Short Fiction: A Study of Genre

Lesson 9
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ELA

Unit 4

11th Grade

Lesson 9 of 15

Objective


Analyze how Sophocles uses dramatic irony in this section of the play.

Begin to define “hamartia” and identify how Oedipus is contributing to his own tragic ending.

Readings and Materials


  • Play: Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (from The Theban Plays)  pp. 19 – 35

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Target Task


Multiple Choice

Which best describes the tone of the chorus’ opening speech?

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Which technique does Sophocles use to develop this tone?

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Which of the following best describes the impact of Sophocles’s use of dramatic irony?

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Writing Prompt

At this point in the play, how would you describe Oedipus’s hamartia? Defend your answer with examples from the text. 

Key Questions


  • Summarize the chorus’ message. How would you describe their tone? What diction develops this tone?
  • What has Oedipus accused Creon of? Why? 

  • How does Creon respond to Oedipus’s accusation?

  • With whom do you sympathize more, Oedipus or Creon? Why?

  • Who is Jocasta? With whom does she side? And the chorus?
  • How does the chorus remind us of the essential goodness of Oedipus?
  • What does Creon mean when he says, "Tempers such as yours / most grievous are to their own selves to bear"?

  • What proof does Jocasta offer Oedipus that prophets are not to be believed? Describe the impact of the dramatic irony here.

  • What is Oedipus starting to realize that the reader already knows? How does this build tension?

  • What is Oedipus’s motivation for asking that the servant be returned?
  • Based on what he tells Jocasta, why did Oedipus leave Corinth? What message about fate is Sophocles developing here? Track the diction he uses to develop this message.

  • Why does Jocasta still not believe that Oedipus could be the killer of Laius? 

  • How does Sophocles use dramatic irony to develop the motif of blindness and sight?
  • How does the chorus’ message help to further develop the message about fate?

Notes


All of the tragedy in this play is brought about by the actions (even if unknowingly) of Oedipus. Hamartia is a Greek term that means “tragic flaw” or “error made in ignorance.” Make sure to define the term “hamartia” for students in this lesson, and have students begin to identify Oedipus’s “error made in ignorance” and how Sophocles develops Oedipus’s hamartia. There are many possible answers to this question. The Character Analysis of Oedipus on Shmoop.com is a good reference for this.

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