1. Oedipus Complex Background Information

2. Journal Entry  In your notebook under the writing tab (tab 1), respond to the following prompt:  Does our fate control our destiny?

3. Sophocles  Born in 496 BC  One of the great playwrights during the golden age.  Wrote more than 100 plays  First to add a third actor  Packed all of his action into shorter forms of his plays

4. Tragic Hero "A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall."— Aristotle Aristotle  1. Tragic hero is born of a noble birth  2. Fated by the gods or supernatural force to bring destruction or great suffering.  3. The audience has pity for the tragic hero.  4. Involves free choices  5. Reveals the hero’s true identity  6. Has a flaw that leads to his downfall

5. Greek Mythology  Date back to the 1500 BC  Created to explain natural occurrences  Thunder, echoes, rising sun  Greeks could also account for the change of daily life  If their crops failed, Demeter was unhappy  If their business prospered, Athena favored them  Myths are also used to teach moral values

6. Zeus  God of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods.  Overthrew his Father Cronus.  Poseidon and Hades are his brothers.  His weapon is a thunderbolt which he hurls at those who displease him.  He is also known to punish those that lie or break oaths.

7. Athena  Goddess of reason, intelligent activity, arts, and literature.  Athena is the daughter of Zeus.  She is fierce and brave in battle.  She is the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture.  She is the representation of wisdom, reason, and purity.  Her favorite city is Athens.  Her tree is the olive tree.

8. Apollo  Apollo is the son of Zeus.  His twin sister is Artemis.  He is the god of music, plying the lyre.  The Archer, far shooting with a silver bow.  He is the god of healing who taught man medicine.  He is the god of light who can not speak a lie.  One of Apollo’s more important daily tasks is to harness his chariot and drive the Sun across the sky.  He is famous for his oracle at Delphi.

9. Hades  Brother of Zeus.  Lost battle between Zeus and Poseidon, therefore, making him the ruler of the underworld.  He rules over the dead.  He is very greedy, wanting to increase his subjects.  He is the god of wealth, due to precious metals mined from the earth.  He has a helmet that makes him invisible.

10. Sphinx  Mythical creature with the body of a lion and a human head.  Settled near the city of Ancient Thebes, spreading destruction and bad luck to the district.  The Sphinx used to sit outside of Thebes, asking the same riddle to anyone who passed by.  No one could solve the riddle except Oedipus one day found the answer.