Oedipus the King by Sophocles - Ms. Lloyd's...
Transcript of Oedipus the King by Sophocles - Ms. Lloyd's...
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Oedipus Rex (The King)
by Sophocles
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Genre: Greek Tragedy
Tragedy orignates from “tragos,” which means “goat.” Winners of festivals would receive a goat as prize.
Focused on popular myths and legends (Oedipus, Trojan War, Hercules, Perseus) and the gods and goddesses
Examined the consequences of individual actions, the relationship of people to the gods, and the role fate plays in life
Best known writers – Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles
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Genre’s Characteristics
• A tragedy is a serious drama featuring a hero or main character, often of noble birth, who strives to achieve something and is ultimately defeated.
• The structure of most Greek tragedies presents a tight, formal arrangement of parts.
•Prologue: the opening scene of the play.
•Parados: the first of the Chorus’s lyric songs, or choral odes.
•Dialogue: the conversation of the play’s characters.
•Choral Odes: lyric songs are choral odes. Sophocles treated his chorus as collective “actor.”
•Exodos: the concluding scene of a play.
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Greek Theater
Amphitheater: semi-
circle with a central
viewing area
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Greek Theater - Parts
Thymele
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Greek Theater – Parts Defined
Thymele – altar for god(s), in
middle of “stage”
Theatron – place
for audience to sit
Orchestra – where
the actors performed,
at front of “stage”
Skene – place for
scenery
Praskenion
– dressing
room for
actors
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History
Plays were a part of festivals to honor the gods. Oedipus honors the deity, Dionysus, god of fertility.
Every citizen attended these plays, sometimes up to 15,000.
At the end of the festivals, judges would vote on the best play.
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Greek Drama
One of the oldest forms of drama (6th century)
Grew out of religion and myth
Performed at religious festivals to honor
Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility
Only male actors allowed to perform
Costumes were high boots, large padded clothing,
and masks made of linen or leather attached to
wood.
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Sophocles
Considered the greatest
playwright from Ancient
Greece.
It is believed he won the
Athenian festival
eighteen times.
Very involved in political
and militarily affairs.
Oedipus Rex is part of a
trilogy.
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Sophocles the Innovator
Added a 3rd actor.
First to include painted scenery.
Reduced the size of the chorus to fifteen men.
Purpose of chorus is to represent the citizens who
often question, advise, and express opinions.
Never showed violent scenes on stage. Violence
was reported by a messenger, a character in the
play.
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Themes
Theme: The central idea or insight to a work of literature.
Fate vs. Free Will – In ancient Greek culture, it was questioned whether it was possible to avoid one’s fate by simple chance or an attempt to avoid prophecy.
Oedipus and the Sphinx
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The Characters
Oedipus (ED i pus)their son
Jocasta (jo KAS tuh)Laius (LAY oos)
Creon (KREE ahn)her brother
The Royal Family
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The CharactersOedipus’ Family
The Thebans
Oedipus (ED i pus) Jocasta (jo KAS tuh)
The Royal Family
Antigone (an TIG uh nee)Ismene (is MEE nee)
daughte
rs
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Greek gods
Dionysus –god of wine, fertility, and drama
Apollo –god of healing and prophecy
Zeus – the supreme deity of gods
Athena –goddess of wisdom Dionysus Apollo
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Delphi’s Oracle
Oracle of Delphi
Most important shrine in Greece – for the god Apollo
Built around a sacred spring, was considered to be the “opmhalos” (the navel) – the center of the world
Priestess of Apollo –Pythia – gave cryptic answers to those seeking answers
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Sphinx
Sphinx –
a winged, man-eating
creature with a lion’s
body and a woman’s
head, vicious and single
minded
Name from the Greek
word sphingo meaning
“to strangle”
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The Sphinx’s Riddle
The Sphinx plagued Thebes with her riddle.
“What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?”
When Oedipus solved the riddle, the Sphinx killed herself and he inherited the throne of Thebes, which also included its queen, Jocasta.
Oedipus and the Sphinx
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Tragic Hero
character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy
Hamartia: weakness or flaw in a character.
Hubris: excessive pride or arrogance
Catharsis: self-realization and self-awareness