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Oedipus Review

Total questions: 31

Worksheet time: 10mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

When King Laius and Queen Jocasta visit the Oracle at Delphi, what is the prophecy they hear? (must select all correct answers)

a)

Their baby will die

b)

Their baby will kill King Laius

c)

Their baby will marry Queen Jocasta

d)

Their baby will kill a monster

2.

What is an Oracle?

a)

A computer program

b)

A fortune teller

c)

A mystical ball of light

d)

A doctor

3.

What did King Laius and Queen Jocasta do with their son when he was born?

a)

They killed him

b)

They put him up for adoption

c)

They tied his feet together and handed him to a shepherded to be killed

d)

They delivered him to another king and queen

4.

Who adopted baby Oedipus?

a)

A shepherd family

b)

King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth

c)

No one - he lived on his own forever

d)

Sophocles and Aristotle

5.

What happens when Oedipus finds out he is adopted? (must select all correct answers)

a)

His parents tell him it's true

b)

His parents lie and say it's not true

c)

He asks the Oracle at Delphi for the truth

d)

He runs away

6.

What does Oedipus do when he hears the prophecy (that he will kill his father and marry his mother)?

a)

He runs away

b)

He hides his adoptive parents so they'll be safe

c)

He goes ahead and kills his adoptive father

d)

He kills the Oracle

7.

What happens after he leaves Corinth? (must select all correct answers)

a)

He meets a stranger on the road

b)

He fights with a stranger about who gets to pass first

c)

He kills a stranger

8.

What is this creature called?

a)

Sphinx

b)

Minotaur

c)

Medusa

d)

Cyclops

9.

What is the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx: "What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night?"

a)

A dog

b)

A cat

c)

A monster

d)

A human

10.

What happens to the Sphinx after Oedipus solves the riddle?

a)

It lets Oedipus pass

b)

It kills itself

c)

Oedipus kills it with a sword

d)

It cries

11.

What is the reward the people of Thebes give Oedipus for defeating the Sphinx? (must select all correct answers)

a)

They make him King of Thebes

b)

They give him a million dollars

c)

They give him the wife of the old king

d)

They worship him like a god

12.

Who was Queen Jocasta? (must select all correct answers)

a)

The wife of King Laius

b)

The wife of Oedipus

c)

Queen of Thebes

d)

Oedipus's mother

13.

Who tells Oedipus the truth about the curse?

a)

His adopted father, King Polybus

b)

His mother/wife, Queen Jocasta

c)

Another Oracle

d)

The shepherd who found him as a baby

14.

What does Queen Jocasta do when she finds out Oedipus is actually her son?

a)

She divorces him

b)

She kills him

c)

She kills herself

d)

She stays married to him

15.

What is Dramatic Irony

a)

When one thing is expected and the opposite happens

b)

When, we, the readers know what is going to happen but the characters do not.

c)

When one thing is said but the opposite is meant

d)

Sarcasm

16.

Who is Laius?

a)

the brother of Oedipus

b)

Jocasta's brother

c)

the former King of Thebes who was murdered

d)

one of Jocasta's and Oedipus' children

17.

Who is Jocasta?

a)

Queen of Thebes

b)

Oedipus' mother

c)

Oedipus' wife

d)

All of the above

18.

Who is the brother-in-law of Oedipus?

a)

Teiresias

b)

the shepherd

c)

Creon

d)

the blind prophet

19.

What is the name of the blind prophet?

a)

John

b)

Creon

c)

Thebe

d)

Teiresias

20.

Why is the priest asking Oedipus for help at the beginning of the play?

a)

He has run out of money

b)

He wants to marry Jocasta

c)

There is a plague facing Thebes

d)

He no longer wants to be a priest

21.

Where did Oedipus send Creon at the beginning of the play

a)

to the mountainside

b)

to get answers at the Temple of Apollo

c)

to fetch the blind prophet

d)

to see where Jocasta was hiding

22.

Who does Creon tell Oedipus to go to for help?

a)

Jocasta

b)

the priest

c)

the chorus

d)

Teiresias

23.

What does Teiresias predict about Oedipus?

a)

he will be destroyed because he is the source of the plague on Thebes

b)

he will remain King of Thebes for the remainder of his lifetime

c)

he will return to the wealthy family who raised him

d)

he will divorce Jocasta and rule over Thebes on his own

24.

Oedipus accuses Teiresias and Creon of plotting against him so Creon can become king. Does Creon want that?

a)

yes

b)

no

25.

How does Jocasta try to make Oedipus feel better about the situation?

a)

she asks Creon to take over his duties for the day

b)

she calls all of their children together

c)

she takes him on a short trip

d)

she tells him there's no truth in the prophecies

26.

Where was Laius killed?

a)

on the mountainside

b)

at a crossroads

c)

in the castle

d)

overseas

27.

What made Oedipus go to the oracle when he was young and what did the oracle tell him?

a)

he heard prophesies of his close friends and wanted to see if there was one for him, too

b)

his parents suggested he go

c)

a man called him a bastard--the oracle told him he would kill his father and marry his mother

d)

he felt lost and needed direction in his life

28.

When King Laius and Queen Jocasta visit the Oracle at Delphi, what is the prophecy they hear? (must select all correct answers)

a)

Their baby will die

b)

Their baby will kill King Laius

c)

Their baby will marry Queen Jocasta

d)

Their baby will kill a monster

29.

What does Oedipus do when he sees Jocasta is dead? (must select all correct answers)

a)

He kills himself

b)

He runs away

c)

He gouges out his eyes

d)

He continues to be king

30.

What kind of irony is this?

a)

verbal

b)

situational

c)

dramatic

31.

At the end of the play, Jocasta kills herself and Oedipus blinds and banishes himself. Which element of a tragic hero does this fit?

a)

he faces his destiny with courage

b)

his flaw causes his downfall

c)

he is a person of high character

d)

his story ends in a catastrophe