulfill the prophecy and predetermined