Greek%20Drama%20and%20Oedipus%20Rex

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Greek Drama and Oedipus Rex

• Intro to Myth

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Greek Theater
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Greek Theatre Main components

• Theatron literally, the watching place
• Orchestra literally, the dancing place
• Skene scene, or backdrop

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Actors

• 3 Actors, all men
• Various roles
• Wore masks
• Elaborate gestures, over-acting

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Chorus

• 12-15 men
• Sang and danced (sort of) the odes
• One of the chorus may also play a part in the
  actual play

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Structure of Greek Drama
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Prologue

• The exposition of the play.
• The Prologues purpose is to give background
  information to situate the conflict.

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The Odes

• Serve to separate one scene from another (since
  there were no curtains in Greek theaters).

• Also allowed the choruss response to the
  preceding scene.

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Parts of the Ode

• Strophe part of the ode that the chorus chants
  as it moves from right to left across the stage.

• Antistrophe part of the ode chanted as the
  chorus moves back across the stage from left to
  right.

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Parodos (first ode)

• Choral song chanted by the chorus as they enter
  the area in front of the stage.

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First Scene

• Following the Parodos, the first scene presents
  the conflict of the play.

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Paean (follows scene 5)

• A hymn in praise of a god.

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Exodos

• Final scene of the play.

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Oedipus Rex
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Aristotles Definition of Tragedy

• Any serious and dignified drama that describes a
  conflict between the hero (protagonist) and a
  superior force (antagonist)
• Reaches a sorrowful conclusion that arouses pity
  or fear in the audience (catharsis)

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Recognition and Reversal

• Recognition is a change from ignorance to
  knowledge.
• The new knowledge often identifies an unknown
  relative or dear one whom the hero should cherish
  but was about to harm or has just harmed.
• Reversal is a change of a situation to its
  opposite.

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Characteristics of the Tragic Hero

• The tragic hero
• Is not all good or bad
• Is of the noble class or highly renowned and
  prosperous
• Has a tragic flaw
• Recognizes his error and accepts the consequences
• Arouses the audiences pity and fear

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Sophocles

• 495-406 B.C.E.
• Born in Colonus, in Attica
• Lived during the Peloponnesian War (Athens v.
  Sparta)
• 431-404 B.C.E.
• 429 Writes Oedipus Rex
• The play shows his anger about his societys
  turning away from the gods

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Plot Summary

• Oedipus Rex is the story of a king of Thebes upon
  whom a hereditary curse is placed and who
  therefore has to suffer the tragic consequences
  of fate.

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Oedipus

• protagonist
• his name means swollen-foot
• he inspires both pity and fear
• he is wise, revered by his subjects, and
  dedicated to the discovery of truth

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Jocasta (Iocaste)

• the wife of Oedipus
• she alternately condemns and upholds the
  authority of the oracles as best suits the
  direction of the argument at the moment
• Symbolic of Sophocles culture

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Laios

• Former King of Thebes
• Died before the beginning of the play
• Oedipus married Laios wife and inherited his
  throne

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Creon

• Brother of Jocasta
• 2nd in command in Thebes

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Teiresias

• Blind prophet of Apollo
• Highly regarded by most Greeks

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Polybos and Merope

• King and Queen of Corinth
• Raised Oedipus

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Antigone and Ismene

• Daughters of Oedipus and Jocasta
• Present in the play, but they do not speak

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Chorus

• men of Thebes who honor and respect the king and
  the gods
• their odes reveal both a strong attachment to the
  king as well as grounding in religious culture
• choral odes bring an additional viewpoint to the
  play