Oedipus Rex – Briefs

Oedipus Rex – All Briefs Here

  1. Whose honor the Athenian festival of the tragedy was held?
    Ans:
    The Athenian festival of the tragedy was held in honor of Dionysus.
  2. Who were the three tragedians of ancient Greece?
    Ans: Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides were the three tragedians of ancient Greece.
  3. Who is the tragic hero of Oedipus the King?
    Ans: Oedipus, the king of Thebes, is the tragic hero of Oedipus the King.
  4. Where is the setting of the play Oedipus the King?
    Ans: Thebes is the setting of the play Oedipus the King.
  5. What is the Greek title for the play Oedipus the King?
    Ans: Oedipus Tyrannus is the Greek title for the play Oedipus the King.
  6. What is the Latin title for the play Oedipus the King?
    Ans: Oedipus Rex is the Latin title for the play Oedipus the King.
  7. What is a prologue?
    Ans: A prologue is the initial section of a play, which provides essential background for understanding the action of the play.
  8. What is parode?
    Ans: Parode is the first entrance of the chorus on the stage. It provides further expositional background through singing.
  9. What is exode?
    Ans: Exode is the final section of the play that usually comes after the last stasimon.
  10. What is a chorus in Greek Plays?
    Ans: In Greek plays a Chorus is an integral part of a play and consists of a group of people who comment on the event through singing and dancing.
  11. What was ‘the Pythian House of Apollo’?
    Ans: ‘The Pythian House of Apollo’ was the temple at Delphi, where the Oracles of Apollo were given by the “Pythian” priestess.
  12. Who is Phoebus?
    Ans: Phoebus is another name for Apollo.
  13. Who was the founder of Thebes?
    Ans: Cadmus was the founder of Thebes.
  14. Who was Creon?
    Ans: Creon was Jocasta’s brother.
  15. What is Sphinx?
    Ans: In Greek mythology, the Sphinx is a deadly monster with the head of a woman and its hind part is that of a lion with its tail as a serpent.
  16. What was the riddling Sphinx asked Oedipus?
    Ans: The riddle that Sphinx asked Oedipus ‘was “What is it that walks on four legs in the morning, on two at noon, and on three in the evening?”
  17. What was Oedipus’ answer to Sphinx’s riddle?
    Ans: To Sphinx’s riddle Oedipus’s answer was that it is a man who first crawls on all fours, then walks on two, and in old age uses a stick as a third leg.
  18. Why was Creon sent to the Oracle of Delphi?
    Ans:
    Creon Was sent to the Oracle of Delphi to seek help from Apollo to get rid of the pestilence and famine that afflicted the Theban people.
  19. Who killed Laius?
    Ans: Oedipus killed Laius.
  20. Why wasn’t the murder of Laius enquired?
    Ans: The murder of Laius was not enquired because at that time Thebes was being ravaged by the Sphinx with her riddles.
  21. When, according to Teiresias, did the wise suffer?
    Ans: According to Teiresias, when wisdom could not bring profit, then the wise suffered.
  22. What did Teiresias say would happen to Oedipus?
    Ans: Teiresias said that Oedipus would leave Thebes as a blind beggar.
  23. What accusation did Oedipus bring against Creon?
    Ans: Oedipus accused Creon of treachery.
  24. Why did Oedipus go to Delphic Oracle?
    Ans: When a stranger told Oedipus that he was not the son of Polybus, he went to Delphic Oracle to know the truth.
  25. How did Oedipus react after hearing the death news of Polybus?
    Ans: Though the death news of Polybus was sad for  Oedipus, he was relieved of the fear of the prediction of the Delphic Oracle that he would kill his father, Polybus.
  26. Who was Queen Merope?
    Ans: Queen Merope was the wife of the Corinthian king, Polybus.
  27. What truth did the messenger from Corinth disclose?
    Ans: The messenger from Corinth disclosed that King Polybus and Queen Merope were not his real parents. They adopted him and brought him up as their son.
  28. How did Oedipus blind himself?
    Ans: He blinded himself with the golden brooches pinned with Jocasta’s dress.
  29. How many children did Oedipus have?
    Ans: Oedipus was the father of two sons and two daughters.
  30. Who was the father of Creon?
    Ans: Menoeceus was the father of Creon.
  31. Why was Delphi famous?
    Ans: Delphi is famous for the oracle of Apollo and its accurate predictions of the future.
  32. Where was Laius killed?
    Ans: He was killed in Phocis where the road divides—leading to Delphi and to Dahlia.
  33. What is the tragic flaw of Oedipus?
    Ans: His pride is the tragic flaw of Oedipus.
  34. What kind of tragedy is Oedipus Rex?
    Ans:
    Oedipus Rex is a tragedy of fate.
  35. What did Laius look like?
    Ans: Laius was tall, with a little gray in his hair and he looked a lot like Oedipus.
  36. What is hamartia or tragic flaw?
    Ans: Hamartia is a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine.
  37. What is the meaning of the word “Oedipus”?
    Ans:
    “Oedipus” means swollen foot.
  38. Who was the “Dog-faced witch”?
    Ans:
    The ‘dog-faced witch’ was the Sphinx who terrorized Oedipus with her riddle before he arrived at Thebes.
  39. What did the chorus say at the end of the play ‘King Oedipus’?
    Ans:
    The chorus says that no man can be called happy until he dies happily.
  40. What is the moral lesson in the play, “Oedipus Rex”?
    Ans:
    The moral lesson in the play is that no man can be called happy until he dies happily.
  41. Where was the infant Oedipus left?
    Ans:
    The infant Oedipus was left on mountain Cithaeron.
  42. Who was Teiresias?
    Ans:
    Teiresias is the blind prophet whom Oedipus called to find out the killer of Laius.
  43. Whom did Oedipus send to the Oracle of Apollo?
    Ans: Oedipus sent Creon to the Oracle of Apollo.
  44. What gift was Oedipus’ greatness?
    Ans:
    Oedipus’s greatness was his ability to solve the riddle.
  45. Why did Oedipus flee from Corinth?
    Ans:
    When Oedipus learned from Delphic Oracle that he would kill his father and marry his mother, he fled from Corinth to avoid such sin.
  46. What punishment did Oedipus declare on the killer of Laius?
    Ans:
    Oedipus declared that the killer was forbidden in his country. He was called accursed and unclean and so was not allowed any help, prayer, or sacrifice.
  47. Who was Jocasta?
    Ans: Jocasta was the biological mother and then-wife of Oedipus.
  48. Why did Oedipus blind himself?
    Ans: Oedipus blinded himself because he was filled with grief, shame, and guilt upon learning that he had unknowingly killed his father and married his mother.
  49. Who are the foster parents of Oedipus?
    Ans: Polybus and Merope are the foster parents of Oedipus.
  50. How did Jocasta die?
    Ans: Jocasta hanged herself when she learned that Oedipus was her son and that she had married and had children with him.
  51. Who is the chorus in ‘Oedipus Rex’?
    Ans: The chorus in ‘Oedipus Rex’ is a group of Theban elders.