Oedipus the King

Oedipus the King also known as “Oedipus Rex” or “Oedipus Tyrannus” By Sophocles 430 BC

Classical Greek Drama:  Developed from religious festivals to please and worship the Greek god, Dionysus

Theatres:  Almost all were built into hillsides as amphitheatres that could seat fourteen thousand people!

 The seats partially enclosed the orchestra.  The orchestra was the area in which the chorus chanted lines and danced.  The chorus consisted of a dozen or so men.

 The chorus is both a participant and observer of the action. It is often used to clarify the play for the audience

Thespians  A guy named Thespis first came up with the idea to have single actors on the stage  This is why actors today are known as thespians.  Eventually three actors would play all roles (still all men!)

Because the amphitheatres were so huge, actors wore masks for facial expressions They were also to help project their voices through the cone-like openings.

Masks…

Greek Tragedy  In literature, a tragedy presents courageous and dignified individuals who are faced with failure, defeat or even death

Terms to know:  Protagonist: the leading character in a literary work  Antagonist: one who opposes the main character  **In Greek tragedy, the protagonist is someone regarded as extraordinary rather than typical, a great man or woman brought from happiness to agony.

 Tragic Flaw: a character flaw that causes the downfall of the protagonist – -- could be an excess of pride (called hubris), ambition, passion, anything that brings him down.

Hamartia: a mistake or error in judgement, usually made by the protagonist, that brings about his or her downfall  For example, the hero might attempt to achieve a certain objective X; by making an error in judgment, however, the hero instead achieves the opposite of X, with disastrous consequences.

Irony:

when one thing is expected and another occurs

 Dramatic Irony: the meaning of a character’s words or actions is understood by the audience but not the character

And on to…

Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King”!