Theme, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify themes and symbols from the play, and support their choices with details from the text. In the classroom students can track symbolism and themes Sophocles employs in to convey the tragedy of Oedipus's story.
Throughout the story of Oedipus, the theme of fate becomes a guiding element. From the moment, the prophecy is foretold to King Laius, until the moment the truth is revealed, both Oedipus and his father try to outrun their fate. With every move, they only bring the prophecy closer to finally coming true.
Several time during the play the three-way crossroads, where King Laius was killed, is mentioned. A crossroads suggest a choice or a path that a character could have taken. Do we have the freedom to choose or is everything inevitably chosen for us? Could Oedipus have taken another road, or was he always doomed to meet Laius and travel on to Thebes?
Sight for the Greeks was a powerful symbolic notion. The language of the play repeatedly references physical sight as Oedipus tries to track down the killer of Laius. It is not a coincidence that the prophet of the story is blind. Although he does not have bodily sight, he has a power to see the truth of situations. Perhaps this is why Oedipus decides to take his own sight at the end of the play. Had he possessed the ability to see beyond what mere mortals see he could have prevented his catastrophic outcome.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in Oedipus the King. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Ask the students to carefully read the text and identify as many themes as they can and try to analyze their relevance and significance in the plot. Once students are able to establish this relevance, they will be able to track the development of the themes as well as the characters.
Help the students to track the development of themes throughout the plot. Students can divide the plot into stages and see how the theme develops through these stages. Students can also discuss the author’s intentions regarding the themes to understand the development.
Just like how students tracked the development of themes, ask them to track character development as well. Students can analyze the personality traits and motivations of the characters at the beginning and at the end to track progress.
After students are done tracking development and progress, ask them to connect the progress of characters with the development of themes. For instance, was there any particular incident or event that led to the character development of the main characters, and how was the central idea evolving throughout this time or how did the development of a particular theme impact the character arc?
Ask the students to look at how the character responds or responds to each crucial occasion. Think about what they are thinking, feeling, and doing. How do these illustrate their changing perception of the themes? Encourage the students to take help from visuals and visual based activities such as character maps.
The major conflict in "Oedipus Rex" is fate vs free will. Even though Oedipus makes an effort to resist his destiny, he unintentionally fulfills the prophecy, underscoring the tragic inevitableness of some things. Students can try to understand this theme by reflecting on their own lives. For instance, was there any incident where they were trying to avoid something but it happened anyway?
The sphinx, which stands for the riddle and uncertainty surrounding Oedipus' identity and future, is one of the play's most notable symbols. Furthermore, Oedipus' name is significant; it literally translates as "swollen foot," pointing to his terrible outcome. Similarly, there are many other hidden symbols in the play that students can analyze to understand better.