Oedipus Rex Socratic Seminar Questions

We will be using the following questions in our Socratic Seminar. The Socratic Seminar is one of your
summative assignments for this reading unit. Come up with assertions (verbal topic sentences/claims)
that directly answer the question. Write notes with evidence to support your claim. The evidence is
REQUIRED because it will help back up your assertion and it will help keep the conversation centered
around the novel. The talking points are equally important. They allow you to elaborate on the so what
of your assertion and evidence. Without this verbal matters, your conversations will seem flat and
boring. Not all of the questions will be used but you need assertions, evidence, and talking points for
each one.

1. Taking the ENTIRE play into consideration, do you think that

Oedipus is a good leader or a bad leader? Find text evidence to
support your position. Think about his character traits, his actions,
and whether or not he succeeds in curing the plague on Thebes.
Assertion

I believe
that
Oedipus is
a bad
leader

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

After Teiresias tells Oedipus his prophecy,

Oedipus says, Go and a curse go with
you! Quick, home with you! Out of my
house at once! (503-504)
TEIRESIAS: I say you are the murderer of
the king whose murderer you seek.
OEDIPUS: Not twice you shall say
calumnies like this and stay unpunished.
(415-418)
Oedipus said, Now if he uses the same
number, it was not I who killed him. One
man cannot be the same as many. (976982)
Oedipus said, But I came, Oedipus, who
knew nothing, and I stopped her. I solved
the riddle by my own wit alone. Mine was
no knowledge got from birds.
After Oedipus hears that Polybus dies
from sickness and not him, he states, But
they, the oracles, as they standhes
taken them away with him, theyre dead
as he himself is, and worthless. (10931096)

Acts of hubris because as a host, he

is treating the guest poorly
Oedipus is ignorant of the truth and
doesnt believe Teiresias when he
told him the truth
He had hoped that he could get
away with murder and be claimed
innocent if the herdsman were to
say that it was a group of men that
killed him, not one
He is self-absorbed and self
centered because he talks about
how he was the one who saved
Thebes without any of the Gods
help, not Teiresias
Disrespectful towards the gods and
is saying insulting the oracles
Rude towards Teiresias

2. Do you believe that Creon will be a better leader than Oedipus?

Why or why not? Find text evidence to support your claim.
Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

Yes Creon
would be a
better leader
than Oedipus

If you think obstinacy

without wisdom a valuable
possession you are wrong
(633-634)
I was not born with such a
frantic yearning to be a king
- but to do what kings do
( 685-686)

Older and wiser

Creon has qualities a good leader would
possess
Creon has wisdom and knowledge of what it
takes to be a good leader
Has the motivation and passion to be a
leader and lead people to success but
doesnt have the desire to be kingly, which
shows his humbleness and desire to be a
good leader

3. Who is truly responsible for the plays tragic conclusion? Why?

Find text evidence to support your position.
Assertion

I think that Laius

is truly
responsible for
the plays tragic
conclusion.

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

Jocasta said, it was fate that he should die

a victim at the hands of his own son...before
three days were out after his birth King
Laius pierced his ankles and by the hands of
others cast him forth upon a pathless
hillside.(820-828)
TEIRESIAS: I am a fool then, as it seems to
you but to the parents who have bred you,
wise. OEDIPUS: What parents? Stop! Who
are they of all the world? (508-511)

He tried to run away from

his fate by piercing his
sons ankles in order for
him to not be able to kill
him
Also he left him alone with
Polybus and Merope to
take care of, which was
why Oedipus didnt know
his real family
That caused Oedipus to
misunderstand his fate
and try to run from it, but
instead he ended up
killing his real father and
married Jocasta
This shows that Oedipus
didnt know the truth
about his real parents

4. Was the fall of Oedipus a result of FATE or a result of Oedipus

own FREE WILL?
Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

Fate, because the learning

of his prophecy caused his
and his familys downfall

Horror of darkness enfolding,

resistless unspeakable visitant sped
by an ill wind in haste! madness and
stabbing pain and memory of evil
deeds I have done! (1502-1504)

Fate caused Oedipus to

spiral out of control
He gouged out his eyes
because he couldnt see
the crime that was
committed
The death of Oedipus's
wife/ mother was a result
of knowing the prophecy
and Jocasta feeling the
guilt and shame

5. Discuss Oedipuss understanding of his own destiny. How does

this change throughout the course of this play? Does this affect his
fate or free will?
Assertion

Evidence

He misunderstood it and
tried to run away from it,
however, he didnt know the
truth, so he was
misunderstanding everything

Talking Points/Matters

you are the lands pollution.

OEDIPUS: How shamelessly you
started up this taunt! How do you
think you will escape?(400-402)
Great store of jealousy fill your
treasury chests, if my friend Creon,
friend from this and loyal, thus
secretly attacks me, secretly desires
to drive me out and secretly suborns
this juggling trick devising quack
(445-449)
When I heard this I fled, and in the
days that followed I would measure
from the stars the whereabouts of
Corinthyes, I fled to somewhere
where I should not see fulfilled the
infamies told in that dreadful
oracle.(926-930)

When Teiresias told him

the truth, Oedipus didnt
believe him and thought
that he was just taunting
him
When he was talking to
Teiresias, he
misunderstood
Teiresiass prophecy to
him as him and Creons
doing, in order to take
over his throne
This shows that when he
heard about his fate, he
tried to avoid Corinth,
so he wouldnt kill his
father and marry his
mother

6. Do some characters other than Oedipus seem to control their fate

more than others? If so, how do they do it? What do they
understand that Oedipus may or may not?
Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

I feel Laius and

Jocasta attempt to
control their fate.

Laius pierced his sons ankles and left

him for dead because of the prophecy
that his son would kill him
Shortest to hear and tellour
glorious queen Jocastas
dead.(1421-1422)

Laius took control of his fate by

attempting to change it
While laius failed he still made
an effort to change fate and
control it to benefit himself
Jocasta took control of her fate
by killing herself

7. Sophocles attempts to convey a deeper message about ones

responsibility towards justice. Evaluate Oedipus as a character: do
you think he acts responsibly throughout the play? In your
response, remember to reflect on hubris, ambition, and his ability to
admit fault.
Assertion

Evidence

I believe that he
does act responsibly
throughout the play.

Talking Points/Matters

But if he speaks of a man travelling

alone, then clearly the burden of the
guilt inclines toward me. (891-893)
O God, I think I have called curses
upon myself in ignorance. (862863)
Right. But yet, send some one for
the peasant to bring him here; do
not neglect it.(993-995)

He was able to admit

that he killed Laius
He is able to
acknowledge his
ignorance
He was focused on
finding the truth and put
together all of the
pieces

8. As a result of Oedipuss inability to see, he gouges out his eyes.

Why does he do this? Use your knowledge about Greek culture and
Greek tragedy, as well as textual evidence, to compose your answer.

Assertion

He does this so he
will not be able to
see the crime he
has committed.

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

He tore the brooches the gold chased

brooches fastening her robeaway from
her and lifting them up high dashed them
on his own eyeballs, shrieking out such
things as: they will never see the crime I
have committed or had done upon
me!(1455-1460)

Oedipus does this act out of

shame and despair for the
suicide of his wife/mother
Jocasta
He punishes himself for the
crime he committed on
others
He doesnt take control of
the situation which shows
his lack of leadership
Oedipus couldnt see all the

damage he did so he took

out his eyes so he could
literally not see the damage
that was done

9. Reread the conversation Oedipus has with Teiresias, the blind seer. Evaluate the

importance of this conversation. What can you determine about Oedipuss character based
on the interaction he has with Teiresias?
Assertion

Evidence

Based on the interaction

Oedipus has with Teiresias,
we can determine that
Oedipus is ignorant, selfcentered, and a poor host.

Talking Points/Matters

But I came, Oedipus, who knew

nothing, and I stopped her. I
solved the riddle by my own wit
alone. Mine was no knowledge
got from birds. (460-463)
Go and a curse go with you!
Quick, home with you! Out of
my house at once!(503-504)
Indeed I am so angry I shall not
hold back a jot of what I think..
(390-392)

This shows how he is self

centered because he is
talking about how he was
the one who saved Thebes
without any help from the
gods or Teiresias.
This shows that he shows
that he is breaking the rule
of xenia by acting as a poor
host and kicking him out of
his house.
It shows that he cant control
his anger well and that he
gets mad easily

10. Write your own open ended question for Socratic Seminar. This should not be
something everyone will agree on and should be connected to the play or the
themes/ideas the play brings up. It should not be the same as your peers, so think
of this on your OWN.
Original Question:
What do you believe was the reason towards the characters tragic death?
Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

Guilt and
shame
Also they tried
to run away
from fate

Shortest to hear and tellour glorious queen

Jocastas dead.(1421-1422)
He tore the broochesthe gold chased brooches
fastening her robeaway from her and lifting them up
high dashed them on his own eyeballs,(1455-1458)

The guilt and

shame both
Jacosta and felt
caused them to run
away from fate
They both felt
shame for being
related