Post-Show Discussion Activity
![A woman is looking straight at the camera. Behind her, a man in a white suit looks off-camera. The background is blurry, and there is a light source above the two people.](https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-09T125727.269.png)
Use these questions to reflect, discuss, or journal about your experience and reactions to The Gospel at Colonus! Explore any of the questions that interest you.
Discussion Questions
- What values rise to the surface in this play? How does the play deepen or nuance your understanding of these values?
- Destiny is a major theme in Oedipus’s life.
- How does Oedipus at Colonus/Gospel fit into or challenge other narratives about destiny and fate?
- What tales of redemption have shaped your ideas of destiny and fate?
- In what cases is redemption im/possible?
- The play layers family tragedy with politics and the theme of fate. How do these ideas intertwine and interact in other arenas? In your own life or family tree?
- To what extent can Oedipus be held accountable for his sins? What implications does this generate?
- Oedipus is cursed, and he in turn curses his power-hungry sons. What does this make you think about family and legacy?
- What does this play reveal or offer about gender?
- Towards the end of the play, Oedipus says to his daughters, “You will no longer / Bear the burden of taking care of me.” What burdens might be released for or from your family tree?
- This activity aligns with the following standards:
- Illinois Arts Learning Standards
- Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
- Anchor Standard 8: Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.
- Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
- Common Core State Standards
- CCSS.ELA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
- CCSS.ELA.R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
- CCSS.ELA.R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
- CCSS.ELA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- Illinois Arts Learning Standards