Monday, April 13, 2009
10A Homework
10A: You need to copy the rest of the comprehension question answers for Oedipus the King 171-184 into your notes by tomorrow. I have put them in the comments section of this post. In addition to this, you should read over The Raven and study the summary of The Raven so that you can answer any questions I might ask you tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
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?
He tells the chorus that he will grant their prayers, and this shows that he has excessive confidence in his ability to save them—he seems to view himself as a god. (171. 245-247)
2. According to Oedipus, what would have happened if he was there when Laius had been murdered?
He said that if he had been present, there wouldn’t have been any mystery and he would have found the murderer of Laius. (171.249-251)
3. What is the curse that Oedipus speaks against Laius’s murderer?
He wishes that the murderer of Laius will have a life filled with pain and agony— he says he wants him to “drag his life out” which almost implies that he wants the murderer to live longer so that he can suffer longer. (172.280-283)
4. What is the curse that Oedipus speaks against himself concerning the murderer?
He says that he wants the same curse he wished on the murderer to fall down upon him if he is close to the murderer and knows of their guilt. (172.284-287)
5. On page 173, Oedipus talks about how he feels similar to Laius. Why does he think they have things in common?
Oedipus believes they have things in common because Laius was once king of Thebes, just like Oedipus is the king of Thebes now and they also share the same wife—Oedipus is married to Laius’s widow. He thinks they are connected because they both have shared the same bed, and he imagines that if Laius had been a father, then his children would have been related to Laius’s children. (173.293-300)
6. When Oedipus pledges to fight for Laius, he says he will fight for Laius as if Laius was what to him?
He says he will fight for Laius as if he was his father. (173.301)
7. Why does Tiresias warn Oedipus that it is better for Oedipus to send him home?
He knows a dreadful secret about Oedipus. Tiresias knows the truth about the murder and he knows that the truth will bring great pain to Oedipus. (176.359-360, 177.375, 177.378)
8. When Tiresias does not want to give his counsel to Oedipus, how does Oedipus react?
Oedipus gets angry. He thinks that Tiresias is being rebellious towards him—he says that Tiresias is being “unlawful” and “unfriendly to Thebes” which means that he is being disloyal. He considers Tiresias’s refusal a betrayal that will lead to the destruction of Thebes, and this makes him enraged. (177.366,367, 177.376-377, 178.380-383) After he gets angry and Tiresias still refuses to tell him, Oedipus accuses Tiresias of being part of the plot to kill Laius. He thinks that Tiresias’s unwillingness to tell the truth is a sign of his guilt. (178.393-397)
9. After Tiresias and Oedipus argue, what does Tiresias finally tell Oedipus?
Tiresias finally tells Oedipus that he (Oedipus) is the curse and the corruption of the land of Thebes. (179.401)
10. When Oedipus hears the truth, what is tragic about his reaction?
His reaction is tragic because he doesn’t believe that Tiresias is telling the truth. He thinks that he is lying, that someone paid Tiresias to say it, and furthermore, he simply cannot understand the words coming out of Tiresias’s mouth. He says “What? Say it again—I’ll understand it better.” (179.402-408)
11. What is the conclusion that Oedipus comes to about what Tiresias says? Who does he believe to be behind it?
Oedipus finally believes that Tiresias must be part of a conspiracy to remove Oedipus from the throne. He believes that Creon is behind it. (181.431)
12. Why does Oedipus believe Creon is plotting against him?
He believes that Creon is plotting against him in order that he might become the king of Thebes. He thinks that Creon is envious of his position of power and that he wants to overthrow him. (182.432-439)
13. After Oedipus accuses Tiresias of being crazy, what does Tiresias say to Oedipus about his parents and his family on page 184?
He says that the ones who bore Oedipus never considered him crazy. (184.496-497)
14. What is the final warning that Tiresias says to Oedipus concerning the murderer of Laius? What details does he give about the murderer?
He warns him that the murderer he is seeking is actually there in Thebes and that he is a native Theban. He says that the murderer will not rejoice once he learns that he is a native Theban. (185.510-516)
15. According to Tiresias, what is the destiny of Laius’s murderer? According to Tiresias, what other crime has the murderer of Laius committed?
He says that the murderer’s circumstances will change drastically— he will lose his sight, his wealth, and his citizenship. He will become an exile and have to travel to a foreign land, blindly making his way with a stick tapping before him. He says that the murderer has also committed the crimes of incest and patricide—he has had children with his mother and killed his father. (185.517-523)
16. Is Oedipus present when Tiresias speaks about the other crimes that the murderer of Laius has committed?
No, he is not. He has gone into the palace. (185, near line 519, stage direction)
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?
The chorus is conflicted because of the words that Tiresias has spoken against Oedipus—they cannot decide between what they know of Oedipus (that he rescued them from the Sphinx and that he seems to be a good king) and the horrible thing that Tiresias has said about him. They finally decide that they will not believe the charges that Tiresias has made until they are proven beyond a doubt. They decide that they will trust in what they saw when Oedipus defeated the Sphinx and not convict him until they are absolutely 100% sure of his guilt. (187.549-572)
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.
“If I’d been present then, there would have been no mystery”—171.249-250—this is ironic because he was actually present then.
Oedipus orders his people to banish the guilty murderer, and to remove him from every part of their life—this is ironic because he is telling them to do this to himself and this is the fate that he suffers in the end. (172.270-275)
Oedipus curses the murderer and wishes that the murderer will lead a life of agony but he is the murderer, so he is cursing himself. (172.280-283)
Oedipus discusses how he and Laius have things in common and how they are almost related since they are married to the same woman— in reality, they are TRULY related since Laius is his father. Oedipus also says “I will fight for him as if he were my father” but Laius truly is his father. (173.294-301)
After Oedipus hears the truth from Tiresias, he is unable to understand and he says to Tiresias “ You’ve lost your power, stone-blind, stone-deaf—senses, eyes blind as stone!” and this is ironic because Oedipus is actually the one who is blind to the truth and deaf to Tiresias’s words. Oedipus is incapable of understanding that he is guilty and he accuses Tiresias of guilt. (181.420-423)
Post a Comment