A few years ago, I typed in Microsoft Word (Times New Roman 14) the script of “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles. I included a pronunciation guide for characters’ names. My theater appreciation students are reading it in class. Each of us is writing an essay in MLA Style about a slender-sliced topic from “Oedipus the King.”
I absolutely love Cliff Notes’ opening of its summary: “Oedipus the King unfolds as a murder mystery, a political thriller, and a psychological whodunit.”
An oracle warned Laius, the king of Thebes, that his son would kill him. When Jocasta bore Laius’ son, Laius had the baby’s feet pinned together and was left to die at Cithaeron, but a shepherd found him. Oedipus the baby was adopted by the Corinthians’ king and queen. When Oedipus was a young man, he was told at Delphi that he was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. He resolved never to return to Corinth. He didn’t know that he was adopted. He thought his leaving would keep the prophecy from coming true.
1. What is happening in Thebes in the beginning of the play?
A. A marriage
B. A duel
C. A plague
D. A party
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2. Which one did Oedipus marry?
A. Antigone
B. Jocasta
C. Tiresias
D. None of the above
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3. Which character has the first line in “Oedipus the King”?
A. Oedipus the King
B. Priest
C. A Herdsman
D. Jocasta
Let’s see how you’re doing in our “Oedipus the King” quiz, Vaughan’s Vocabulary style. No. 1 is C. No. 2 is B. That’s right, Oedipus the king has been fated to marry his mother. As for No. 3, “Oedipus the King” has the first line: “Children, why do you sit here with such sorrow, crying out to the gods?”
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4. The plague in Thebes will end if
A. Jocasta and Oedipus are married.
B. Laius’ killer is brought to justice.
C. the Thebans will reach Zeus.
D. the Thebans will reach Artemis.
E. the Thebans will reach Apollo.
If you would like a Word file of the script I typed, please e-mail me at dvaughan@eastms.edu. No. 4 is B.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Don Rodney Vaughan is the pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church near Eupora and is on the faculty of East Mississippi Community College, Golden Triangle Campus. Contact him at dvaughan@eastms.edu.
