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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. In the encounter between Oedipus and the stranger in the carriage, what was the initial violent act?

2. What does Jocasta advise Oedipus about his fears?

3. What does Oedipus tell Jocasta, when she begs him to tell her what's troubling him?

4. Who does Jocasta say Laius had with him, as an escort?

5. What does Creon accuse Oedipus of?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the chorus' foremost concern?

2. What is Oedipus's attitude toward his wife?

3. What favor did Jocasta do for the person who told her about Laius' death?

4. What caused the scar on Oedipus' ankles?

5. What does Oedipus say, when he finally finds out the truth about his past and his present situation?

6. What did the oracle at Delphi tell Oedipus about his parentage?

7. What is Jocasta's response, when Oedipus wants to find and question the shepherd that the messenger said gave him the infant Oedipus?

8. How did Polybus die?

9. What is the first thing Oedipus tells Jocasta, when he tells her about the argument between himself and Creon?

10. How does Jocasta react to the messenger's news?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the function of the chorus in the play.

1) Who does the chorus represent? What is their attitude toward Oedipus and the events that unfold?

2) How is the chorus similar to the play's audience? How is the chorus different form the audience?

3) Is the chorus always "right"? Do they reflect the attitude of the author?

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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