Special Sub-Topic: Oedipal Complexes Click Here To Play: Oedipal Complexes

I left the middle of the Oedipus cycle out of this quiz; it's only over events that occurred in "Oedipus Rex" and "Antigone". What is this middle play called?

Oedipus at Colonus. I was first exposed to "Oedipus Rex" and "Antigone" in English class. We didn't read "Oedipus at Colonus", and for good reason; I tried slogging through it on my own, and it is not nearly as good as the other two. This isn't just me; many literary critics agree with me here. It basically details Oedipus wandering around the desert moaning about how much his life sucks.

Which mythical creature did Oedipus save Thebes from? Hint: Think of riddles

The Sphinx. When Oedipus correctly answered the riddle, (you know you know it: what walks on four legs in the morning, etc.) the Sphinx was so distraught that she ran and flung herself off a cliff. From which, she mysteriously ended up in Egypt. I wonder how that happened- truly one of the mysteries of the universe, I guess!

What was the cause of the plague afflicting Thebes at the beginning of "Oedipus Rex"?

The murderer of Laius had not yet been brought to justice. To figure out the cause of the plague, Oedipus sent messengers to all the oracles in the surrounding area. This was the answer Laius, who went to the oracle at Delphi, returned with.

When the soothsayer Tiresias was brought before Oedipus and told him the truth of his parentage, Oedipus declared him a liar. Whom did he accuse Tiresias of collaborating with in order to unseat Oedipus from the throne?

Creon. Tiresias was reluctant to tell Oedipus the truth of who had killed Laius, but Oedipus kept pushing until Tiresias gave in. It turned out Oedipus had killed Laius in a confrontation on the road, and then come to save Thebes and marry Jocasta. Which wouldn't have been so bad, except Laius was his father and Jocasta was his mother. (He, having been raised by parents in another country, didn't know this.) Everybody say it with me now: ewwwwww!

How did Oedipus mutilate himself after hearing of Jocasta's suicide and finding out the truth of his parentage?

He put out his own eyes with Jocasta's hairpin. Because this is such a grody scene, those puritanical and high-minded (haha) ancient Greeks had a messenger announce it on stage rather than showing Oedipus. Plus in those days long before tomato paste, chocolate syrup, or Optic Nerve, fake blood was a bit harder to come by.

At the beginning of "Antigone", which of her brothers had been declared a traitor by Creon and had burial rights forbidden to him by law?

Polynices. Only Polynices and Eteocles were actually Antigone's brothers. They'd agreed to share rule, alternating years. Which sounds like a nice idea, but in practice, it didn't work so well. Eteocles refused to hand the throne over to Polynices when it was Polynices' turn, so he declared war and they both got killed. Because Eteocles was the "lawful" king when they were killed, Creon decided to give him a military burial while poor Polynices got declared a traitor and denied any burial. As to Sophocles or Aeschylus, neither of them are characters! They're both Greek playwrights.

Antigone, at the beginning of the play, was engaged to marry whom?

Haemon, her cousin. Yes, she was engaged to her cousin, son of Creon and Eurydice. Everybody with me now, again: EEEEEWWWWWW! What is it with these people and the incest? Although admittedly, Oedipus and Jocasta was sort of unintentional, but still...

Why was Antigone so desperate to bury her brother?

He had to be buried to satisfy the gods. Antigone passionately believed that Creon's declaration that Polynices was not to be buried to be against the will of the gods. She believed that a soul belonging to an unburied body would not be accepted by the gods.

How did Antigone kill herself? (hint: it was the same way her mother did it!)

She hung herself. Creon sentenced Antigone to be walled up in a cave. After this had been done, Tiresias visited him and convinced him to let her go. But, because this is a tragedy, they went to free Antigone and found that she had hanged herself with her veil. Never a dull moment amongst the Theban royalty!

Who was still alive at the end of the Oedipus cycle?

Ismene. Haemon ran himself through with his own sword after Antigone killed herself. Eurydice hung herself (anyone besides me noticing a theme here?) when she heard her only son was dead. Eteocles has been dead since the beginning of Antigone, killed by his own brother. Poor Ismene, Antigone's sister, is left all alone to rule over Thebes- which must have been scant comfort considering her entire family was dead. This cycle teaches us several things: 1) Prophecy is inevitable, 2) No one did the dysfunctional family like the Greeks and 3)As cool a gig as rule of Thebes seems, it just isn't worth the hassle.