Oedipus Rex Group

Question:

mtzb
mtzb
Student
College - Freshman

What is the moral of "Oedipus Rex" and role of the chorus?

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Posted by mtzb on Monday April 27, 2009 at 11:11 AM and tagged with moral.

Answers:


  1. brandih

    eNotes Editor

    Please follow the link below to a previously asked question about the role of the chorus.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/oedipus-rex/q-and-a/what-function-c...

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    Posted by brandih on Monday April 27, 2009 at 11:17 AM


  2. linda-allen Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Best answer as selected by question asker.

    The moral of the play is that you cannot escape fate, no matter how hard you try. Jocasta and Laius thought they could outsmart fate by exposing their infant son to the elements, which would lead to his death. They didn't count on fate's stepping in and having a kind-hearted shepherd give the baby to another shepherd, who eventually gave the child to King Polybos. Oedipus, thinking he was the son of Polybos, would never imagine killing his own father. But that's what he did when he killed Laius. And everyone was horrified when they learned that fate had succeeded in fully carrying out the prophecy by having Oedipus marrying and have children with his own mother.

    To paraphrase the old commercial, "It's not nice to fool Fate!"

    Visit the links below for more information.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/oedipus-rex/act-iii-summary
    http://www.enotes.com/oedipus-rex/act-iv-summary
    http://www.enotes.com/oedipus-rex/character-analysis

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    Posted by linda-allen on Monday April 27, 2009 at 12:06 PM