1. Mental and Psychological Events in Oedipus
By: Catherine Sinacori,
David Nguyen,
Jan Tamayo,
and Tyler Thames

2. I only love my bed and my MOMMA I’m sorry
Prompt
In "Oedipus the King" some of the significant events are mental or psychological; for example, awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness. Describe how Sophocles manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action.
I only love my bed and my MOMMA I’m sorry

3. Literal meaning of topic
How did the Sophocles make the progression of Oedipus's mentality as interesting to the readers/playgoers as if they were witnessing physical movement?

4. Example
"O Cithaeron, why did you receive me? Why did you not take and kill me on the spot, so that I should never reveal my origin to mankind? O Polybus, and Corinth, and the ancient house I thought was my father's-what a handsome heir you raised up in me, how rotten beneath the surface! For now I am exposed-evil and born in evil. O three roads in the deep valley, you oak wood and you narrow pass where the three roads meet, you who soaked up my father's blood, spilled by my hand-do you remember me? Do you remember what I did there, and what I did when I came here? O marriage, marriage! You gave me birth, and then bred up seed from the one you brought into the world. You made an incestuous breed of father, brother, son-bride, wife, mother-all the most shameful things known to man" (Sophocles ).

5. Analysis
In this quote, Oedipus brings to action his mentality by questioning his existence in a chronological story-like format. First, he was sent to the mountain, then he was raised by Polybus, and then he committed the aforementioned acts by which he is obviously psychologically disturbed. Through the conversations in the novel, more and more mysteries are revealed, not by sudden occurrence of them, but by the puzzle pieces of the characters' words connecting into one big tale. In the beginning of the novel, Oedipus labels those who tell him he is the perpetrator (i.e. Tiresias) as liars. However, as the story progresses, the fall of a tragic hero is begotten. With every new piece of information Oedipus gets, his mental state worsens until he is brought to blinding himself and relinquishing the throne. How could this mental deterioration be interesting to play audiences? They could view the process of how a once strong and respected king is torn down to desperation and self-loathing.

6. When you see a woman that isn’t as fine as your mom
Literary Device #1
Situational Irony - "Ask your questions. I shall not be proved a murderer" (Sophocles 39).   (Oh yes he will!)
After Creon accuses Oedipus for murdering Laius, he stands his ground claiming that he 'for sure' was not even though he will come to realization that he definitely was behind Laius's death. This is ironic because his expectations were completely different from reality and the complete opposite occurred from what he originally claimed which shows how he experienced a change in consciousness in the end and comes to accept his fate. 
When you see a woman that isn’t as fine as your mom

7. Literary Device #2
Symbolism – "I was running to a place where I would never see that shameful prophecy come true. On my way I came to the place in which you say this king, Laius, met his death...as I journeyed on I came near to this triple crossroad and there I was met by a herald and a man riding on a horse-drawn wagon, just as you described it. The driver, and the old man himself, tried to push me off the road. In anger I struck the driver as he tried to crowd me off. When the old man saw me coming past the wheels he aimed at my head with a two-pronged goad, and hit me. I paid him back in full, with interest: in no time at all he was hit by the stick I held in my hand and rolled backwards from the center of the wagon. I killed the whole lot of them" (Sophocles ).

8. Literary Device #2
The crossroads, in literature, typically stand for the key moment in a character's life when they have to make a choice over a topic that could determine their fate. In the play, this is the moment when he begins to fulfill his prophecy and comes to realize that he is unable to escape what the prophecy has laid out for him. Symbolically, the crossroads, in the play, represent not quite the freedom of choice but the power of the prophecy and fate itself. 

9. Literary Device #3
Theme  - “If you won’t speak willingly, we shall see if pain can make you speak...if you are the man he says you are, you were born the most unfortunate of men" (Sophocles 85, 89).
The themes of 'seeking the truth' and 'reflection' are seen throughout the play with Oedipus wanting to find the murderer of Laius and him discovering more about the prophecy and realizing his fate. With him wanting to seek the truth behind all of the happenings he is experiencing, Oedipus becomes his own prosecutor as well as judge and even punisher as the truth comes to him through realization. We later see him punish himself by gauging his eyes out after the death of Jocasta.

10. Significant Moment #1- Tiresias reveals that he knows the truth of Laius' murder
Tiresias revealing that he knew the truth of Laius' murder cemented Tiresias as a figure of wisdom and truth in the story.  While he was blind on the outside, he could see the truth on the inside and knew that Oedipus was the real criminal all along.  Additionally, Tiresias revealing the truth of Oedipus' actions sent Oedipus down a spiral of rage and denial which utterly shattered Oedipus' psyche and pushed Oedipus into absolute mental destruction.

11. Significant Moment #2- Oedipus realizes that Tiresias might not be wrong
After all of the pieces of the story regarding Laius' death start coming together, Oedipus has a mental awakening in which he realizes "the blind prophet could see," meaning that he realizes that Tiresias might actually be correct in his assertion that Oedipus murdered Laius (53).  This is the turning point in the novel in which Oedipus began accepting the mistakes that he made and realized that he could be the one at fault.  He overcame his stage of denial in this moment.

12. Significant Moment #3- Oedipus stabs out his eyes
This moment is significant to the mental and psychological theme of the story, because it show Oedipus finally being consumed by his guilt.  Throughout the story Oedipus went through stages of denial and rage when his misdeeds were brought to light, but after seeing the hanging body of both his wife and mother, he could no longer act like he was not at fault for his actions.  Oedipus stabbing out his eyes is a representation of him repenting for his sins as his guilt is too much for him to bear.
Dad said I have good taste in women

13. In "Oedipus Rex" identify the mystery and explain how the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.
The mystery in this story surrounds who murdered Laius, the previous king of Thebes. At first, King Oedipus leads the investigation in order to lift a curse up from his land, but once he realizes that he could have been involved in the murder, his efforts to retrieve details show desperation. The investigation itself is the story, and as more information is revealed about the murder of Laius, suspense builds until the mystery is resolved by the firsthand account of the shepherd. Oedipus gradually fulfilled every prophecy given by Tiresias and was revealed to be the murderer of Laius, illuminating the idea that man cannot fight or escape fate.

14. Select a tragic figure that functions as an instrument of suffering of others in "Oedipus Rex." Discuss and explain how the suffering brought upon by the tragic figure contributes to the tragic vision as a whole.
Oedipus functions as an instrument of suffering for the regular people of Thebes, as his existence within the land is killing it; for his mother and wife Jocasta because of the disgusting, unnatural relationship they have; and for outsiders who contributed towards unveiling the mystery of Laius' murder because they witnessed a horrific prophecy and past unfold. The suffering brought upon by the king contributes to the tragic vision because from his birth, Oedipus was born with evil and destined to bring misery to the people around him.

15. Works Cited
Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Translated by Bernard Knox, New York, POCKET BOOKS, 1994.