Ans: Sophocles was one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived.

Ans: Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides were the three tragedians of ancient Greece. 

Ans: According to Aristotle, a tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language. 

Ans: According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is a great man who is neither too good nor too bad, who has a hamartia in his or her character, who suffers misfortune because of that hamartia and evokes pity and fear among the audience. 

Ans: The tragic hero of Oedipus the King is Oedipus, the mythical Greek king of Thebes, who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother.

Ans: Oidipous Tyrannos 

Ans: Oedipus Rex

Ans: A prologue is the beginning section of a play, which gives essential key notes on the action of the play.

Ans: Parode is either a side-entrance, or the first song sung by the chorus after its entrance from the side wings.

Ans: Exode is the last section of a play that generally comes after the last song of the chorus.

Ans: Hamartia or tragic flaw is the error of judgment made by the tragic character. It brings about the downfall of the tragic hero.

Ans: The tragic flaw of Oedipus is his excessive pride in his knowledge and superior intellectual capability.

Ans: In classical Greek drama, the chorus is a group of actors who provide the audience with necessary background, comment on characters and incidents and predict the future.

Ans: In Oedipus Rex the chorus is a group of elder citizens of Thebes.

Ans: The play Oedipus Rex is set in front of the Palace of Thebes.

Ans: The meaning of the word “Oedipus’ is “swollen-foot”. 

Ans: The meaning of the word "Rex" is “king”.

Ans: "The Pythian House of Apollo” was the temple at Delphi.

Ans: The founder of Thebes was Cadmus.

Ans: Jocasta was the wife of Laius, sister of Creon and the biological mother of Oedipus.

21. Who is Creon?

Ans: Creon is the brother of Jocasta and son of Menoeceus.

Ans: Menoeceus is the father of Creon.

Ans: Teiresias was the blind prophet. He was a soothsayer.

Ans: Oedipus takes pride in his own knowledge and judgement.

Ans: Sphinx was 'Dog faced witch'.

Ans: Sphinx is a creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. It asks riddle and those who cannot answer its riddle suffer a fate. Oedipus solved the riddle of Sphinx.

Ans: The Sphinx was shaped with the head of a human being and the body of a lion.

Ans: The riddle that Sphinx asked Oedipus was “What is it that walks on four legs in the morning, on two at noon, and on three in the evening?”

Ans: The gift of riddle solving was Oedipus’ greatness.

Ans: Laius, father of Oedipus and husband of Jocasta, was a king of the city of Thebes in Greek mythology. He was one of the key figures in founding the city of Thebes.

Ans: Laius looked a lot like Oedipus. He was tall and his hair was gray.

Ans: Laius was killed by Oedipus at the place called Phocis.

Ans: Oedipus killed Laius

Ans: With a view to avoiding the oracle, Oedipus travels to Thebes. On his way he encounters a travelling caravan. Both claim right of way on the path. There is some major road rage among them. Oedipus kills an old man there. That old man turns out to be Laius, his real father.

Ans: The murder of Laius wasn’t enquired because at that time Thebes was dominated by the riddle of the Sphinx.

Ans: The punishment that Oedipus declared on the killer of Laius is banishment from the country.

Ans: Oedipus sent Creon to the Oracle of Apollo.

Ans: Jocasta thought that a whole group of highwaymen attacked and killed Laius.

Ans: According to Tiresias, the wise suffered when wisdom could not bring profit.

Ans: Oedipus called Teiresias “Brainless, sightless and senseless sot.”

Ans: Delphic Oracle is the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. It is regarded as a source of wise counsel and prophetic opinion. The Delphic Oracle is important for the Theban king.

Ans: Delphi was famous for its prediction of the future which has accuracy.

Ans: Oedipus went to Delphic Oracle to know whether he was the son of Polybus or not.

Ans: Oedipus fled from Corinth to avert the oracle that he would kill his father and marry his mother.

Ans: The messenger from Corinth disclosed that King Polybus and Queen Merope were not the real parents of Oedipus. They adopted him and brought him up as their son.

Ans: Queen Merope was the foster mother of Oedipus. She was the queen of Polybus, the King of Corinth.

Ans: Oedipus was three days old when he was abandoned by his parents.

Ans: The infant Oedipus was left on Mount Cithaeron.

Ans: Oedipus was brought up in Corinth.

Ans: Polybus and Merope brought up Oedipus.

Ans: Oedipus's foster parents are Polybus, the King of Corinth and Queen Merope.

Ans: Laius was the biological father of Oedipus.

Ans: Oedipus had two sons and two daughters.

Ans: Antigone and Ismene were the daughters of Oedipus.

Ans: Jocasta died by hanging herself with a rope.

Ans: At last Oedipus blinded himself.

Ans: Oedipus blinded himself with the golden brooches pinned with Jocasta’s dress.

Ans. Oedipus blinded himself to intensify his suffering and to avoid looking upon Laius and Jocasta in the underworld. 

Ans: At the end of the play 'King Oedipus' the chorus said, “Oedipus, greatest of men, has fallen and so all life is miserable and only death can bring peace”.

Ans: The moral lesson in the play Oedipus Rex is that one cannot escape fate, no matter how hard one tries.