Oedipus the King Study Guide

1. Oedipus the King Study Guide Vocab Words

2. Vocab Part I

3. Deus ex machina N. “God from a machine” literally; a contrived ending where a supernatural force intervenes in the nick of time The ubiquitous modern deus ex machina explains away all the improbable story details by having the main character wake up at the end – it was all a dream!

4. Blight • N: Destructive disease • Many blights like smallpox and polio have been eradicated by vaccines, and the human lifespan has lengthened as a result.

5. pestilence • N: plague; blight • As the pestilence spread through the village, those not infected devoted herculean effort to caring for all the sick among them, with little regard to their personal safety.

6. Induce • V: persuade; cause • My father was induced to quit smoking after seeing a news special with graphic images of smokers’ lungs and pestilential mouths.

7. dispatch • V: kill; send away • The orcs were dispatched in droves by Legolas’ bowmanship and Gimli’s axe-wielding skills.

8. invoke • V: to summon; to call forth (as a spirit) • The composer invoked his muse when he needed inspiration.

9. prophecy • N: prediction of future events • When Oedipus heard the oracle’s prophecy, he foolishly tried to evade the events it foretold.

10. countenance • N: facial expression; face • Hester’s countenance was like a mask; even though she was in agony on the inside, she did not show any outward signs of her duress, appearing calm and detached.

11. malignant • Adj: harmful; evil; cancerous • Harper’s malignant attitude brought everyone in his presence down. • A mole changing shape or size could be a sign of malignancy; go to the dermatologist and have it checked out!

12. chorus • N: in Greek drama, group recitation of background or expository material • The chorus was used to help tell the story in ancient Greek drama; Sophocles moved drama more to what we know today, incorporating more actors and dialogue.

13. Vocab Part II

14. In Medias Res Adj: In the middle of things; in literature, describes a story that begins mid-plot Even though Oedipus the King begins in medias res, the Greek audience would have known the background story of Oedipus’s early life from Greek mythology.

15. Fetter N: chain or shackleV: to put in chains or to restrict or confine The joke is that getting married is the same as being fettered, thus the phrase “the old ball and chain” to refer to a wife.

16. Gratify V: to satisfy, please, or give pleasure The festival of Bacchus devolved into a hedonistic quest to gratify all desires.

17. Infamous Adj: having a reputation of the worst kind; notorious; known for illegal activity or negative reasons In the 1930s Bonnie and Clyde were enigmatic: infamous for crime and murder, but beloved by many downtrodden Americans in The Depression.

18. Beneficent Adj: doing or producing good, especially acts of charity Mother Teresa was, perhaps, the most beneficent person ever to walk the earth.

19. Consonant Adj: in agreement; in harmony My husband and I have a consonant relationship; we’ve never had a fight.

20. Reverence N: marked by an air of respect or worshipfulness Her face beamed with reverence when her grandfather, whom she adored, entered the room.

21. Dramatic Irony Originated in drama- when the audience knows or understands what at least one character does not. The current dramatic irony comes from the audience’s knowledge of Oedipus’s true identity as Laius’s killer.

22. Verbal Irony Sarcasm; when what is said is not meant literally When your mother asks you if you think she’s stupid, it’s verbal irony. It’s also a rhetorical question, so don’t bother answering!

23. Situational Irony When events occur differently from one’s expectations; incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (often just called irony) It the irony was that her dying from shock was actually based on false information.