Question

ismene, who had come to tell her father the good news of this oracle, was with her sister when he died and afterward they were both sent safely home by theseus. they arrived to find one brother marching against their city, resolved to capture it, and the other determined to defend it to the end. polyneices, the one who attacked it, had the better right to it, but the younger, eteocles, was fighting for thebes, to save her from capture. it was impossible for the two sisters to keep sides against either brother.

why do the sons of oedipus go to war?

they are fighting each other for control of thebes.
they are fighting against an invading army from argos.
they are fighting their sisters to gain their fathers riches.
they are fighting the familys enemies to protect their honor.

Explanation:

Analyze the question and text

The question asks: "Why do the sons of Oedipus go to war?"

Using the Textual Evidence and Character Conflict Analysis knowledge points, we examine the provided passage:

• "They arrived to find one brother marching against their city, resolved to capture it, and the other determined to defend it to the end."
• "Polyneices, the one who attacked it, had the better right to it, but the younger, Eteocles, was fighting for Thebes, to save her from capture."

This shows that the two brothers (the sons of Oedipus) are fighting each other for control of their home city, Thebes.

Evaluate the given options

• Option 1: "They are fighting each other for control of Thebes." This matches the text directly, as one brother is attacking the city to capture it and the other is defending it.
• Option 2: "They are fighting against an invading army from Argos." The text does not mention an invading army from Argos in this excerpt.
• Option 3: "They are fighting their sisters to gain their father's riches." The text states the sisters cannot take sides against either brother, not that they are fighting them.
• Option 4: "They are fighting the family's enemies to protect their honor." The conflict is explicitly between the two brothers over the city.

Answer:

• (A) They are fighting each other for control of Thebes. (Correct answer)
• (B) They are fighting against an invading army from Argos.
• (C) They are fighting their sisters to gain their father's riches.
• (D) They are fighting the family's enemies to protect their honor.