OEDIPUS REX
When the play opens, Oedipus is king of THEBES. He became
king by answering the riddle of the SPHINX and thereby freeing
the city from its enslavement to this mythical monster. The
previous king, Laius, had recently been killed while on a journey...
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: INTERPRETING AND
APPRECIATING OEDIPUS REX
To follow the plot of Oedipus Rex, think of the play as divided into
six acts separated by the principal choruses. Be aware of how
these structural divisions and their different lengths affect the pace
of the play and contribute to its suspense. What are the
principal actions, questions and discoveries in each section?
Act 1: pp. 159-67; chorus, pp. 168-70.
Act 2: pp. 171-85; chorus, pp. 186-87.
Act 3: pp. 188-208; chorus, pp. 209-10.
Act 4: pp. 211-24; chorus, p. 224.
Act 5: pp. 225-32; chorus, pp. 233-34.
Act 6: pp. 235-50; chorus, p. 250.
-Think of this play as a detective story. What questions is
Oedipus trying to answer? What clues does he get? What
false leads does he pursue? How do the questions change from
section to section of the play?
-What oracles or messages from the gods are described in the
play? How do they affect the action?
-What is irony? Find examples of irony in the speeches of the
characters and the development of the plot. Consider, for
example, Oedipus' proclamation (245-314), his exchange with TIRESIAS
(340-526), and his discussion of the oracles and the killing of Laius
with Jocasta (778-949). Is irony used differently with different
characters? Why is irony so important in this play?
-Some critics say that the main characters in tragedies are brought
down by a flaw in their character, their "tragic flaw". Do you
think this applies to Oedipus?
-Read closely the choral ode on pp. 209-10 (lines 954-997). What
is the chorus literally saying? How is the choral ode related to
the dramatic action that precedes and follows it? Does it cast
light
on the themes of this play?
COMPARING WORKS>>> Is the end of this play
satisfying? Compare it with the end of the Iliad.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
PERICLES' FUNERAL ORATION AND THE PLAGUE IN ATHENS
-What are the most important values that Pericles finds in Athenian
society and in the character of the Athenians?
-Compare Pericles' praise of the warriors of Athens with the image of
the warrior in the Iliad.
-Thucydides provides a detailed, clinical description of the physical
symptoms and effects of the plague. How is this "medical" description
related to his analysis of the plague's impact on attitudes, beliefs
and behavior?
-Thucydides say the plague made "men...indifferent to every rule of
religion or of law". Why did people ignore the law? What does
their behavior suggest about why people do or do not obey laws?
-Thucydides says, "No fear of god...had a restraining influence. As for
the gods, it seemed to be the same thing whether one worshipped them or
not". Yet, he also says that "at this time of distress people
naturally recalled old oracles". Can you reconcile his claim that
people neglected the worship of the gods with his comment about people
searching out the old oracles?
-In Pericles' speech in defense of his policies, is he right to say to
the Athenians, "I am the same as I was, and do not alter; it is you
have changed."? Is this speech consistent with the ideals of the
funeral oration?
-To justify the war, Pericles implies that the Athenians have had a
choice forced upon them "submission and immediate slavery or danger
with the hope with the survival"; later, he urges the Athenians not to
"fall below the standards of your fathers, who not only won an
empire...but went on the keep it safe". Are these two motivations
for war consistent?
-Pericles warns the Athenians that their "empire is now like a
tyranny". Is this consistent with his praise of Athenian
democracy?