Oedipus Rex

The moral of Oedipus Rex is that one cannot control one's own destiny and that pride leads to downfall.

The oracle in Oedipus Rex plays a crucial role by predicting that Oedipus will murder his father and marry his mother. This prophecy drives Oedipus to leave his supposed parents, setting off a chain...

Oedipus' answer to the Sphinx's riddle foreshadows his life stages. Initially, he crawls in infancy due to his pinned ankles, symbolizing the "morning" of his life. As a king, he "stands on his own...

The title "Oedipus the King" signifies that Oedipus, despite being king of Thebes, is not immune to misfortune and cannot defy the gods. His inadvertent crimes and tyrannical behavior underscore that...

The main idea of Oedipus the King by Sophocles is that one cannot defy the gods without suffering severe consequences. The play is about Oedipus, the king of Thebes, who inadvertently kills his...

The quote by Jocasta in Oedipus Rex reflects her belief that humans cannot control their fate, as life is governed by chance. She tells Oedipus that fearing the future is pointless because people are...

In Oedipus Rex, the gods play a crucial role, emphasizing fate's dominance over free will. Oedipus's attempts to defy a divine prophecy illustrate the Greek belief that humans cannot escape their...

In Oedipus the King, the major internal conflict is Oedipus's struggle with his own identity and guilt upon discovering his true parentage. The primary external conflict involves Oedipus's efforts to...

In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus blames the god Apollo for his fate, though he says that he alone is responsible for his reaction in blinding himself, which he does not regret.

Oedipus's curse in Oedipus Rex is significant because it sets the tragic events of the play into motion. The reasons behind the curse are Oedipus's unwitting fulfillment of a prophecy that he would...

Oedipus Rex follows a classic tragic structure, featuring a noble protagonist, Oedipus, who is doomed by a tragic flaw (hubris) and fate. Unique elements include the use of dramatic irony, as the...

In Oedipus Rex, each ode serves to comment on the preceding scene, reflect on the themes of the play, and foreshadow upcoming events. The odes provide insight into the characters' stakes, explore...

Tiresias means that his knowledge will bring no benefit but only harm to Oedipus. He knows that revealing the truth about Oedipus's past and his actions, including killing his father and marrying his...

In the last four lines of Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex", the Chorus directs the audience Look ye, countrymen and Thebans, this is Oedipus the great, He who knew the Sphinx's riddle and was...

Apollo's role in "Oedipus Rex" is that of a divine force whose prophecies drive the plot. His influence on Oedipus's family is significant, as his oracle predicts the tragic fate of Oedipus, leading...

Modern works with themes used in Oedipus Rex include Eugene O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms and Rita Dove’s The Darker Face of the Earth.

Oedipus Rex is considered the quintessential Greek tragedy due to its exploration of fate, hubris, and the human condition. It follows the tragic hero Oedipus, who unknowingly fulfills a prophecy...

You might want to consider the final words of Choragos, the leader of the Chorus, in this excellent play. After the blinded, crushed and broken Oedipus exits the stage, wishing himself to be exiled...

The quote from Oedipus Rex is important as it captures the central thematic significance of the work. The hubris of human consciousness is illuminated in this line. Sophocles vision of humanity is...

The chorus is both a part of and separate from the action on stage. They act as a mouthpiece for the audience, but they are also characters in the play, who must react to what happens onstage. When...

We can answer this question by considering the most significant event that occurs off-stage in the play, which is of course after Oedipus learns the truth about his identity and goes off-stage to...

The oracle's message from Delphi in Oedipus Rex foretells that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. This prophecy sets the tragic events of the play in motion, driving Oedipus to seek...

Usually in answering questions about classical authors' intentions, the answer is "who knows?". Sophocles didn't leave us any information about precisely why he wanted to write the play - there...

In the play Oedipus Rex, Jocasta and Oedipus disagree about what it will take to prove Oedipus' guilt in the murder of King Laius.  On one hand, Oedipus argues that he will receive...

This is a great question. One of the most important points to keep in mind about great works of literature like Oedipus Rexis that there is no one clear cut answer. So, some will say that...

By definition, a tragedy is a play in which a hero experiences a tragic fall from a high position, typically as the result of a flaw within himself. The hero starts out as basically a good...

No, there is no deus ex machina in Oedipus Rex.

I do not believe that Oedipus could have prevented the prophecies from coming true. First, the people of the time when the story originated believed in prophecies, usually presented by oracles....

The Chorus of Theban Elders in Oedipus Rex are very concerned with keeping the traditional services and supplications to the gods.  They spend a lot of the play appealing to the gods to...

Oedipus Rex exemplifies a tragedy of fate and destiny as Oedipus is doomed by a prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Despite his efforts to avoid this fate, he unknowingly...

As Sophocles' Oedipus the King reaches its conclusion, the old men of Thebes who comprise the play's chorus offer some final observations. The last three lines of the play are a common sentiment in...

The problem afflicting Thebes in Oedipus Rex is a devastating plague. The citizens are suffering from widespread disease and death, prompting them to seek help from King Oedipus to find a solution....

The first stasimon shows confidence and support for Oedipus, but the second stasimon contains a warning to those who oppose Gods and their will.

This passage refers to Oedipus, but it can also be interpreted as philosophically referring to all of mankind. When the chorus says what can be translated as, "You saw him swept away," or, "How...

Major themes in Oedipus Rex include fate, free will, and blindness. Oedipus' life exemplifies fate as he cannot escape the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother. His attempts to...

In Oedipus Rex, the extent to which Oedipus deserves his fate is debatable. Some argue that his fate is a result of his hubris and attempts to defy prophecy, while others believe he is a victim of...

Oedipus has one moment of revelation when Jocasta tells him that Laius was killed by thieves "where three wagon-roads meet" (744). When Oedipus learns further that Laius was killed where the road...

In the end, the presence of death is more of a reminder that Oedipus' hubris is really unfounded.  Oedipus believes that his own sense of self and pride can overcome everything, including the...

Oedipus is a victim of his own arrogance, pride and ignorance. His actions lead to his downfall.

Yes and no. There are obviously two angles you can take on this. Firstly, literally Oedipus is a guilty man, and the play centres on his determination to find out the guilty man only to discover...

I don't like it when Oedipus hits Tiresias out of frustration and anger--especially since he was telling the truth.  I love the dramatic irony--the fact that we know more than Oedipus does...

Oedipus is technically guilty of killing his father and sleeping with his mother, but the truth is much more complicated than that. He has been driven insane by the very knowledge of it and is only...

Sophocles' Oedipus the King focuses much of its attention on oracles delivered by Apollo at Delphi. In at least two instances, Jocasta shows skepticism or even outright rejection of their...

Oedipus Rex explores themes of fate, free will, and tragic flaw. Central ideas include the inevitability of destiny, as Oedipus cannot escape his prophesied fate despite his efforts. The play also...

Well, the universal experience represented in this play is probably that of pride--thinking we, somehow, know more than others.  That's exactly what starts Oedipus on his path of...

In the tradition of many mythological stories, humans did not have much control over their lives. The gods—or even the Fates (the Moirai)—determined what happened in a man's life. The Greeks were...

The chorus, commenting on Oedipus's ignorance of his past, makes the observation that time discovers truth. In this case, time reveals that Oedipus is the child of Laius and Jocasta and has killed...

The Greek playwrights of the classical period intended to teach their audiences with their staged dramas. Sophocles is a part of this tradition and imparts an important universal message through...

I think that Oedipus' statement reflects the level of tragic proportions within his narrative.  In terms of what he means by the statement in the opening, it is a boastful declaration of free...

Oedipus's motivations are rooted in his attempts to fulfill the prophecy that he shall murder his father and marry his mother. These include fleeing Corinth and arriving at Thebes, as well as the...