Oedipus Reader's Log
World Literature - Reader Response Log - Oedipus Rex
Section|Line(s) |Questions|Reader’s Commentary||
Prologue|1-150|1. Describe the dramatic purpose of the Prologue.|The prologue sets the atmosphere of Oedipus Rex, and gets the reader interested.||
|8|2. How does Oedipus characterize himself in line 8?|He sees himself as famous to all men.||
|25-30|3. Describe the conditions in Thebes as depicted by the Priest in lines 25-30.|There is disease infecting the fruit and cattle of their land, and women in labor are losing their children.||
|40-46|4. How do the suppliants view Oedipus in lines 31-34, 40, and 46?|They are thankful of him because he freed them from the tribute they were paying||
||5. What is a Sphinx? What is the answer to the riddle, "What has one voice and four feet, two feet and three feet?" Who answers the riddle?|A winged monster of Thebes, having a woman's head and a lion's body. Man as an infant, he crawls on all fours; as an adult, he walks on two legs and; in old age, he uses a 'walking' stick. Oedipus answers the riddle.||
|41-4253|6. What request does the Priest make of Oedipus in lines 41-42 and 53?|They beg Oedipus for help, to help their state. “So now, you best of men, raise up our state.”||
|60-61|7. Define dramatic irony. Then, explain its function in lines 60-61. |Irony that is understood by the audience/readers but not by the characters in the story. The audience would have already known Oedipus’ fate when hearing those lines, while the priest/Oedipus had no idea of what really happened.||
|95-107|8. Review lines 95-107 once more. What does Apollo say must be done to rid Thebes of its pollution? |“Lord Phoebus clearly orders us to drive away the polluting stain this land has harboured” they have to find who killed Laius. ||
|114-123125|9. What were the circumstances surrounding Laius’s death (refer to lines 114-123)?
Section|Line(s) |Questions|Reader’s Commentary||
Prologue|1-150|1. Describe the dramatic purpose of the Prologue.|The prologue sets the atmosphere of Oedipus Rex, and gets the reader interested.||
|8|2. How does Oedipus characterize himself in line 8?|He sees himself as famous to all men.||
|25-30|3. Describe the conditions in Thebes as depicted by the Priest in lines 25-30.|There is disease infecting the fruit and cattle of their land, and women in labor are losing their children.||
|40-46|4. How do the suppliants view Oedipus in lines 31-34, 40, and 46?|They are thankful of him because he freed them from the tribute they were paying||
||5. What is a Sphinx? What is the answer to the riddle, "What has one voice and four feet, two feet and three feet?" Who answers the riddle?|A winged monster of Thebes, having a woman's head and a lion's body. Man as an infant, he crawls on all fours; as an adult, he walks on two legs and; in old age, he uses a 'walking' stick. Oedipus answers the riddle.||
|41-4253|6. What request does the Priest make of Oedipus in lines 41-42 and 53?|They beg Oedipus for help, to help their state. “So now, you best of men, raise up our state.”||
|60-61|7. Define dramatic irony. Then, explain its function in lines 60-61. |Irony that is understood by the audience/readers but not by the characters in the story. The audience would have already known Oedipus’ fate when hearing those lines, while the priest/Oedipus had no idea of what really happened.||
|95-107|8. Review lines 95-107 once more. What does Apollo say must be done to rid Thebes of its pollution? |“Lord Phoebus clearly orders us to drive away the polluting stain this land has harboured” they have to find who killed Laius. ||
|114-123125|9. What were the circumstances surrounding Laius’s death (refer to lines 114-123)?