Oedipus Rex Sophocles

It walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three legs in the evening. What is it? Man (or woman). Crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two legs as an adult and uses two legs and a cane when they're old.

Who was Sophocles? Born in 495 B.C. about a mile north of Athens He lived until he was ninety years of age! One of the great playwrights of the golden age He was devoted to the service of the state and art and public affairs By the age of sixteen, he was already known for his beauty and grace and was chosen to lead a choir of boys at a celebration of the victory of Salamis He wrote more than 120 plays He competed and often won the City Dionysia--a festival held every year at the Theatre of Dionysus in which new plays were presented

Before Greek Theatre Before Greek theater, drama was also important: it was the “ritualistic expression and interpretation of pure and natural forces, the cycle of life and death, and the nexus of past, present and future.” Elements of song and dance were essential to theatre The prime function of theatre was the expression of feelings and reasoning, excited by man’s battles with the eternal forces that appear to govern his life.

Greek Theatre: Ritualistic Nature Was a religious celebration (Dionysus: god of wine) The Greek government saw the ritualistic celebration as so important that business activities were suspended for one week for the festival Citizens were expected to attend the festival and often participated (e.g. as the chorus) Attendance was a CIVIC DUTY! More than 15,000 spectators attended the theatre Plays were instructional as well as entertaining. Citizens would glean lessons from the performance.

Greek Theatre: Competition Greek Theatre contained an element of competition two or three authors would present four plays: three tragedies and a comedy These plays were judged. The winner would take away substantial prizes.

Greek Theatre: Structure The structure of the theatre imposed restrictions on the play. There were obvious acoustic problems and the actors had a difficult task There was a lack of painted scenery These restrictions required the playwright to delineate carefully within the characters lines the: setting, passage of time, names and dates, As well as stage movements.

Ancient Greek Theatre

Greek Theatre: Conventions There was a CHORUS in the play The function of the chorus was interactive: it helped the audience understand the play Thespis introduced the first actor who would step out of the chorus. Aeschylus and Sophocles introduced the second actor Euripides introduced a few more actors, and therefore the number of people in the chorus decreased Generally there were no more than three actors in a scene: actors would play more than one part Costumes were designed to make the actors look larger than life (elevate their status) and were cumbersome and made it difficult for the actors to move. As a result, there was not much action in the play and monologues were favored.

Functions of Chorus The beauty of poetry and dancing Relieves tension Interprets events for audience Often converses with the actors; gives advice Gives background of events

Rated G No violent action Scenes of horror happen off stage Reported to the audience

Unity Unity of action- no subplots Unity of place-no change of scenery Unity of time- plot is over a short period No intermissions

Generic Structure of Drama Exposition (Inciting Incident) Conflict Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution (Dénouement)

Generic Structure of Drama Climax Falling Action Conflict / Rising Action Exposition (Inciting Incident) Resolution (Dénouement)

Tragedy A drama of a character, usually one in high position, where a conflict usually develops between the protagonist/hero and a “superior force” (such as destiny, circumstance, or society) and the story ends in some sort of disaster or great fall of the protagonist.

Greek Tragedy has five distinct parts The Prologos (Prologue) The Parados (Chorus) The Episodes (Scenes) The Stasimons (Odes) The Exodos (Conclusion)

The Prologos (Prologue) The opening portion of the play which sets the scene and contains the exposition.

The Parados (Chorus) The entrance song of the chorus. The Parados is named after the broad aisles on either side of the theatron, along which the chorus entered or exited.

The Episodes (Scenes) Scenes in the action of the drama. The episodes, performed by the actors, are distinguished from the stasimons, performed by the chorus. The episodes alternate with the stasimons.

The Stasimons (Odes) A choral passage, alternating with the episodes of the plot of the drama. The ode is a type of lyric poem, using exalted, dignified diction, a poetic form created for the choral passage. The chorus sang and danced the tragic odes, accompanied by musical instruments. The tragic ode consisted of strophes and antistrophes, essentially stanzas of the poem. Historians suggest that the chorus sang the strophe, dancing in one direction around the orchestra, changing directions with the antistrophe.

The Exodos (Conclusion) The concluding section of the tragedy. The exodos ends with the chorus singing their final lines as they exit.

Hubris and Hamartia Hamartia: A tragic flaw or error that in ancient Greek tragedies leads to the hero’s reversal of fortune. Hubris: Excessive pride or arrogance. Often leads to the downfall of the major character in Greek tragedy.

Anagnorisis A moment of awareness when a character makes a critical discovery, ususally in reference to a key aspect of his identity.

The Myth pg 199-201 in text book

Gustave Moreau, Oedipus and the Sphinx, 1864 (Metropolitan Museum of Art) Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Oedipus and the Sphinx, 1808 (Louvre)

The Myth in Painting Do you think the artists have the same view of how Oedipus is reacting to the Sphinx? Do they have the same view of who is in control? Do they have the same view of what the outcome of the confrontation will be? How do these two paintings express different ideas about the same story?