Oedipus Rex

• 1. Select one — and only one — of the prompts listed below.
• 2. Write a composition of five (5) to eight (8) paragraphs, including a clear introduction, a well‑developed body, and a summary conclusion.
• 3. Use specific details and examples, fully explained reasons, and/or clearly organized incidents from the work to develop your essay response. Be specific. Cite quotations by giving the line number(s) in parentheses following the quotations.
• 4. Have a definite plan for the organization of your paper on paper in the form of an outline.
• 5. Use linking expressions and transitions to identify the movement of your thoughts, the organization of your plan, the relationship of your points. (For example, use words such as first, second, third, another, additionally, on the contrary, on the other hand, since, because, although, however, consequently, and so on.)
• 6. Stick to the prompt you select. Do not attempt — do not even ask — to combine any of the options below.

OPTIONS

• 1. In what sense may Oedipus be regarded as a better man, though a less fortunate one, at the end of the play than at the beginning? What has he gained from his experience?
• 2. The play includes a good deal about seeing and blindness. What purpose does this imagery serve? How is Oedipus contrasted with Teiresias? How does Oedipus at the beginning of the play contrast with Oedipus at the end? Why is his blinding himself dramatically appropriate?
• 3. What purposes does the chorus serve in the play? Whom does it speak for? Comment on the function of each of the four Odes. What does the final speech of the Choragos tell us about human life?