Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________________ Period: _____

ROMEO AND JULIET SOCRATIC SEMINAR QUESTIONS

Questions/Pre-Discussion Notes Discussion Notes

1. Was Oedipus a victim of fate, or a victim of his 1.

own free will? Did Oedipus have any control over what
was going to happen to him, or was it always meant to
be? Could Oedipus have controlled his fate?

2. What was the importance of the blindness motif

throughout the play? What is his blindness symbolic of? 2.
Is he powerless by his blindness, or is his newfound
blindness a powerful means for him to finally
understand his own fate?

3. Which Oedipus is more powerful: the one who

didnt know his fate (at the beginning of the play), or the 3.
one who now knows (by the end of the play)?

4. Agree or disagree with the following statement

and explain why: Knowledge is a burden, and ultimately
leads to suffering. 4.

5. Is Oedipus a good person? Is Oedipus a good

leader?

5.

6. What was Oedipus greatest mistake?

6.
 7. Could the Theban royal family avoid their fate?
Who is responsible for the plays tragic conclusion? 7.

8. How does Sophocles use irony to affect the

audience/reader? 8.

9. Aristotle contends that the tragic heros

demise/downfall is not a total loss; rather, the tragic
hero makes a discovery about himself, the universe,
and/or about human nature that serves as an important 9.
lesson for all humans. In what way(s) is Oedipuss
downfall not a total loss? What can be gained from his
story?

10. What lessons can we take from this story and

apply to our modern lives?

10.