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Relationship:

Oedipus and Jocasta: husband/wife and mother/son

Oedipus and Creon: Nephew/ Uncle and Brother in laws

Oedipus and Polybus/Merope: Adoptive son of Polybus

Key Ideas

Fate: Greeks believe their lives were predetermined by the 3 Fates (predestined)

Hubris: Excessive pride or self confidence

Hamartia: A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine

Hero/Heroine

  • Conflict with the divine
  • Physical or Spiritual injury
  • Attempts to circumvent fate
  • Position of Power
  • Tragic flaw (hamartia)

Nemesis: Long-standing rival or arch enemy

Ancient Greece Background

Greek Theater

Catharsis: Process of releasing and getting relief from repressed or strong emotions

Each person has a "Fate" assigned to him or her. If you overstep your fate you would be guilty of "hubris" (excessive pride).

Sophocles influenced the theater of his time and the literature of western civilization.

Gods were interested in human affairs: Success was "divine favor" and Failure was "divine anger".

Elements of a Tragedy

Tragedy means "goat" which was sacred to Dionysus. Tragedy triggers 2 emotions: pity and terror

The Festival of Dionysus was a religious festival in Athens each Spring that everyone attended to honor Dionysus the god of wine and fertility. The competition for the best play was held during this festival.

During Sophocles time the Plague killed 1/3 of the population.

Sophocles was from a privileged family. His father was a wealthy arms dealer.

He was well educated, was known for his great physical beauty, and was very popular with the people of his time.

Sophocles also acted in his own plays and was a "Rockstar" in his time.

Oedipus is well known because of the "Oedipal Complex" that the famous psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud, coined in his work.

Chorus

  • No positional power
  • Summarizes events in the play
  • Represents the people

Oracles were believed to speak for Appollo and communicate the will of Zues. Prophets were called "Seers" and interpreted future events.

Greek Theater

Audience knows the story and interacts with pity and fear

  • Performed at the Festival Dionysus for 6 days with 3 playwrights.
  • A winner was chosen by judges
  • All citizens would attend for free
  • Actors wore large masks for character enhancement and to be heard better
  • The "Chorus" danced and and entertained in the "orchestra"

Sophocles

  • Tragedies mirror life
  • Hero experiences a downfall
  • Eventual role reversal/acceptance of responsibility

Characters

Tragic Irony occurs when the audience understands the irony which a character in the play does not.

In Oedipus the King we have a supreme example of "tragic irony" which creates suspense and drama as the king becomes aware of the tragic irony of his life.

Sophocles 496-406 B.C.

A Greek playwright who wrote Oedipus Rex and gave form to Greek Tragedy.

  • Oedipus: The King
  • Jocasta: Wife of Laius and Wife and mother to Oedipus
  • Creon: Laius's brother
  • Laius: Jocasta's first husband and father to Oedipus
  • Tiresias: Blind Prophet of Thebes
  • The Oracle at Delphi: Seers who can foresee the future and fate of mortals
  • Polybus: Oedipus' adoptive father
  • Merope: Oedipus' adoptive mother

Sophocles was the first to add a third speaking actor which made for a faster paced play.

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

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