GREEK TRAGEDY: Oedipus the King

Format of Greek Drama Were performed during the daytime Actors loved to hold week long festivals and contests as to who would write the best play 1) Prologue - which described the situation and set the scene. 2) Parados - an ode sung by the chorus as it made its entrance. 3) Five dramatic scenes 4) Exodus - the climax & conclusion

Greek Drama History Drama first developed in Athens from religious ceremonies in honor of the god Dionysus. First "dramas" were choral and dance presentations Eventually an actor was added to respond to the chorus. This was first done by the playwright and actor, Thespis. (We still call actors "thespians" today to honor him as the first actor.)

Conventions of Greek Drama Three Unities (time, place, action) Use of chorus to tell the story (parados, exodus) Actors use masks for large theatres Simple stage / scenic demands Plot-driven story line No violence on stage Deus ex machina (“God of the machine”)

Greek Drama Masks In a large open-air theatre, like the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens, the classical masks were able to bring the characters’ face closer to the audience, especially since they had intensely over-exaggerated facial features and expressions.

Still today masks are used for dramatic effect!

The Greek Tragic Hero The ancient Greeks enjoyed dramas about tragic heroes who do the following: Experience a complete fall from grace Make a decision that leads to their downfall Realize their error only when it is too late They learn that the gods, not them, control fate

Oedipus in a Cultural Context Plot-driven stories = value efficiency No violence on stage = value peace Greeks admired strong, confident leaders but they cautioned against having excessive pride (hubris) which was a crime. Greeks valued reason and intellect. Greeks admired leaders who could control their emotions (stoicism)

Oedipus the King Translated from Greek: “Oedipus” means swollen foot. Author of our play: Sophocles

When Oedipus got to the town of Thebes, a little later, he found the great Sphinx there. The Sphinx sat in front of Thebes and asked everyone who came there a riddle. If you could answer it, the Sphinx let you go, but if you could not answer the riddle, then the Sphinx ate you. When Oedipus answered the riddle correctly, the Sphinx was so upset that she killed herself.

Oedipus went on into Thebes Oedipus went on into Thebes. When he got there, the Thebans were very upset because somebody had killed their king, Laius. But they were happy to hear that Oedipus had figured out the riddle of the Sphinx. So they made Oedipus their new king. As part of becoming the new king, Oedipus married the queen, Jocasta. Many years went by. Oedipus and Jocasta had four children, two boys and two girls, and they got old. One day a  plague came to Thebes. All over Thebes, people were dying of the plague. King Oedipus sent a messenger to the oracle at Delphi to find out why the gods had sent this terrible plague. The oracle told the messenger that Thebes had a bad man in it, and they had to find him and get rid of him or the plague would go on killing people.

A Riddle: What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? Answer: a human

The Riddle of the Sphinx                By Jur BruijnsOn 3 Oct 2012 The Sphinx is said to have guarded the entrance to the Greek city of Thebes, and to have asked a riddle of travellers to allow them passage. She asks all passersby the most famous riddle in history: "Which creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?" She strangled and devoured anyone unable to answer. Oedipus solved the riddle by answering: Man—who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and then walks with a cane in old age. https://www.sciencedump.com/content/riddle-sphinx

A second riddle: There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters? Answer: Day and night. https://www.sciencedump.com/content/riddle-sphinx

Oedipus the King Oedipus, King of Thebes, promises to help end a horrible plague brought on by the gods because of the murder of King Laius. Oedipus commits to finding out and punishing the murderer by either murder or exile. The blind prophet Teiresias claims that Oedipus is the murderer!