The Royal Line of Thebes

							The Royal Line
  of Thebes

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    Antigone Family Background




    We will
 study this
part of the
family tree
      first.
     Background: The Curse
• Laius, Oedipus' father, kidnapped a young
  boy Chrysippus and was later cursed by
  Chrysippus' father, Pelops.

• The weight of this curse bore down onto
  Oedipus himself. At his birth, it was
  prophesied that he would kill his father.

• This brings us to Laius’ life later on…
             Generation 1:
            Laius & Jocasta
• Laius became king of Thebes. He married
Jocasta, daughter of Menoeceus and sister of
Creon.




King Laius of Thebes             Jocasta
•Oedipus was born to the royal couple. Laïus
learned from the oracle that his son will one day
kill him and have children by his mother (hence,
Pelops’ curse).

•Horrified of the possible future, he ordered his
shepherd to abandon the infant in the wild.
•The shepherd gave Oedipus to Merope, wife
of Polybus (the king of Corinth) because she
was barren.

• Queen Merope and King Polybus brought up
Oedipus in Corinth as if the child were their
own.
Generation 1:
 Family Tree
         Generation 1 Quiz

Who marries Jocasta, who is also the sister of
Creon?
  King Laius of Thebes          Oedipus

       Menoeceus                Polybus
Incorrect! Try again!
             Generation 1:
            Laius & Jocasta
• Laius became king of Thebes. He married
Jocasta, daughter of Menoeceus and sister of
Creon.




King Laius of Thebes             Jocasta
Great Job!
          Generation 1 Quiz

What prophecy does the oracle warn King Laius of
Thebes about?

   Laius’ son will grow up   Laius’ son will grow up
      to marry his sister     to murder his mother.

   Laius’ son will grow up   Laius’ son will grow up
     to marry his mother      to murder the oracle.
Incorrect! Try again!
•Oedipus was born to the royal couple. Laïus
learned from the oracle that his son will one day
kill him and have children by his mother.

•Horrified of the possible future, he ordered his
shepherd to abandon the infant in the wild.
Great Job!
         Generation 1 Quiz

After the shepherd decides not to leave Oedipus
alone to die in the forest, who adopts him?

       Menoeceus               Merope

         Laius                  Creon
Incorrect! Try again!
Great Job!
•The shepherd gave Oedipus to Merope, wife
of Polybus (the king of Corinth.)

•They brought up Oedipus in Corinth as if the
child were their own.
Antigone Family Background




    We will
 study this
part of the
family tree
   second.
          Generation 2:
        Oedipus & Jocasta
• Oedipus kills his father, Laius, after an altracation
with him on a road. Oedipus becomes the King of
Thebes shortly afterward in Laius’ absence. He
married Jocasta, but has yet to find out that she is his
mother.



   King Oedipus                          Jocasta
•Oedipus, on the road to the oracle, met an
unarmed man riding in a chariot. The man in the
chariot demanded that Oedipus stand aside so
he could pass. They argued, and Oedipus killed
the stranger. The man was King Laius, Oedipus'
father.

•Oedipus saves the city by answering the riddle
of the Sphinx. After ridding the city of the Sphinx,
Oedipus is handed the open position of the
throne.
In addition to the throne, Oedipus also receives the
honor of marrying Jocasta.

Oedipus has four children with Jocosta:
Eteocles, Polyneices, Antigone, and Ismene.
            Generation 2 Quiz

 How does Oedipus become king of Thebes?


He kills the current king, Laius, which is also his father.
Oedipus battles Laius on the roadside to steal the throne.
He answers the riddle of the sphinx, freeing the people
of Thebes of the sphinx.
Both the first and third choice are correct.
Incorrect! Try again!
          Generation 2:
        Oedipus & Jocasta
• Oedipus kills his father, Laius, after an altracation
with him on a road. Oedipus becomes the King of
Thebes shortly afterward in Laius’ absence. He
married Jocasta, but has yet to find out that she is his
mother or Laius was his father.



   King Oedipus                          Jocasta
•Oedipus, on the road to the oracle, met an
unarmed man on riding a chariot. The man in the
chariot demanded that Oedipus stand aside so
he could pass. They argued, and Oedipus killed
the stranger. The man was King Laius, Oedipus'
father.

•Oedipus saves the city by answering the riddle
of the Sphinx. After ridding the city of the Sphinx,
Oedipus is handed the open position of the
throne.
In addition to the throne, Oedipus also receives the
honor of marrying Jocasta.

Oedipus has four children with Jocosta:
Eteocles, Polyneices, Antigone, and Ismene.
Great Job!
         Generation 2 Quiz

After reading about Oedipus’ story, what do you
think altracation means?


   A misunderstanding         A violent fight

      A lovers’ spat      A minor disagreement
Incorrect! Try again!
         Generation 2:
       Oedipus & Jocasta
• Oedipus kills his father, Laius, after an
altracation with him on a road. Oedipus
becomes the King of Thebes shortly afterward in
Laius’ absence. He married Jocasta, but has yet
to find out that she is his mother or Laius was his
father.


  King Oedipus                     Jocasta
Great Job!
Antigone Family Background




    We will
 study this
part of the
family tree
      last.
       Generation 3:
   Oedipus & his children
• Within a short time, divine signs of misfortune
and pollution began to appear in Thebes, which
caused the king to seek out their cause.
•Finally, the seer Teiresias revealed to Oedipus
that Oedipus himself (because of the curse
placed on his father, Laius) was the source of
the pollution.
• Oedipus discovered he was really the son of
Laius and Jocasta and that all the curse, or
prophecy, had indeed come to pass.
•Jocasta committed suicide and Oedipus blinded
himself by forcing her brooch pins into his eyes.
           Generation 3 Quiz

 Why does Oedipus originally go to Teiresias?


Pollution and misfortune returned to Thebes.
Oedipus hears rumors of another sphinx.

Oedipus finds out his has married his mother.

None of the above.
Great Job!
Incorrect! Try again!
       Generation 3:
   Oedipus & his children
• Within a short time, divine signs of misfortune
and pollution began to appear in Thebes, which
caused the king to seek out their cause.
•Finally, the seer Teiresias revealed to Oedipus
that Oedipus himself was the source of the
pollution.
• Oedipus discovered he was really the son of
Laius and Jocasta and that all the prophecy had
indeed come to pass.
•Jocasta committed suicide and Oedipus blinded
himself by forcing her brooch pins into his eyes.
         Generation 3 Quiz

Who revealed to Oedipus that Oedipus himself was
the source of the pollution.?

     Jocasta                 Teiresias
    Antigone               The Oracle
Great Job!
Incorrect! Try again!
       Generation 3:
   Oedipus & his children
• Within a short time, divine signs of misfortune
and pollution began to appear in Thebes, which
caused the king to seek out their cause.
•Finally, the seer Teiresias revealed to Oedipus
that Oedipus himself was the source of the
pollution.
          Extra Credit!
• Oedipus had to answer a riddle by the
  sphinx to rid the city of the curse.

• What walks on four legs in the
  morning, on two legs at noon, and on
  three legs in the evening?

• What’s your guess?
            Extra Credit
• Did you guess a human?

• The answer was a human
  being, who in infancy crawls on
  all fours, in adulthood walks
  upright on two legs, and in old
  age uses a cane. When Oedipus
  solved her riddle, the Sphinx
  killed herself.