Question

Those who wish to get something from you now flatter me, since I’m the one who brings success in what they want. In about 75 words, identify whether the four italicized words in this passage from Oedipus the King are nominative or objective pronouns, and explain why that is so, based on how they are used in the sentence. Include any words from the passage that help in your explanation.

Answer 1

Those who wish to get something from you now flatter me, since I’m the one who brings success in what they want.

I am assuming that the pronouns I have face-bolded are the ones that are italicized in the original passage.

Nominative pronouns -- I, we, you, he, she, it , they-- are the ones that trigger agreement on the verb, in positive and negative statements they appear to the left of the verb, from the point of view of meaning they are the ones that start an action, experience something or with copular verbs like be, these pronouns are ascribed something.

Objective pronouns -- me, us, you, him, her, it, them -- are the ones that come to the right of a transitive verb or a preposition and they indicate the receiver of an action or the trigger of a feeling in the subject.

In the passage, you in ...something from you... is an objective pronoun because it is placed to the right of a preposition and clearly it is shown that it is the receiver of a potential action from those who wish. The pronoun me in ...now flatter me is objective because it receives the action of being flattered by those who wish to get something from you.  The pronoun I in I'm the one... is nominative not only because it triggers agreement of the verb be (I am, he is) but also because something is ascribed to the speaker and finally, they in ...they want is another example of nominative as it shows agreement (he wants, they want) and also their desire, they experience a desire.