Oedipus the King
also known as
“Oedipus Rex” or “Oedipus Tyrannus”
By Sophocles
430 BC
Classical Greek Drama:
 Developed from religious festivals to
please and worship the Greek god,
Dionysus
Theatres:
 Almost all were built
into hillsides as
amphitheatres that
could seat fourteen
thousand people!
 The seats partially
enclosed the
orchestra.
 The orchestra was
the area in which the
chorus chanted lines
and danced.
 The chorus consisted
of a dozen or so
men.
 The chorus is both a
participant and
observer of the
action. It is often
used to clarify the
play for the audience
Thespians
 A guy named Thespis
first came up with the
idea to have single
actors on the stage
 This is why actors today
are known as thespians.
 Eventually three actors
would play all roles (still
all men!)
Because the
amphitheatres were so
huge, actors wore masks
for facial expressions
They were also to help
project their voices through
the cone-like openings.
Masks…
Greek Tragedy
 In literature, a
tragedy presents
courageous and
dignified individuals
who are faced with
failure, defeat or
even death
Terms to know:
 Protagonist: the leading character in a
literary work
 Antagonist: one who opposes the main
character
 **In Greek tragedy, the protagonist is
someone regarded as extraordinary
rather than typical, a great man or
woman brought from happiness to agony.
 Tragic Flaw: a character flaw that causes
the downfall of the protagonist –
-- could be an excess of pride (called
hubris), ambition, passion, anything that
brings him down.
Hamartia: a mistake or error in
judgement, usually made by the
protagonist, that brings about his or her
downfall
 For example, the hero
might attempt to achieve
a certain objective X; by
making an error in
judgment, however, the
hero instead achieves
the opposite of X, with
disastrous
consequences.
Irony:
when one thing is expected and
another occurs
 Dramatic Irony: the
meaning of a
character’s words or
actions is understood
by the audience but
not the character
And on to…
Sophocles’
“Oedipus the King”!