Pre-Reading Assignment for Oedipus Rex

The name Oedipus means

• Swollen head

• Broken arm

• Swollen foot

• Broken leg

• Swollen eyes

On his way to Thebes, Oedipus comes across King Laius and

• Kills him

• Steals his rare gold coins

• Feeds him to the Sphinx

• Ignores him; he did not realize Laius was a king

• Challenges him to a duel

The riddle was: "What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night?". Oedipus answered:

• Babies

• Women

• Children

• Sphinxes

• Man

Tragic Greek plays were first shown at:

• Private theatres that only the rich could afford

• Festivals for Dionysius called "The Great Dionysia"

• The King´s palace first before released to the general public

• The street corner s of major intersections

• Weddings and other special occasions

An oracle is:

• A gravesite where the royal family was buried

• A festival held in the spring

• A lyric poem or play that was based on a tragedy

• A place where Greeks could pray to a certain god or goddess

• A diviner who was inspired by the gods

After Oedipus answered the Sphinx`s riddle Sphinx:

• Threw herself off a cliff and died

• Destroyed the kingdom of Thebes

• Killed Oedipus`s father

• Killed Oedipus`s mother

In order to ensure that the prophecy does NOT come true, King Laius:

• Sells his newborn son into slavery

• Kills his newborn son by stabbing him through the heart

• Leaves his newborn son a remote mountain, exposed to the elements

• Trades babies with the King in the neighboring kingdom

• Offers up 5 sacrifices to Zeus and Apollo every day hoping to reverse the prophecy

An element of Greek tragedies are that they:

• Take place all in one day

• Have only a setting

• Have very few stage directions

• All of the above

• None of the above

Thebes is:

• The city in which the story "Oedipus Rex" takes place

• A rival of the city of Athens

• The home of King Laius