Read the passage from "The Royal House of Thebes." In the course of their desolate wanderings Oedipus and Antigone came to Colonus, a lovely spot near Athens, where the one-time Erinyes, the Furies, now the Benignant Goddesses, had a place sacred to them and therefore a refuge for suppliants. The blind old man and his daughter felt safe there, and there Oedipus died. Most unhappy in much of his life, he was happy at the end. The oracle which once had spoken terrible words to him comforted him when he was dying. Apollo promised that he, the disgraced, the homeless wanderer, would bring to the place where his grave should be a mysterious blessing from the gods. Theseus, the King of Athens, received him with all honor, and the old man died rejoicing that he was no longer hateful to men, but welcomed as a benefactor to the land that harbored him. Which statement accurately analyzes this passage from a historical perspective?
Answer
A
The characters in this story live in a society where everyone is equal.
B
People who heard this story when it was first told did not believe in sacred spaces.
C
The characters in this story are kind to one another, even when being kind turns out to be risky or frightening.
D
People who heard this story when it was first told may have believed that oracles could predict the future accurately.
Explanation
The passage says an oracle had spoken to Oedipus earlier and later promised that his burial place would receive a blessing from the gods. This suggests that people hearing the story may have believed oracles could reveal what would happen in the future. The passage does not show disbelief in sacred spaces, universal equality, or kindness as its main historical point.
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