1. Oedipus Rex

2. Greek Tragedy  Tragedy : In ancient Greece, a form of poetic drama involving song and dance, usually relating the fall of a hero through some tragic error.  Greek tragedy evolved from the worship of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, intoxication(madness), festivity, pleasure, vegetation. Worshipers of Dionysus disguised themselves with masks, dressed in animal costumes, carried fertility symbols, and sang hymns of praise to Dionysus.  Audiences would view the play from the theatron (viewing place), originally a bare hillside, later covered by stone seats.  Oedipus Rex is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles around 429 BC.

3. Tragic Hero  A tragic hero is a person of noble birth with heroic or potentially heroic qualities like courage, strength, wisdom.  Hamartia is, according to Aristotle, the tragic flaw that leads to hero’s downfall. Hubris falls under hamartia.  The hero’s suffering brings about a change, enlightenment.  Tragic doom is both private and public; affects both spheres of the hero’s life.

4. The Chorus  In ancient Greek theater, the chorus was a group of actors that commented on the action of the play through singing or chanting in unison.  Sophocles’ chorus was comprised of 15 actors. At some point earlier in history, it had been as large as 50. (12 was also a common number of actors.)  There was also a “leader” in the chorus who behaved like a character who talked with the other characters.  During the choral odes, the chorus moved as a group and sang their commentary.  Typically, the chorus expressed support for the main character of the play.  The chorus of Oedipus the King represent older men of Thebes who begin as loyal followers of Oedipus and continue to be very sympathetic to him as his misfortunes unfold.

5. Other Terms to Know: Hubris  An arrogant pride that ignores the limits of the human (understanding, knowledge, ability, etc).  Excessive pride Catharsis  According to Aristotle, the cleansing of the emotions experienced by the audience of an ancient Greek tragedy (Greek ‘purgation’)

6. Terms continued Dramatic Irony  Irony is a contradiction or incongruity between appearance or expectation and reality. This disparity my be manifested in a variety of ways. One way is that a discrepancy is made apparent between what appears to be true and what is actually true.  a plot device in which the audience’s or reader’s knowledge of events or individuals surpasses that of the characters. The words and actions of the characters therefore take on a different meaning for the audience or reader than they have for the play’s characters. This may happen when, for example, a character reacts in an inappropriate or foolish way or when a character lacks self-awareness and thus acts under false assumptions

7. Themes, Messages, and Issues  The tension between individual action (free will) and fate.  The tension between individual action and the state (or governing body and set of laws).  The tension in the relationship between humans and gods; don’t defy the gods.  The question of Truth, knowledge; can humans actually have direct access to perfect knowledge, to Truth? Or is their perspective ALWAYS in danger of being flawed.  Know thyself.