Oedipus Rex
After reading the play Oedipus Rex found in your text book, respond to ONE of the following questions with a thorough 800-1,000 word response. Your response must be typed, double-spaced, using a 12 point font, and 1” margins. Full credit reading responses will include a brief introduction with a clear thesis statement, a well-developed response using specific references to lecture material and/or the text, and a logical conclusion. Include a word count at the end of your response.
Did Oedipus deserve his fate? It’s not his fault that Jocasta and Laius tried to outsmart fate and dispose of him. In trying to run from this prophecy, did he really do anything any other person, given the culture, wouldn’t have done? Is Oedipus a victim of fate or is he responsible for the choices he makes? What does Sophocles suggest? What do you think? Use specific references from the text in your response.
Imagine you are going to portray the character, Oedipus and prepare a Stanislavskian character analysis of him. Include the ten system steps in your response. Describe Oedipus’ given circumstances, the magic if you would have to apply to play him, his super objective and three smaller objectives, and his through line of actions. What objects and/or people would you have to endow in order to play him and what images would you use in your performance? Lastly, consider your own physical tendencies, what external adjustments would you have to make in your performance of the character?
Aristotle believed that Oedipus was the perfect model for classical tragedy. Explore the text and identify the various parts including late point of attack, exposition, several key incidents, climax, catharsis, protagonist, antagonist, hamartia, anagnorismos, metabasis, and perepetia. Do you feel this play fits the model? Why or why not?
