Class Discussion II. 1. What was worrying the king? 2. Why did the king ask his sons how much they loved him? 3. What opinion did the king have of his third son on hearing his answer? 4. Why did the king decide to go on a voyage? 5. Was the messenger speaking the truth? Who do you think had sent him? 6. Why did the two older princes not deserve to be the king? Vocabulary

What is the significance of the above statement in relation to the play’s conclusion? oedipus treats his inferiors poorly but ultimately grants them the same respect he grants to nobility. while teiresias appears to be mocking oedipus, the real message is one of warning about the forces working against the king. oedipus earns great fame for answering the riddle of the sphinx but ultimately loses his crown to a common man. just as oedipus is unable to conceive that he has done wrong in the past, he is unable to imagine that his enviable position is impermanent.