- 01Gilbert Murray’s Translation and Explanatory Notes
- 02Primitive Kingship and Religious Atmosphere
- 03Tragic Technique and Dramatic Construction
- 04Sophoclean Reticence and Poetic Style
- 01Principal Characters of the Play
- 02Laius, Polybus, Merope, and Apollo
- 03The Theban Setting and Kithairon
- 01The Sphinx and Oedipus’ Rise to Power
- 02The Plague on Thebes
- 03The Play’s Historical Setting and First Production
Oedipus the King
Tragedy, knowledge, fate, and responsibility.
6Chapters
22Lessons
67Topics
Certificate of completion included
This course was produced by Cavua from a public-domain text.
Skills this course leaves you with.
- Summarize the plot and major turning points of Oedipus the King
- Explain how fate, prophecy, and free will shape the tragedy
- Analyze the roles of Oedipus, Jocasta, Tiresias, and Creon in the conflict
- Identify how dramatic irony and recognition create tragic tension
- Interpret key themes of knowledge, guilt, and responsibility in the play
- Describe the structure and function of the chorus in Greek tragedy
Curriculum
The full table of contents.
Every chapter, every lesson, every topic — laid out before you enroll. Click any chapter to expand it.
- Chapters
- 6
- Lessons
- 22
- Topics
- 67
- 01The Suppliants at the Palace Altar
- 02Oedipus’ Concern for Thebes
- 03Creon’s Mission to Delphi
- 01The Command to Expel the Unclean Thing
- 02The Murder of Laius as the Source of Pollution
- 03The Search for Witnesses and Clues
- 01Invocation of Apollo, Athena, Artemis, and Zeus
- 02The Pestilence Devouring Thebes
- 03Prayer Against Ares and the Destroying Power
- 01The Royal Proclamation to the City
- 02Exile and Curse for the Hidden Killer
- 03Justice, Apollo, and the King’s Duty
- 01The Leader’s Advice to Consult the Seer
- 02Tiresias’ Reluctance to Speak
- 03Knowledge as a Burden
- 01Oedipus’ Outburst Against Tiresias
- 02The Charge That Oedipus Is the Murderer
- 03The Prophecy of Blindness and Exile
- 01The Pursuit of the Murderer by Divine Power
- 02Doubt About the Prophet’s Accusation
- 03Faith in Oedipus’ Former Service to Thebes
- 01Creon Denies the Charge of Treason
- 02The Debate Over Power and Kingship
- 03Jocasta Stops the Quarrel
- 01Jocasta’s Account of the Oracle to Laius
- 02The Murder at the Crossing of Three Ways
- 03The Surviving Witness and the Shepherd
- 01The Feast and the Rumor of False Birth
- 02The Oracle Foretelling Patricide and Incest
- 03The Road Encounter and the Killing of Strangers
- 01Jocasta’s Hope That the Story Was Robbers
- 02The Chorus on Divine Law and Pride
- 03The Stranger from Corinth Arrives
- 01News of Polybus’ Natural Death
- 02Jocasta’s Skepticism About Prophecy
- 03Oedipus’ Fear of His Mother
- 01Oedipus’ Adoption from Kithairon
- 02The Child Found with Pierced Feet
- 03The Name Oedipus and the Shepherd’s Role
- 01The Shepherd Identifies the Child as Laius’ Son
- 02Jocasta’s Attempt to Stop the Inquiry
- 03The Prophecy That the Child Would Kill His Father
- 01The Final Confirmation from the Shepherd
- 02Oedipus’ Self-Curse and Flight into the Palace
- 03The Chorus on Human Frailty and Time
- 01The Messenger Reports Jocasta’s Suicide
- 02The Blinding with Jocasta’s Golden Pin
- 03The Chorus’ Horror at the Fallen King
- 01Apollo as the Source of Oedipus’ Suffering
- 02Oedipus’ Curse on His Rescuer and His Own Birth
- 03Creon’s Return, the Daughters, and Exile
- 01Primitive Kingship and the Medicine King
- 02Jocasta’s Partial Truth About the Child
- 03The Crossroads as a Site of Doom
- 01Lyrical Beauty After Physical Horror
- 02Oedipus as a Daemon of Kithairon
- 03Creon’s Forgiveness and Modern Readings
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