Oedipus Rex, Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus
1. What Greek playwright wrote Oedipus Rex, Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus? **Sophocles**
2. In what city is the action of Oedipus Rex set? **Thebes**
3. What prophecy does Oedipus hear that he will kill his father and marry his mother? **He will kill his father and marry his mother.**
4. Who does Oedipus kill at a crossroads without realizing it is his father? **King Laius of Thebes**
5. Who does Oedipus marry after solving the riddle of the Sphinx and becoming king of Thebes, not realizing it is his mother? **Jocasta**
6. When the truth is revealed about Oedipus inadvertently fulfilling the prophecy, what does Jocasta do? **She hangs herself.**
7. What does Oedipus do when the truth is revealed, prior to being exiled? **He gouges out his own eyes.**
8. Who is the prophet that reveals the truth to Oedipus about his past? **Tiresias**
9. What plague strikes Thebes at the beginning of Oedipus Rex? **A plague**
10. What is Oedipus' role and title at the beginning of the play? **King of Thebes**
11. In what relationship do the main characters Oedipus, Jocasta and Creon stand to one another at the start of the play? **Oedipus is married to Jocasta, his mother, and Creon is his uncle by marriage.**
12. What genre of play is Oedipus Rex? **Tragedy**
13. What is one fun fact about Oedipus Rex? **It is considered one of the earliest known detective stories as Oedipus tries to solve the mystery of who killed Laius.**
14. Who is the protagonist of Sophocles' play Antigone? **Antigone**
15. Who are the two brothers who kill each other in battle in Antigone? **Eteocles and Polyneices**
16. Who is the new ruler of Thebes at the beginning of Antigone? **Creon**
17. What edict does Creon make at the beginning of Antigone? **He will not allow Polyneices, the traitor, a proper burial.**
18. Who defies Creon's edict by trying to bury Polyneices? **Antigone**
19. What is Antigone's relationship to Polyneices and Eteocles? **She is their sister.**
20. What is one fun fact about Antigone? **It is considered one of the first debates on civil disobedience and freedom of conscience against the state.**
21. Who does Creon want his son Haemon to marry? **Antigone**
22. What happens to Antigone for disobeying Creon? **She is entombed alive within a cave.**
23. Who else commits suicide over the events involving Antigone? **Haemon and Eurydice**
24. What genre is Antigone? **Tragedy**
25. What happened to Oedipus after the events of Oedipus Rex? **He was exiled from Thebes.**
26. In what city is the action of Oedipus at Colonus set? **Colonus, a town near Athens**
27. Who accompanies the exiled Oedipus in Oedipus at Colonus? **His daughters Antigone and Ismene**
28. Who comes to take Oedipus back to Thebes by force in Oedipus at Colonus? **Creon**
29. What supernatural events occur towards the end of Oedipus at Colonus? **Thunder and lightning are seen as Oedipus disappears into a mysterious grove.**
30. How does Oedipus die in Oedipus at Colonus? **He chooses a mysterious death to disappear in the grove, rather than returning to Thebes with Creon.**
31. What protects Oedipus and the land of Colonus according to an oracle? **A divine curse will protect the land where Oedipus is buried.**
32. What genre is Oedipus at Colonus? **Tragedy**
33. What punishment does Oedipus receive for killing his father and marrying his mother according to the events of Oedipus Rex? **Exile from Thebes**
34. Who was the tutor and uncle of Oedipus according to backstory in Oedipus Rex? **Polybus**
35. What does Oedipus threaten to do to himself if the killer of Laius is not found according to early events in Oedipus Rex? **He will banish himself from Thebes forever.**
36. According to events in Oedipus Rex, who had given Oedipus to Polybus and his wife Merope to raise as their own? **A shepherd, who had been given Oedipus as a baby by another shepherd.**
37. Which character tries to reassure Oedipus that the killer of Laius could have fled into exile in Oedipus Rex? **Creon**
38. What does Creon report having decreed regarding Polyneices in Antigone? **That his body shall not be buried or mourned.**
39. How many sons did Jocasta have with Oedipus according to information revealed in Oedipus Rex? **Four, Eteocles, Polyneices, Antigone and Ismene.**
40. Why is Antigone especially concerned to bury Polyneices according to the events of her tragedy? **Because as her brother, if unburied, his spirit could not properly join the Underworld.**
41. True or false: In the wake of discovering he fulfilled the prophecy in Oedipus Rex, Oedipus insists that Creon should rule Thebes rather than him. **True**
42. What do the people of Thebes fear earlier in Oedipus Rex according to Creon? **Divine wrath and ill fortune for the city.**
43. Which of Oedipus' sons does he curse to a life of conflict and misrule in Oedipus at Colonus? **Polyneices and Eteocles**
44. What does Antigone say she will do instead of giving in to Creon's edict at the start of her tragedy? **"Then let me die/ With my own brother, dearest of all / The dead to me of all that now are dead."**
45. According to backstory provided in Antigone, which of Oedipus' sons ruled Thebes after him but then killed each other? **Eteocles and Polyneices**
46. Who announces the tragic plot twist of Oedipus unknowingly marrying his mother Jocasta in Oedipus Rex? **The messenger**
47. True or false: In Oedipus at Colonus, Theseus sides with Creon in wanting to take Oedipus back to Thebes against his will. **False, Theseus protects Oedipus.**
48. Whose murder does the prophet Tiresias hint Oedipus committed unknowingly at the start of Oedipus Rex? **His father Laius**
49. In Antigone, what does Creon believe will happen if Antigone succeeds in her plan to bury Polyneices? **It will encourage others to disregard his leadership.**
50. In Oedipus Rex, what does the prophetess at Delphi tell Laius that will result if he has a child with his wife Jocasta? **The child will kill him.**
51. Which of Creon's family members passionately tries to change his mind about Antigone according to events in her tragedy? **His son Haemon**
52. When does Creon finally realize the tragic severity of the situation with Antigone in her play? **After the suicides of Haemon and Eurydice**
53. What happens to Thebes early in Antigone according to reports given to Creon? **It appears under divine wrath since Polyneices was not buried.**
54. Who does Oedipus say should rule in his place once he gives up his throne in Oedipus Rex? **His brother-in-law Creon**
55. Where will Polyneices' corpse be left to rot and be eaten by animals and birds according to Creon's edict in Antigone? **Left in the open fields outside the city.**
56. How many shepherds are involved in the backstory revealed about Oedipus' abandonment as a baby in Oedipus Rex? **Two**
57. What does Teiresias the prophet describe happening to Oedipus' eyes according to a prophecy revealed in Oedipus Rex? **They will be torn out.**
58. What leads Creon to finally question his decree about Polyneices in Antigone
59. What position does Jocasta hold as wife of Laius prior to marrying Oedipus according to backstory? **Queen of Thebes**
60. What reward does the ruler of Thebes promise to the one who can solve the riddle of the Sphinx in Oedipus Rex? **The throne and Jocasta as his wife.**
61. Which gender does Antigone belong to? **Female**
62. Where does Antigone defy Creon's orders and try to conduct the ceremonial burial for Polynices? **In a grove outside the city gates**
63. Who does Creon decide to imprison as an example after discovering Antigone's disobedience? **Antigone**
64. Who brings news of Antigone's actions to Creon in the play? **His son Haemon**
65. What convinces Oedipus to remain in exile at Colonus according to the events there? **The divinely protected nature of the site**
66. What kind of curse does Oedipus threaten Thebes with if they do not bury him properly after his death? **Divine curses and ill fortune**
67. What is Haemon's role and relation to Creon? **His son and recognized heir**
68. Which interaction between Antigone and Haemon foreshadows their tragic ending? **When Haemon tries to reason with his father on her behalf**
69. Which character do the choruses represent in each play? **The common citizens of Thebes**
70. Who does Creon initially propose should marry Antigone to end her line according to a plan in the play? **His son Haemon**
71. What is the name of Antigone's sister who goes with her to unsuccessfully try reasoning with Creon? **Ismene**
72. When does Antigone reveal she told no one else of her plan to bury Polynices for fear of? **For fear of being denounced**
73. What does Oedipus do to show his misery and repentance after learning of his unwitting crimes in Oedipus Rex? **Blinded himself**
74. Who does Antigone blame for leading Thebes to ruination through his refusal to properly bury Polynices? **Creon**
75. Which character does Creon consult with about legal and divine matters in both plays? **The chorus of elders**
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