Daniel Farner Anna Pham Julian Carter Julie Liu OediPus Rex Daniel Farner Anna Pham Julian Carter Julie Liu

Literal Meaning/How it relates to material in play/class Actual Prompt: List and discuss each place (I.e., Thebes, Delphi) and the significance of Sophocles and Oedipus of that time. Why these locations? Why these Gods? Why Thebes? What do these locations mean to Sophocles?  Literal Meaning: Discuss the significance of the locations and God and why Sophocles choose these elements.  How It Relates: This relates to Oedipus Rex because the majority of the conflicts in the story stem from prophecies from different mythological figures and a plague on the main setting of the story. Therefore, analyzing those characters and setting's connection to the author (Sophocles) gives us context of the time in which the story was written and a better overall understanding of the events of the story and why certain events occur the way they do.

Example from text #1: Thebes "There is a blight on the crops of the land, on the ranging herds of cattle, on the stillborn labor of our women. The fever­-god swoops down on us, hateful plague, he hounds the city and empties the houses of Thebes" (2-3). This quote from the Prince at the beginning of the play perfectly captures the state of the city of Thebes before Oedipus' reign. The city of Thebes plays a major role in all three of Sophocles' "Theban Plays," as they chronicle the state of the city before, during, and after Oedipus' rule as king. While Oedipus tries to amend the plague on the city by sending Creon to the Delphi Oracle for answers, he will later find out that the only way to truly rid Thebes of such a horrible curse is for he himself to be banished.

Example From Text #2: Delhpi "Who is the man denounced by the prophetic voice from Delphi's cliffs-the man whose blood-stained hands committed a nameless crime?...The word of Apollo has blazed out from snowy Parnassus for all to see" (31-32). Delphi, although not the primary setting, holds major significance to the story of Sophocles' second Theban play -- Oedipus Rex. In Delphi sits the oracle Pythia, who serves Apollo and was famous in ancient Greece to all those seeking advice. The prophecy the oracle gives to Oedipus – that he will marry and bear children with his mother and murder his father – stems Oedipus' quest for truth and provides the central storyline of Oedipus Rex.

Literary device #1: Cosmic irony Quote Without realizing it, in trying to escape his fate Oedipus actually plays right into fate’s hands. He is confident in that there is no way he could have fulfilled his prophecy until the end, when his search for knowledge is what ultimately brings him down. This relates back to the prompt because Thebes is a cursed city, and in the beginning Oedipus desperately searches for a solution to Thebes’ plague without realizing that no matter what he does, Thebes is doomed because Apollo, the god of prophecies, decreed so as punishment. This is significant to the time period because people during this time believed that when events occurred, it was because they really had either pleased or angered the gods. “Ask your questions. I shall not be proved a murderer” (Sophocles 39).

Literary device #2: archetype The Fall Quote “O God! It has all come true. Light, let this be the last time I see you. I stand revealed – born in shame, an unnatural murderer” (Sophocles 89). The fall is a descent from a high position to a lower state of being, and Oedipus experiences this when the truth about his past is revealed. Not only does he lose his credibility as the king of Thebes and must be punished, but he also experiences a psychological fall as he is unable to take the truth and ends up blinding himself in an attempt to unsee what he has learned. This relates back to the prompt because the fall of Oedipus parallels that of the city of Thebes. Both of these descents from greatness are once again due to fate according to the gods, implying that it is impossible to escape fate. … no

Literary device #3: symbolism Crossroads Quote The crossroads are symbolic of the choice Oedipus makes at the intersection of the roads: to kill or not to kill the old man, whom he does not know is his father. By killing him, Oedipus fulfills his prophecy, implying perhaps that he never had a real choice to begin with. The locations Sophocles chose to create an intersection with were roads from Delphi and Daulia, right outside of Thebes. By setting the location right outside of Thebes, Sophocles frames the story so that Oedipus begins fulfilling his prophecy when he returns to Thebes, foreshadowing the revelation of the truth and thus dramatizing the events more. “I thought I heard you say that Laius was killed at a place where three highways meet” (Sophocles 51).

Significant Moment #1: Oedipus realizes that Apollo's prophecy has been fulfilled. This moment is significant because it is the critical moment when Oedipus realizes that there is no avoiding fate. Despite all of his best efforts, Oedipus could not escape from the prophecy and his realization of this is him gaining knowledge that one cannot avoid fate. Not only that, but it shows that Sophocles thinks Apollo is a very wise and powerful god because when Oedipus tries to avoid his fate, he ends up fulfilling the prophecy. Quote: “O three narrow roads in the deep valley, you oak wood and narrow pass where three roads meet, you who soaked up my father’s blood, spilled by my hands-do you remember me?” (99).

Sig moment #2: Oedipus blinding himself At this critical part in the play, Jocasta has committed suicide, and Oedipus decided the only necessary course of action is to blind himself. Furthermore, this part of the story is symbolically very important. Earlier in the novel, the one who knew Oedipus was the killer was a blind prophet, and it is only when Oedipus blinds himself does he finally gain the knowledge to accept what he was previously told. It connects back to the prompt because it shows that Sophocles respected Apollo, and Apollo's prophecy could always come true. Quote: “For he removed from her garment the golden brooches which she was wearing; he lifted them and struck the sockets of his own eyes, shouting that they would not see either the evils he had suffered or the evils he had done” (93).   

Sig moment #3: oedipus going into exile This moment is significant because it is the resolution to the central conflict within the story. Oedipus has realized that he is the reason for the plague coming to Thebes and is willing to resolve this. It shows that Oedipus has such love for his city that he is willing to walk the Earth lone if it means saving his people. This relates back to the prompt because Thebes must be an important city if Oedipus is willing to banish himself in order to save his people. Quote: “Quickly, in God’s name, hide me somewhere outside Thebes, kill me, throw me into the sea, where you will never see me again” (100).    

AP PROMPT #1 1977: Choose a character who views the past with such feelings as reverence, bitterness, or longing. Show with clear evidence from the work how the character's views of the past is used to develop a theme in the work. At the climax of the play, Oedipus experiences intense bitterness over unknowingly marrying his mother and killing his father. He had attempted to prevent these two foretold events by leaving Corinth, the city where he thought his parents resided, but his efforts were ultimately in vain. Adding on to this tragic element, Oedipus' reputation as a great king who saved Thebes from the Sphinx is smeared when he is revealed to be the son of Jocasta and Laius. This connects back to our prompt because Oedipus' fall proves that Thebes is a cursed city.

AP PROMPT #2 2011: In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life "is a search for justice." Choose a character from "Oedipus Rex" who responds in some significant way to justice or injustice. Then analyze the character's understanding of justice, the degree to which the character's search for justice is successful, and the significance of this search on the work as a whole. To bring justice to Laius' murder, Oedipus takes on the quest to find and banish the culprit, believing that justice will be served when he once again steps in and relinquishes Thebes from "this pollution" and the plague. His determination to succeed leads to him unknowingly convicting himself because he was the one responsible for the crime. This can be connected back to our prompt since it showcases how Thebes must have once angered Apollo to the point where he prophesized such a devastating fate for the royal family.

WOrks cited https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3310127/ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Oedipus/oedipus.html http://rebrn.com/re/simpsons-with-new-twist-on-dad-joke-3009390/ https://www.emaze.com/@AFOWRIWF/Oedipus:-The-Hero's-Journey