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Greek Drama Background Story of Oedipus That One Character Say What?!?! Oedipus Rex The Play Vocabulary Terms 100

What is a tragedy? A 100

A story in which the protagonist comes to an unhappy ending. A 100

How many actors were onstage during a Greek play? A 200

There were three ACTORS in a Greek Drama 1)The Protagonist 2)The Deuteragonist 3)The Tritagonist A 200

How did the audience determine which actor played which character onstage? A 300

Masks and Costumes A 300

What is the difference between the job of an Actor and the job of a member of the chorus? A 400

Actors were hired and paid professionals. Participating as a member of the Chorus was considered a civic duty. A 400

Name at least three roles of the Chorus in a Greek drama. A 500

To provide a link from actors to audience To respond in the way a perfect audience member would respond to the action of the play. To provide tension release. To reflect on what has already happen and to ponder what might happen next. To separate one scene from another. To sometimes provide advice to central characters in the play A 500

What is the prophecy first told to King Laius and then to Oedipus as an adolescent? B 100

The son will kill the father and marry/mate with the mother B 100

The Oracle at Delphi where the prophecy is told is a holy place of which God? B 200

Apollo B 200

What is the name of the King and Queen of Corinth? B 300

Polybus and Merope B 300

What does the name Oedipus mean? What does Rex translate to? B 400

Oedipus means “he of the swollen feet” Rex translates to “the King” B 400

Explain the answer and the logic to the following riddle of the Sphinx that Oedipus solved: What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? B 500

MAN – crawls on “four legs” in the morning or the beginning of life as a baby, walks on “two legs” in the afternoon or middle of life as an adolescent and adult, and walks on “three legs” in the evening as an elderly person with a cane or walking stick. B 500

The protagonist of the story whose character flaw is hubris. C 100

Oedipus Rex C 100

The mother & wife of Oedipus Rex who dies tragically in the play C 200

Jocasta C 200

The uncle & brother-in-law of Oedipus and Jocasta’s brother who is accused by Oedipus of conspiracy and being a traitor to Thebes C 300

Creon C 300

C 400 Place A Wager

The messenger who arrives in Part III of the play from Corinth, who delivers the news of the death of the King of Corinth, is also the drunk man who tells Oedipus in his adolescence that he is adopted. What connection does he have to Oedipus’ childhood and to the one surviving witness to the killing of King Lauis? C 400

He took the baby from the servant of King Laius and shepherd of Thebes to the King and Queen of Corinth C 400

The blind transgender prophet of Apollo who sees and knows everything in the past, present and future C 500

Tiresias C 500

Explain the significance of the following quote spoken by Tireseias in Part I of the play: “Ah, but aren’t you the best man alive at solving riddles?” D 100

Oedipus cannot solve the riddle of his life D 100

Explain how the following quote spoken by Creon in Part II indirectly characterizes Oedipus: “My fellow-citizens, I hear King Oediups levels terrible charges at me. I had to come. I resent it deeply.” D 200

Oedipus is characterized as being arrogant, or quick to jump to a conclusion D 200

Explain what vocabulary term is demonstrated by the two following quotes, spoken by Oedipus at the beginning and end of the play: “Here I am myself – You all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus.” “What grief can crown this grief? It’s mine alone, my destiny – I am Oedipus.” D 300

Tragic Downfall is demonstrated through these two quotes because they represent Oedipus at the beginning of the play, as a famous hero, and at the end of the play, as an infamous tragic hero who has come to a tragic downfall D 300

Summarize the following lines spoken by Jocasta – what the heck is she saying here? “A prophet? Well then, free yourself of every charge! Listen to me and learn some peace of mind: no skill in the world … can penetrate the future. Here is the proof, quick and to the point.” D 400

Jocasta assures Oedipus not to worry because she has quick and easy proof that prophets, and no human or skill can predict the future. D 400

Explain the dramatic irony in the following passage spoken by Oedipus in Part I: “But I am the King now, I hold the throne that he held then, possess his bed and a wife who shares our seed might be the same, children born of the same mother might have created blood-bonds between us if his hope of offspring hadn’t met disaster … So I will fight for him as if he were my father, stop at nothing, search the world to lay my hands on the man who shed his blood …” D 500

Oedipus does not know that he is the “seed” of King Lauis, his real father, with whom he shares “blood bonds” “Children born of the same mother” describes his relationship with his wife and mother, Jocasta, with whom he has four children Oedipus declares to “fight for [Laius] as if he were my father,” not knowing that he will be on a search looking for himself D 500

How does the Chorus feel about Oedipus at the beginning of the play? E 100

They feel he is like a god They feel he is a hero for saving Thebes from the Sphinx and the first plague E 100

What message does Creon bring back from the Oracle about how to cure Thebes of the plague? E 200

They must find and punish the man who killed King Laius E 200

Name at least three elements of the plague that are affecting Thebes at the beginning of the play. E 300

Dying crops Dying cattle Women dying in labor Babies being born dead Dead bodies spreading the plague Everyone is being affected, from young to old, men and women E 300

Where does Oedipus ask to be banished at the end of the play and why is this place significant to Oedipus? E 400

Mount Cithaeron where Oedipus was abandoned to die as a baby E 400

What is the symbolic significance of Oedipus’ self- blinding in the final scene of the play? E 500

Oedipus blinds himself because there is nothing in the world that could ever bring him joy. He was previously blind to the truth of his life; now he knows the truth but is physically blind. E 500

What is Hubris? F 100

Overwhelming pride or arrogance and the character flaw of Oedipus Rex F 100

What is a Tragic Hero? F 200

A character who is neither totally good nor completely evil who experience their downfall because of their character flaw F 200

What is a Tragic Flaw? F 300

A character weakness or error in judgment that leads to a character’s downfall. The flaw may or may not be within the character’s control. F 300

What is Dramatic Irony? F 400

Instances when the audience knows something of importance that a character or many characters in the play do not know F 400

F 500 What is the purpose of the prologue? Name at least two things.

To introduce characters To establish a setting for the play To establish the problem in the story To give necessary background information F 500

The Final Jeopardy Category is: The Play Please record your wager. Click on screen to begin

What is the moral of the story of Oedipus Rex, according to the last lines in the play, spoken by the Chorus? Click on screen to continue

Please come up with an answer as a group. Click on screen to continue

Thank You for Playing Jeopardy!