1. Oedipus Rex (the King) Sophocles 496-406 BC

2. Sophocles consistently won the Dionysian festival of Greek drama All characters were male and wore masks Oedipus is one of the plays in a trilogy Audience familiar with the story of Oedipus

3. Structure of the play Prologue: opening scene Parados Choral ode: chorus comments on the prior scene strophe and anti-strophe Scene 1 Choral ode Scene 2 Choral ode Scene 3 Choral ode Scene 4 Choral ode Exodus

4. Function of the chorus Elders commenting upon the play take on role of an actor with Sophocles represents the citizens always on the stage provide background information interpret and summarize events ask questions give opinions can be considered a jury that listens to evidence and reaches a moral conclusion

5. Aristotle (384-322)defined tragedy in his Poetics. Applied reason and logic to Considered Oedipus the perfect tragedy Three Unities time: the play takes place in 24 hour time period place: only one setting action: one plot, no mixture of tragedy and comedy Perfect tragic hero: member of nobility tragic flaw (hamartia)

6. Elements of Tragedy Reaffirm that life is worth living, regardless of pain and suffering People in conflict with the universe Protagonist is nobility –Audience must care about him Protagonist has inner conflict Falls from high to low Good man, not perfect –Suffers from hubris Excessive pride

7. The protagonist’s actions arouse feelings of pity and fear in the Audience. By the end of the play, the audience is purged of pity and fear: Catharsis

8. Elements of Tragic Destiny Circumstances Free Will Will of the gods

9. Irony Dramatic Irony: Audience knows something that a character does not the audience knows that Oedipus killed his father and married his mother

10. Motifs Oedipus as Captain of a ship; Thebes as a ship Oedipus’ fate as a woven net Blindness, night, darkness, eyesight

11. Other Elements Oedipus is a caring, effective leader –But, he is quick to anger Creon is a ruler concerned with proper procedures A lack of respect for the gods is extremely negative in this culture