Oedipus Rex

1. What city is Oedipus the ruler of?

A) Sparta

B) Athens

C) Thebes

D) Corinth

2. As the play opens, what step has Oedipus taken to address the plague ravaging his city?

A) He has sent his brother-in-law to seek the advice of an expert physician.

B) He has sent his brother-in-law to seek the advice of the oracle of Apollo.

C) He has sacrificed a portion of the city’s harvest and livestock to Zeus.

D) He has sacrificed a portion of the city’s harvest and livestock to Apollo.

3. Oedipus’s pledge to “fight for [Laius] as if he were [his] father” (line 301) is an example of which of the following?

A) comic irony

B) verbal irony

C) situational irony

D) dramatic irony

4. Which of the following best describes the significance of Tiresias’s blindness?

A) It is ironic, because Tiresias sees the truth more clearly than most characters.

B) It is symbolic, because the signs and omens Tiresias interprets are often ambiguous.

C) It is thematic, because Tiresias’s blindness was punishment for trying to avoid his destiny.

D) Tiresias’s blindness does not play a significant role in the play.

5. How does Tiresias respond when Oedipus asks him to reveal the identity of Laius’s murderer?

A) He says that he doesn’t know.

B) He refuses to speak at all.

C) He initially refuses but ultimately names Creon.

D) He initially refuses but ultimately names Oedipus himself.

6. Which of the following does the Chorus cite as reason to be skeptical of Tiresias’s claims?

A) their knowledge of Oedipus’s true parentage

B) the deceitfulness of the gods and the omens they provide

C) the good Oedipus did for the city by defeating the Sphinx

D) Tiresias’s connections to Creon

7. Why, according to Creon, is he content not being king himself?

A) He does not want to bear public responsibility for ruling.

B) He does not want to worry about securing an heir.

C) He does not enjoy wielding power.

D) He does not enjoy life at the palace.

8. The Chorus serves all but which of the following roles in Oedipus Rex?

A) They advise and comment on the play’s action.

B) They pronounce the will of the gods.

C) They serve as an audience surrogate.

D) They represent the citizens of Thebes.

9. Oedipus’s response to the Chorus’s pleas suggests that he is generally which kind of ruler?

A) negligent

B) attentive

C) foolish

D) wise

10. The location of Laius’s death relates to which of the following themes?

A) the role of a leader

B) blindness, sight, and knowledge

C) personal and collective guilt

D) fate versus free will

11. Who witnessed the death of Laius?

A) a beggar

B) a soldier

C) a shepherd

D) no one

12. Oedipus believes which of the following to be his father?

A) the king of Corinth

B) a shepherd

C) a god

D) the king of Sparta

13. Oedipus’s reaction to the news of Polybus’s death suggests which of the following?

A) He is paranoid as a result of his troubles.

B) He is too distracted to fully absorb the news.

C) He is ambitious and eager to take the throne of Corinth.

D) He is desperate to avoid facing the truth of his situation.

14. How does the messenger from Corinth attempt to assuage Oedipus’s concerns about the prophesy?

A) by informing him that Merope has died as well

B) by revealing that Polybus was not Oedipus’s biological father

C) by recounting examples of times prophesies have proven wrong

D) by assuring him that chance rather than fate governs human life

15. Which of the following best describes the significance of Oedipus’s name?

A) It implies physical weakness.

B) It emphasizes his reverence for the gods.

C) It exemplifies his willful blindness.

D) It contrasts with his status as king.

16. Why does Oedipus threaten to torture the shepherd he has brought before him?

A) because the shepherd is reluctant to tell his story

B) because the shepherd claims Oedipus was Laius’s son

C) because the shepherd insults Jocasta

D) because the shepherd disobeyed royal orders

17. In what sense does Oedipus’s story exemplify that of all people, according to the Chorus?

A) Oedipus’s story illustrates all people’s suppressed incestuous desires.

B) Oedipus’s story illustrates how all people are at the mercy of fortune.

C) Oedipus’s story illustrates the danger all people face in seeking knowledge.

D) Oedipus’s story illustrates the reluctance all people feel to examine themselves deeply.

18. How does Jocasta die?

A) Oedipus strangles her.

B) Oedipus stabs her.

C) She hangs herself.

D) She drowns herself.

19. The Chorus’s description of the sight of Oedipus as “a horror / even his mortal enemy would pity” (lines 1431-32) closely corresponds to which of the following literary devices?

A) paradox

B) irony

C) hamartia

D) catharsis

20. Who rules Thebes in the wake of Oedipus’s downfall?

A) Creon

B) Tiresias

C) Antigone

D) Labdacus

21. Whom does Oedipus blame for his fate?

A) Apollo

B) himself

C) both Apollo and himself

D) Jocasta and Laius

22. What fear does Oedipus express regarding his daughters?

A) that Creon will execute them

B) that no one will marry them

C) that the gods will punish them

D) that they will hate him

For each of the following questions, write a one-sentence response based on details in the story.

23. What does Creon tell Oedipus about the source of the plague?

24. With whom does Oedipus accuse Tiresias of conspiring?

25. What is the name of Oedipus’s wife?

26. How did Jocasta and Laius respond to the prophecy about their son?

27. What incident initially caused Oedipus to question his parentage?

28. After listening to the messenger from Corinth, what does Jocasta urge Oedipus to do?

29. What is the symbolic significance of Oedipus’s self-blinding?

30. Where does Oedipus ask to be banished to?

Discussion Questions

1. What are some functions the Chorus serves in Oedipus Rex? Does the language the Chorus uses change when they are interacting with other characters rather than addressing the audience, and if so, how?

2. What qualities or actions make Oedipus a tragic hero? How does the nature of his tragedy compare to others you might have encountered (e.g., in Shakespeare)?

3. How does Oedipus Rex depict guilt? Why is all of Thebes punished for Oedipus’s crime, and why is Oedipus himself punished, given that his crime was unwitting?

4. What are some examples of irony (of any variety) in Oedipus Rex? How does the use of irony contribute to the work’s overall meaning?