32 pages • 1 hour read
SenecaOedipus
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 60A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Compare Seneca’s Oedipus with earlier retellings of the myth. In what ways are they different or similar? How do the differences inform the key themes and your understanding of the story?
What role does the chorus play in Oedipus? What is the chorus’s relationship to the key themes and plot developments, and how do they serve the plot?
Analyze the conclusion. Do Oedipus’s actions change anything? To what extent is he responsible—or not responsible—for what has happened?
What is the relationship between fate and free will in the play? Is free will still possible when fate is such a dominant force in the lives of the characters?
Does Oedipus have a tragic flaw? Why or why not?
How does the play define the role of the king? Does Oedipus meet these expectations?
Analyze the theme of knowledge. How does having or not having information affect the characters and influence their actions?
How does Seneca use the audience’s presumed knowledge of classical mythology to create tension and dramatic irony? How might knowing the ending inform the audience’s experiences and their understanding of the play’s themes?
Discuss the motifs of seeing and blindness throughout the play. How do these motifs illuminate characterization and the plot?
Related Titles
By Seneca
