Greek Drama and Oedipus Rex

Greek Drama and Oedipus Rex Mr. Sweeney Southwest High School

Drama • Drama – a story written to be performed onstage by actors • The plot is divided into acts, which are further divided into scenes • Dialogue – the conversations of the characters

Comedy vs. Tragedy • Comedy – a play with a happy ending; usually deals with the struggles of common people against social forces • Tragedy – depicts the downfall of a main character known as a tragic hero

Greek Tragedy • Qualities of a tragic hero • Nobility • Hamartia – a flaw that brings about the hero’s downfall; all tragic heroes have one • Hubris – also known as arrogance; it was the most common flaw in Greek tragic heroes • Catharsis– the emotional cleansing we experience as we watch the character realize he has destroyed himself

Greek Plays • Only three actors were used for all the main roles; each often played multiple roles • Actors wore masks so the audiences knew which characters they were supposed to be in each scene

Greek Plays • A chorus of 10-15 people commented on the action and divided the play by reciting odes • Each scene was, therefore, an episode (“between the odes”)

Greek Playwrights • Three most famous: • Aeschylus • Euripides • Sophocles

Greek Theaters Skene Theatron Proskenium Orchestra

Greek Theaters

Greek Plays • Plays were usually performed as part of religious festivals • Awards were given to the authors of the very best plays at these festivals (Sophocles won first place in 24 of the 62 festivals he entered) • Oedipus Rex was first performed at the Festival of Dionysius in Athens; Dionysius was the Greek god of wine

The Tale of Oedipus • King Laius of Thebes learns from an oracle that he will have a son, and that this son will kill his father (Laius) and marry his mother (Jocasta) • When the baby is born, Laius has his feet pinned together • Laius then gives the baby to a servant and instructs him to take the baby into the wild and kills him

The Tale of Oedipus • The servant cannot bring himself to kill the innocent child, so he passes him on to a Corinthian shepherd he meets • The shepherd takes the baby back to Corinth and presents him to the Corinthian king and queen • They name him Oedipus (“swollen foot”) because of the wound to his feet; they do not tell him he was adopted

The Tale of Oedipus • When he has grown to a young man, a drunken servant tells Oedipus that he was adopted • Since no one else will tell him the truth, Oedipus goes to an oracle, who tells him he will kill his father and marry his mother • Distraught, Oedipus vows never to return to Corinth

The Tale of Oedipus • On the road, Oedipus meets a wealthy traveler, who picks a fight with him; Oedipus kills the man, and the man’s servant runs away • Oedipus continues traveling and meets the Sphinx, who has terrorized the city of Thebes with his riddle • Oedipus solves the riddle and kills the Sphinx

The Tale of Oedipus • The people of Thebes are overjoyed, but their king has been killed – the do not know who did it • They name Oedipus their new king and so he marries the old king’s widow, Jocasta • As the play begins, he has been king for about 20 years, and has multiple children with Jocasta

Greek Drama and Oedipus Rex