Activity Two

 1. Read this summary of the actual play. 

2.  Know the people in the play!  Describe each person as he/she is related to or involved with Oedipus: (Need help? Go back to the summary!  Still not quite clear?  Try Oedipus's Background.)
 

A.  Laius=
B.  Jocasta=
C.  Polybus=
D.  Creon =
E.  Teiresias=
F.  Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles, & Polynices=
 

3. If you have a good idea of the story's events from the summary, then you can answer the following cause/effect statements:

1.  When Thebes suffers from a plague sent by the Gods, __.
2.  When Oedipus saves Thebes from the Sphinx, ___.
3.  When Oedipus was told by an oracle that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother, __.
4.  When Oedipus confirms that he did kill his father and marry his mother, __.
5.  When Oedipus encounters a man at the crossroads and indulges in "road rage", __.

Possible Answers:

A.  Oedipus gouges his eyes out.
B.  Oedipus kills the man.
C.  The citizens of Thebes makes Oedipus their king as a reward.
D.  Oedipus leaves his hometown so he can't harm his parents.
E.  Oedipus sets out to solve the murder of the former king.

Activity Five

1. Read the terms found on this website. Write down the definition of each term as they are important literary terms applying to both Oedipus Rex and Antigone.

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Activity Six

A CONTEST: To be explained in class!!!

Conclusion

Think about the movie series Star Wars.  Now there is a dysfunctional family with power struggles.   So what we're learning is that there are topics or themes that are important to mankind across time, and that we like to explore those themes in our literature as well as in our lives.   Read the full version of Oedipus Rex now, and really get to know the subtleties and excellence of the story.