1. what news does the messenger bring Oedipus from Corinth?

Question

2. what fear drove Jocasta to give her child to the shepherd?

3. what is the literal meaning of Oedipus' name? How does his name connect him to his past?

4. why does Oedipus curse the man who saved him when he was an infant?

5. what injury does Oedipus inflict upon himself after he sees Jocasta dead?
Use simple words

Answer 1

1. The messenger brings news to Oedipus that his father in Corinth has died and that he is free to return home. He also tells Oedipus that the people of Corinth want him to be their king.

2. Jocasta was afraid that her child would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother, as the prophecy said. To avoid this fate, she gave her child to a shepherd to take away.

3. Oedipus' name literally means "swollen foot." This connects him to his past because when he was a baby, his feet were pinned together, which is part of the reason he was abandoned.

4. Oedipus curses the man who saved him as he believes that the saved man is the same person who caused his fate to unfold. He feels anger and betrayal because he thinks that person unwittingly helped lead him to his tragic destiny.

5. After he sees Jocasta dead, Oedipus hurts himself by stabbing his eyes with a brooch. He does this because he is overwhelmed with grief and regret and cannot bear to see the world any longer.