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WorksheetsOedipus Rex
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 25mins
This Greek dramatist wrote more than 100 plays, including Oedipus the King.
Aristotle
Sophocles
Euripides
Aeschylus
the adoptive mother of Oedipus
Jocasta
Antigone
Ismene
Merope
king of Corinth; the adoptive father of Oedipus
Laius
Creon
Polybus
Teiresias
Oedipus rules this city as king; it is also his birthplace
Thebes
Corinth
Delphi
Mt. Citherion
This oracle predicts the Oedipus's father will be killed by his own son.
Teiresias
Polybus
Sphinx
Delphi
This character was given orders to kill Oedipus.
The messenger
The heardsmen
Creon
Chorus
Oedipus rescues the kingdom from this mythological creature.
Sphinx
Minotaur
Medusa
Kraken
This is a group of voices that advises Oedipus, represnts the people, and ACTS AS THE CONSCIENCE OF THE PLAY; they all speak together.
Merope
Chorus
Thebes
None of the Above
This quote referes to which character: "You're blind, but you see, you understand." This character accuses Oedipus of killing Laius.
Delphi
Oedipus
Teiresias
All of the Above
This character is both Oedipus' brother-in-law and uncle
Merope
Polybus
Laius
Creon
Oedipus' wife
Jocasta
Antigone
Ismene
Merope
the plague will last until this man's murderer is brought to justice
Polybus
Oedipus
Creon
Laius
Lauis's son
Creon
Oedipus
Polybus
Sophocles
How did Oedipus become king of Thebes?
Jocasta picked him to be her husband.
He solved the riddle of the Sphinx.
He killed Laius.
None of the Above
What step has Oedipus already taken to deal with the plague at the beginning of the play?
parying to all the Theban gods.
sending Creon to the oracle at Delphi
cleansing the city with incense and sacrafice
pronouncing sentence of banishment on the person(s) responsible.
Why is Thebes suffering the plague, according to Creon's message from Delphi?
the failure of the Thebans to sacrafice to the gos
divine anger over Oedipus' incestuous marriage
the aggressive military of Thebes
the unpunished killing of King Laius
Who is Laius?
Oedipus's oldest son
Creon's son
Jocasta's first husband
a prophet
Why did no one attempt to find out the truth about Laius's murder?
They were too busy trying to defeat the Sphinx.
They thought they already knew the truth.
Jocasta told them not to.
Everyone who tried to learn ended up dead.
What does Oedipus promise to anyone who comes forward with information about Laius's murder?
They will receive a handsome reward of gold and banish the person who killed the king
He says no harm will come to anyone who comes forward; they will just be banished.
He will give a formal pardon for the treason of withholding information.
Oedipus makes no promises; he demands that anyone with information come forward.
The prophet Teiresias, when asked by Oedipus to help rescue the city,
agrees to cooperate and help as much as he can
casts the blame on Jocasta
swears a great oath that he himself is innocent
is very reluctant to cooperate
Who does Teiresias reveal as the murderer of Laius?
Jocasta
Creon
Polybus
Oedipus
As a result of his conversation with Teiresias, Oedipus concludes that
all the gods and goddesses are hostile to Thebes
Creon is plotting, with Teiresias' help, to overthrow him
he has killed his father and married his mother
Apollo wants to destroy him
Creon tries to prove his innocence to Oedipus by arguing that
he respects Oedipus far too much to do such a thing
the gods always punish wrongdoers
he has all the benefits of kingship without any of the responsibilities
Apollo wants to destroy himhis love for his sister, Jocasta, is very strong
What convinces Oedipus to allow Creon to leave?
The Chorus says that things are bed enough without the two of them fighting.
He finally realizes that Creon is telling the truth.
He did not have enough evidence against Creon, so he was forced to let him go.
Jocasta begged for her brother's life and Oedipus relented
Jocasta tries to assure Oedipus that he is not guilty of Laius' death by stating that
Laius was killed by robbers at a place where three roads meet
Laius died a natural death
no one can avoid fater
Laius deserved to die for his arrogance
Oedipus' reaction to Jocasta's speech is
relief that he himself is innocent
sorrow that Jocasta is so upset at Laius' death
horror at the thought that he himself may be Laius' killer
anger that Jocasta killed Laius
Who does Oedipus insist Jocasta send for?
The oracle at Delphi
Creon
The last surviving member of Laius' servants
Merope
After Jocasta re-emerges from the palace and prays to Apollo for deliverance, a messenger from Corinth arrives. What news does he bring?
Laius was killed by Oedipus
The king of Corinth is dead, and Oedipus is made king
Corinth has declared war on Thebes
Oedipus must go into exile
How does Oedipus react to the Corinthian messenger's news?
He is fearful of being charged with treason
He is momentarily filled with relief
He blinds himself
He kills Jocasta
How did Polybus die?
He was killed by his son
He was murdred by his wife
He died of old age
No one knows
Who does Oedipus still fear from Corinth?
Polybus' servants
Merope
Apollo
Creon
Questioned by Oedipus, the messenger also reveals that
Polybus and Merope are not Oedipus' real mother and father
Jocasta is Oedipus' mother
Oedipus killed Laius
Laius is Oedipus' father
The hedsman summoned by Oedipus already knows that
Polybus and Merope are not Oedipus' real mother and father
Jocasta is Oedipus' mother
Oedipus killed Laius
Laius is Oedipus' father
How did Polybus come to raise Oedipus?
Polybus is Oedipus' birth father
Polybus found Oedipus while hunting
Jocasta gave Oedipus to him
The herdsman/messenger gave Oedipus to him
Who begs Oedipus to gorget about finding the truth of his parentage?
Creon
Jocasta
Teiresias
the messenger
What does Oedipus think motivates Jocasta as she tries to keep him from learning the truth about his birth?
She is scared he will kill her
She does not want to find out that he was of low lineage (slave)
She is afraid she is not his mother
She is worried he will kill himself
Upon what mountain had the infant Oedipus been found?
Mt. Citerion
Mt. Sinai
Mt. Olympus
Mt. Hecate
Who identified to old shepherd (herdsman) as the man who spared the infant Oedipus?
Jocasta
Creon
Teiresias
The Corinthian Messenger
Why does Jocasta try to keep Oedipus from learning the truth about his birth?
She thinks he will to try to kill himself
She thinks he will try to kill her
She know he is her son
She does not want to find out that he was of low lineage
How does the shepherd/herdsman react when the messenger state that King Oedipus was the baby he gave to the Corinthian messenger?
He is surprised that the child survived.
He is repulsed by the fact that the king was of such low birth.
He tells the messenger to hold his tongue (AKA shut up).
He embraces Oedipus and weeps openly
Why had the infant been handed over to the shepherd/herdsman to begin with?
He would grow to be more handsome than his own vain father.
His poor parents could not afford to care for the child.
It had been foretold that he would grow to kill his father and marry his mother.
He was born with deformed feet and his parents did not want him.
The shepherd/herdsman didn't destroy the infant as instructed because:
It was his own child.
He wanted to secretly raise the child to come back and take vengeance on the king.
He thought he had; he did not know that the child survived.
He pitied the infant and gave it to someone far away from Thebes.
What truth does Oedipus learn?
The shepherd is his true father.
Jocasta has been unfatihful and his children are really the shepherd's children.
The prohecy was right; he killed his father (Laius) and married his mother (Jocasta).
Merope, his mother, had an affair with Laius, and Laius is his true father.
What news does the second messenger bring?
Oedipus's children have been killed.
Merope has also died; the prophecy was wrong.
Teiresias has been murdered by Jocasta.
Jocasta is dead.
What takes the messenger's attention away from the din in the Queen's room?
Creon tries to break the door to the aparment down.
Oedipus runs in calling for a sword and cursing his wife.
The children, Polyneces, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene run screaming through the halls.
There is a sudden, horrible silence in the room.
What happens to Jocasta?
Oedipus strangles her.
She hangs herself.
Creon stabs her.
She kills Teiresias because of his prophecies.
What does Oedipus do after he held Jocasta in his arms?
He slit her throat.
He cries and tells her that he forgave her everything.
He pushes her roughly aside in disgust.
He takes the brooches from her gown and blinds himself.
What does Oedipus claim he will do now that the truth is known?
He will take his family and leave town.
He will kill himself.
He will exile himself just as he said he would do to the murderer of King Laius.
He wants Creon to execute him.
Why is Oedipus scared for his daughters?
He is afraid that they will never marry.
He is afraid everyone will kill them.
He is afraid they will try to leave with him.
He does not want them to leave.
What finally becomes of Oedipus?
He lives in self-exile on Mt. Citerion where he should have died as an infant.
He is executed for treason.
He hangs himself.
He takes the crown in Corinth and the rightful king.
