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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What course of action does the chorus leader suggest Oedipus should take?

2. Who does the priest say has gathered?

3. What does Oedipus call the people of Thebes?

4. What does Teiresias say makes him strong?

5. How does Creon's face look as he approaches?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Oedipus promise to do when Creon returns?

2. Why is Oedipus concerned about Creon at the beginning of the play?

3. What rumor does the chorus leader remind Oedipus of?

4. What does the priest appeal to in asking Oedipus to save the city?

5. How does Oedipus respond to the townspeople's pleas for help?

6. Describe what the people of Thebes have with them at the beginning of the play.

7. What is Teiresias referring to when he says Oedipus and his children will be "equals"?

8. Explain the irony of Teiresias' blindness.

9. How does Oedipus' attitude toward Teiresias change during their first discussion?

10. Describe how the townspeople view Oedipus.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the nature of power and leadership in the play.

1) What qualities make a good leader in the play? Who would make a better leader, Oedipus or Creon?

2) What are the benefits and drawbacks of power in the play? How do Oedipus and Creon view power?

3) How does Jocasta affect Oedipus's leadership in the play?

4) What role do the gods play in leadership? Compare the power of the gods to the power of men.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss love and family relationships in the play.

1) Discuss Oedipus' love for his children. Why does this love only come out at the end of the play?

2) Discuss Oedipus' love for Jocasta in this play. Is this love in any way caused by their biological relationship?

3) Discuss Oedipus' love for Thebes. Does Oedipus truly love Thebes? How does Oedipus treat his "children," as he calls them at the beginning of the play?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the timeline of Oedipus' story.

1) Why does Oedipus' story begin years after Oedipus killed his father?

2) How does the audience gain information about Oedipus's past?

3) What is the importance of the past events in Oedipus' life: the prophecy given to him, leaving his parents, meeting the stranger on the road, and defeating the Sphinx? Are any of the events in the play comparable in importance to the past events in Oedipus' life?

(see the answer keys)

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