Comprehension Questions for Oedipus the King p.171-184

10A and 10B

Here is a list of the comprehension questions for Oedipus the King pages 171-184. You should have questions 1-5 finished by Friday, 4/10. I have posed these in advance so that you can have a guide for your reading.

Oedipus The King
Comprehension Questions for pages 171-187

Write each answer thoughtfully and thoroughly. Provide a page and line reference to reveal where you found your answer.

1. When Oedipus hears the chorus’s prayer to the gods, how does he respond? What does this reveal about his personality?

2. According to Oedipus, what would have happened if he was there when Laius had been murdered?

3. What is the curse that Oedipus speaks against Laius’s murderer?


4. What is the curse that Oedipus speaks against himself concerning the murderer?




5. On page 173, Oedipus talks about how he feels similar to Laius. Why does he think they have things in common?


6. When Oedipus pledges to fight for Laius, he says he will fight for Laius as Laius was what to him?

7. Why does Tiresias warn Oedipus that it is better for Oedipus to send him home?


8. When Tiresias does not want to give his counsel to Oedipus, how does Oedipus react?


9. After Tiresias and Oedipus argue, what does Tiresias finally tell Oedipus?


10. When Oedipus hears the truth, what is tragic about his reaction?

11. What is the conclusion that Oedipus comes to about what Tiresias says? Who does he believe to be behind it?


12. Why does Oedipus believe Creon is plotting against him?


13. After Oedipus accuses Tiresias of being crazy, what does Tiresias say to Oedipus about his parents and his family on page 184?


14. What is the final warning that Tiresias says to Oedipus concerning the murderer of Laius? What details does he give about the murderer?


15. According to Tiresias, what is the destiny of Laius’s murderer? According to Tiresias, what other crime has the murderer of Laius committed?

16. Is Oedipus present when Tiresias speaks about the other crimes that the murderer of Laius has committed?

17. On pages 186-187, the chorus sings their second choral ode. What is the inner conflict that the chorus sings about? How does the chorus resolve their conflict in their mind?



18. Now that it is revealed that Oedipus is the cause of the plague, go back over this passage and find three examples of tragic irony on pages 171-187. After you list these three examples, explain why they are ironic.