Oedipus Rex MCQs

1. At the beginning of Oedipus Rex, what calamity has befallen the city of Thebes?

A. A famine.
B. A plague.
C. A war.
D. A financial crisis.

B. A plague.

The play starts with a terrible plague sickness affecting the city, its people, and its crops.

2. According to Creon, what must the Thebans do to end the plague, as commanded by Phoebus (Apollo)?

A. Sacrifice to the gods.
B. Banish Oedipus.
C. Drive out or punish the killer of Laius.
D. Rebuild the city walls.

C. Drive out or punish the killer of Laius.

The oracle commands that the murderer of the former king, Laius, must be found and punished.

3. Who was the king of Thebes immediately before Oedipus?

A. Polybus.
B. Cadmus.
C. Laius.
D. Menoeceus.

C. Laius.

Laius was the previous king. His unsolved murder is the cause of the plague.

4. What monster prevented the Theban citizens from investigating Laius’s murder immediately after his death?

A. A Hydra.
B. A Chimera.
C. The Sphinx.
D. A Minotaur.

C. The Sphinx.

The city was terrorized by the Sphinx, so they could not focus on finding the king’s killer at the time.

5. What does Tiresias accuse Oedipus of when first pressured to reveal the truth?

A. Being a traitor.
B. Being the murderer of Laius.
C. Being an ineffective ruler.
D. Conspiring with Creon.

B. Being the murderer of Laius.

After being angered by Oedipus, Tiresias directly states that Oedipus himself is the killer he is looking for.

6. Why does Oedipus become enraged with Tiresias and Creon?

A. He believes they are plotting to overthrow him and steal his throne.
B. He thinks they are withholding a cure for the plague.
C. He discovers they are foreigners.
D. They openly disrespect Jocasta.

A. He believes they are plotting to overthrow him and steal his throne.

Oedipus is proud and paranoid. He thinks the accusation is a trick to make him lose his power.

7. What key detail about Laius’s death, mentioned by Jocasta, greatly disturbs Oedipus?

A. That he was killed by a single man.
B. That he died in his sleep.
C. That he was killed where a wagon trail divides.
D. That he was killed by a foreign army.

C. That he was killed where a wagon trail divides.

This detail about the crossroads makes Oedipus remember an incident from his own past where he killed a man.

8. What was Oedipus’s original reason for fleeing Corinth?

A. He wanted to seek adventure.
B. He was bored with his life there.
C. An oracle predicted he would kill his father and marry his mother.
D. He was exiled by King Polybus.

C. An oracle predicted he would kill his father and marry his mother.

He ran away from his home to try and escape this terrible prophecy.

9. What new information does the citizen from Corinth bring to Oedipus?

A. That Thebes is under attack.
B. That Oedipus’s supposed father, Polybus, has died.
C. That the plague has ended.
D. That Jocasta is his true mother.

B. That Oedipus’s supposed father, Polybus, has died.

This news gives Oedipus false hope that the prophecy about killing his father was wrong.

10. How does the Corinthian citizen reveal that Polybus and Merope were not Oedipus’s biological parents?

A. He says he bought Oedipus as a child.
B. He explains he found Oedipus as an infant on Mount Citheron and gave him to Polybus.
C. He shows Oedipus a birth certificate.
D. He claims Oedipus was an orphan he raised himself.

B. He explains he found Oedipus as an infant on Mount Citheron and gave him to Polybus.

This shocking twist reveals that Oedipus has no idea who his real parents are, making the prophecy dangerous again.

11. What physical characteristic of Oedipus is mentioned as evidence of his past?

A. A distinctive scar on his forehead.
B. A limp from a childhood injury.
C. Swollen ankles from being pierced as an infant.
D. A birthmark on his arm.

C. Swollen ankles from being pierced as an infant.

The name “Oedipus” means “swollen foot.” The scars on his ankles are physical proof of his true identity.

12. What was Jocasta’s fate after the truth of Oedipus’ parentage and actions was revealed?

A. She fled Thebes.
B. She committed suicidé by hanging.
C. Shé went blind.
D. She was exiled.

B. She committed suicidé by hanging.

Overwhelmed by horror and shame, Jocasta takes her own life after realizing she has married her son.

13. What does Oedipus do to himself after discovering Jocasta’s death and the full truth?

A. He stabs himself with a sword.
B. He cuts off his hair in grief.
C. He tears out his eyes with brooches from Jocasta’s gown.
D. He sets the palace on fire.

C. He tears out his eyes with brooches from Jocasta’s gown.

Oedipus blinds himself so he can no longer see the horror of his life or the people he has wronged.

14. What does Oedipus request from Creon at the end of the play?

A. To be allowed to rule again.
B. To be killed or buried at sea.
C. To be exiled to Mount Citheron.
D. To be reunited with his sons.

C. To be exiled to Mount Citheron.

He asks to be sent to the same mountain where he was left to die as a baby.

15. What is “hubris” defined as in the context of the play?

A. Excessive pride in victory.
B. An arrogant disregard for laws and moral constraints.
C. A tragic flaw of ignorance.
D. A strong desire for power.

B. An arrogant disregard for laws and moral constraints.

Oedipus’s hubris, or excessive pride, shows in his anger and his belief that he can outsmart the gods.

16. According to Freud, why does Oedipus Rex have particular appeal compared to other tragedies about fate?

A. Its historical accuracy.
B. Its complex character development.
C. The protagonist succumbs to a fate we all share (love for mother, hate for father).
D. It perfectly depicts free will.

C. The protagonist succumbs to a fate we all share (love for mother, hate for father).

Freud used this play to name his famous theory of the “Oedipus complex.”

17. In Aristotle’s Poetics, what does hamartia signify in a tragic hero like Oedipus?

A. A blameworthy action.
B. A lack of free will.
C. An error or mistake.
D. A moral failing.

C. An error or mistake.

Hamartia means a “tragic error.” For Oedipus, this error was killing a stranger without knowing it was his father.

18. How do the Thebans perceive Oedipus at the beginning of the play?

A. As a new, untested ruler.
B. As an evil tyrant.
C. As the foremost man in life’s mishaps and reconciling those above, their savior.
D. As the cause of their plague.

C. As the foremost man in life’s mishaps and reconciling those above, their savior.

The people look up to him because he is their hero who saved the city from the Sphinx.

19. What does Oedipus explicitly forbid concerning Laius’s murderer?

A. Speaking his name.
B. Killing him immediately.
C. Greeting him, speaking to him, offering prayers with him, or washing hands with him.
D. Allowing him to leave Thebes.

C. Greeting him, speaking to him, offering prayers with him, or washing hands with him.

This is an example of dramatic irony. He is unknowingly placing this heavy curse upon himself.

20. What relationship does Oedipus claim he will fight for Laius, due to their shared circumstances?

A. As a fellow citizen.
B. As though he were his father.
C. As a former king.
D. As a god’s ally.

B. As though he were his father.

This is another moment of powerful irony, as the audience knows that Laius actually is his father.

21. What does Tiresias initially say when summoned by Oedipus?

A. He is ready to reveal the truth.
B. He fears Oedipus’s anger.
C. How dreadful wisdom is when wisdom brings no gain! and asks to go home.
D. He already knows the killer’s identity.

C. How dreadful wisdom is when wisdom brings no gain! and asks to go home.

Tiresias knows the truth is terrible and will only cause pain, so he does not want to speak.

22. What does Tiresias say about Oedipus’s sight and knowledge?

A. He has perfect sight and knowledge.
B. He has eyes but does not see his evil state or from whom he came.
C. He sees only what he wants to see.
D. His knowledge will save him.

B. He has eyes but does not see his evil state or from whom he came.

This highlights the theme of sight vs. blindness. Oedipus can see, but he is blind to the truth.

23. How does Tiresias describe Oedipus’s future fate?

A. He will regain his sight.
B. He will become Thebes’ savior again.
C. He will be blind, a beggar, and wander a foreign land.
D. He will be honored as a king.

C. He will be blind, a beggar, and wander a foreign land.

The prophet accurately predicts the tragic end that awaits Oedipus once the truth is revealed.

24. What does Creon primarily argue against Oedipus’s accusation?

A. He claims his innocence by divine right.
B. He was not in Thebes at the time.
C. He has no desire to be a tyrant when he already has equal privilege without the burdens.
D. He has witnesses to his loyalty.

C. He has no desire to be a tyrant when he already has equal privilege without the burdens.

Creon uses logic to defend himself. He says he has all the power of a king without any of the stress.

25. What does Jocasta state about human mantic skill?

A. It is always accurate.
B. It is divinely inspired.
C. No human being possesses mantic skill.
D. It is only for specific individuals.

C. No human being possesses mantic skill.

Jocasta does not believe in prophecies. Her attempt to disprove them ironically leads Oedipus closer to the truth.

26. What was the reaction of Laius’s sole surviving servant when he returned to Thebes and saw Oedipus had taken charge?

A. He celebrated the new king.
B. He immediately accused Oedipus.
C. He begged to be sent to distant pasturelands.
D. He remained silent.

C. He begged to be sent to distant pasturelands.

The servant knew Oedipus was the killer. He asked to leave the city to avoid the new king.

27. What was the “incident” that led Oedipus to secretly visit Pytho (Delphi)?

A. A threat from Creon.
B. A drunkard calling him illegitimate.
C. The Sphinx’s arrival.
D. A desire for adventure.

B. A drunkard calling him illegitimate.

This insult made Oedipus doubt his parentage for the first time, starting his search for the truth.

28. What specific detail from the shepherd’s story would confirm Oedipus’s innocence regarding Laius’s murder?

A. If he said the victim was not Laius.
B. If he still referred to robbers or many men as the killers.
C. If he said the murder was accidental.
D. If he mentioned a single killer.

B. If he still referred to robbers or many men as the killers.

Oedipus hopes the survivor will confirm that Laius was killed by many robbers, not one man like himself.

29. What is Jocasta’s advice to Oedipus regarding his mother’s nuptials?

A. To return and confront the oracle.
B. To marry someone else.
C. To forget about them, as chance controls fortunes and many men share mothers’ beds in dreams.
D. To consult a new oracle.

C. To forget about them, as chance controls fortunes and many men share mothers’ beds in dreams.

Jocasta tries to comfort him by saying such prophecies and thoughts are common and meaningless.

30. What does Oedipus’s name (Oedipus) mean, according to the Corinthian citizen?

A. Great king.
B. Savior of Thebes.
C. Swollen-foot.
D. Child of destiny.

C. Swollen-foot.

His name comes from the injury to his ankles when he was abandoned as a baby. It is a clue to his past.

31. What does Jocasta do immediately after realizing the truth about Oedipus’s birth?

A. She tries to kill Oedipus.
B. She attempts to flee.
C. She leaves the stage, stating, I weep for you, unlucky man.
D. She consults an oracle.

C. She leaves the stage, stating, I weep for you, unlucky man.

Jocasta understands the horrible truth before Oedipus does. Her exit from the stage is the last time she is seen alive.

32. What does Oedipus declare himself to be, despite the revelations of his lowly birth?

A. The son of a slave.
B. Fortune’s child.
C. The gods’ enemy.
D. A man without destiny.

B. Fortune’s child.

In his pride, Oedipus thinks he has a great destiny, even if he was not born a prince. He does not yet see the truth.

33. Why did Jocasta give Laius’s man instructions to dispose of the baby?

A. Because the baby was ill.
B. Because of her fear of prophecies.
C. Because Laius commanded it.
D. To prevent a family dispute.

B. Because of her fear of prophecies.

The shepherd reveals that Jocasta wanted the baby killed because she was afraid of the oracle’s prophecy.

34. Why did Laius’s man give the baby to the Corinthian shepherd instead of disposing of him?

A. He feared Laius.
B. He wanted a reward.
C. Out of pity, assuming the child would be carried to foreign parts.
D. He wanted to save the child for misery.

C. Out of pity, assuming the child would be carried to foreign parts.

The shepherd’s act of pity is what allowed the prophecy to be fulfilled. He thought he was saving the baby’s life.

35. What is Oedipus’s immediate reaction upon realizing the full truth of his origins?

A. He celebrates his identity.
B. He curses the gods.
C. He cries, O light—the last I’ll ever see, I stand exposed, all wrong.
D. He seeks to escape Thebes.

C. He cries, O light—the last I’ll ever see, I stand exposed, all wrong.

This is the climax of the play. Oedipus finally sees the whole, horrifying truth about his life.

36. According to the servant, what was Jocasta’s final action?

A. She fled the palace.
B. She confronted Oedipus.
C. She hanged herself in her marriage bed.
D. She died of the plague.

C. She hanged herself in her marriage bed.

The servant reports Jocasta’s suicide, which happens offstage as is common in Greek tragedy.

37. What did Jocasta curse as she was dying?

A. Oedipus’s name.
B. The oracles.
C. Her bed for bearing children by her child and a husband by her husband.
D. The city of Thebes.

C. Her bed for bearing children by her child and a husband by her husband.

Her final words focus on the unnatural horror of her marriage bed, the site of both her crime and her death.

38. Why did Oedipus blind himself?

A. To avoid seeing his suffering.
B. He cried that his eyes would never look upon the evils he’d experienced or done.
C. As a punishment from the gods.
D. To symbolize his ignorance.

B. He cried that his eyes would never look upon the evils he’d experienced or done.

He chooses blindness so he will never again have to see his children, his parents, or the city he ruined.

39. What does Oedipus specifically ask Creon to ensure for his daughters?

A. They are married into noble families.
B. They are exiled with him.
C. To take care of them and allow him to touch them.
D. They are allowed to rule Thebes.

C. To take care of them and allow him to touch them.

In his final moments onstage, he shows great love and pity for his daughters, who are also his sisters.

40. According to the synopsis, what do Oedipus’s sons, Polynices and Eteocles, do after his exile?

A. They unite to rule Thebes.
B. They bring Oedipus back to Thebes.
C. They fight over the throne and end up killing each other.
D. They become allies of Creon.

C. They fight over the throne and end up killing each other.

The curse on Oedipus’s family continues into the next generation. Their story is told in other Greek plays.

41. What does Tiresias eventually declare about Oedipus concerning the murderer?

A. He knows who the murderer is.
B. He is allied with the murderer.
C. The murderer you’re looking for is you!
D. The murderer is a foreign resident.

C. The murderer you’re looking for is you!

This is the first direct and clear accusation in the play, which Oedipus completely refuses to believe.

42. What does Creon primarily argue against Oedipus’s accusation?

C. He has no desire to be a tyrant when he already has equal privilege without the burdens.

Creon uses pure logic to defend himself, contrasting with Oedipus’s emotional and paranoid reaction.

43. Why did Jocasta give Laius’s man instructions to dispose of the baby?

A. Because the baby was ill.
B. Because of her fear of prophecies.
C. Because Laius commanded it.
D. To prevent a family dispute.

B. Because of her fear of prophecies.

The shepherd reveals that Jocasta wanted the baby killed because she was terrified of the oracle’s prophecy.

44. According to the servant, what was Jocasta’s final action?

A. She fled the palace.
B. She confronted Oedipus.
C. She hanged herself in her marriage bed.
D. She died of the plague.

C. She hanged herself in her marriage bed.

The servant reports Jocasta’s suicide, which happens offstage as is typical in Greek tragedy.

45. According to the synopsis, what do Oedipus’s sons, Polynices and Eteocles, do after his exile?

A. They unite to rule Thebes.
B. They bring Oedipus back to Thebes.
C. They fight over the throne and end up killing each other.
D. They become allies of Creon.

C. They fight over the throne and end up killing each other.

The curse on Oedipus’s family continues to affect his children after the events of this play.

46. What does Tiresias say about Oedipus’s sight and knowledge?

A. He has perfect sight and knowledge.
B. He has eyes but does not see his evil state or from whom he came.
C. He sees only what he wants to see.
D. His knowledge will save him.

B. He has eyes but does not see his evil state or from whom he came.

This is the central irony of the play. The man who can see is blind to the truth, while the blind prophet can see everything.

47. What does Jocasta state about human mantic skill?

A. It is always accurate.
B. It is divinely inspired.
C. No human being possesses mantic skill.
D. It is only for specific individuals.

C. No human being possesses mantic skill.

Jocasta’s dismissal of prophecies shows her desire to believe that humans are in control of their own fate.

48. What does Oedipus’s name (Oedipus) mean, according to the Corinthian citizen?

A. Great king.
B. Savior of Thebes.
C. Swollen-foot.
D. Child of destiny.

C. Swollen-foot.

His name, a direct result of his ankles being pierced as a baby, is the ultimate clue to his true identity.

49. Why did Laius’s man give the baby to the Corinthian shepherd instead of disposing of him?

A. He feared Laius.
B. He wanted a reward.
C. Out of pity, assuming the child would be carried to foreign parts.
D. He wanted to save the child for misery.

C. Out of pity, assuming the child would be carried to foreign parts.

The shepherd’s simple act of human pity is the event that allows the terrible prophecy to come true.

50. What is Oedipus’s immediate reaction upon realizing the full truth of his origins?

A. He celebrates his identity.
B. He curses the gods.
C. He cries, O light—the last I’ll ever see, I stand exposed, all wrong.
D. He seeks to escape Thebes.

C. He cries, O light—the last I’ll ever see, I stand exposed, all wrong.

This is the anagnorisis, or moment of recognition, which is the climax of the play. Oedipus finally sees everything.