OEDIPUS REX: PRE-READING & BACKGROUND
Ancient Greece Background
Ancient Greece Religion
 Believed gods took an active interest in human affairs – successes were viewed as the
sign of divine favor while problems and failures were interpreted as the result of divine
anger.
Plague
 Killed 1/3 population
 Victims were “seized first with strong fevers, redness and burning of the eyes, and
expelled an unusually foul breath.” Next came “sneezing, hoarseness, a powerful cough,
and every kind of bilious vomiting.”
Oracle of Apollo at Delphi
 Oracles were believed to speak for Apollo and communicate the will of Zeus (Apollo was
Zeus’ son; the god of the sun and music)
Prophet
 Or “Seer” was taught to be capable of interpreting signs of what was to come.
Exile
 Means you are sent away for an amount of time. You cannot have any connection with
your home or people in the town.
 Standard punishment for unintentional murder
Fate
 Each person has a fate assigned to him or her (by the gods)
 A person who seeks to overstep his or her fate would be guilty of hubris, or pride.
Drama!!!
Festival of Dionysus
 6th century B.C.
 Religious festival in Athens each Spring to honor Dionysus (god of wine and fertility)
 A chorus of masked dancers performed on a circular stage, singing hymns to this god.
The First Actor
 Thespis of Icaria, a Greek poet, introduced the 1st actor on stage. The word “thespian”
means “actor.”
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Greek Theater
Greek tragedies were performed at the Greater Dionysia, a festival near the end of March.
6 days – 3 playwrights (chosen by a city official) would stage 3 tragedies and one satyr
(satire: using humor or exaggeration to make fun of society)
At the end of all the productions, 10 judges would choose the winning playwright, who
was awarded an ivy wreath.
All citizens would attend, admission was free of charge
Seats for audience were built into a hillside (theatron). Actors wore large masks that
could be seen from a distance. Actors also wore elevated shoes.
Circle marks the orchestra (“dancing place”) where chorus of a dozen or so men chanted
their lines and danced; (parados) was for the entering and exiting of chorus
The building, called a skene (scene), provided changing rooms for the actors. 2-3 actors
might play all the roles in a performance. Scenes were often painted on the wall of the
building to suggest the play’s setting.
Awesome People from Greek Drama
Aeschylus
 Earliest of three great tragic dramatists, was
born a noble (525-255 BC)
 Took part in battle of Marathon
 Wrote between 80 and 90 plays, winning 1st prize
at least 13 times in dramatic competitions
 Added a second actor on stage, creating a
dialogue between two characters
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Euripides
 Youngest of the three great tragic dramatists (484-406
BC)
 Least appreciated and most controversial
 Considered eccentric by his contemporaries, he didn’t
participate in the public life of Athens
 Wrote 88 plays, only 4 of them won 1st prize
 Created spectacular stage effects and portrayed
characters in highly realistic ways.
 Medea – explores the motives of a woman guilty of
a horrid crime
SOPHOCLES
 (496-406 BC) – son of a wealthy arms
manufacturer, was beloved and highly
successful
 Wrote 123 dramas, winning at least 24 1st
places and never finishing lower than 2nd
 Served Athens by being treasurer, military
commander
 Introduced a 3rd character to drama,
increased the number of chorus members,
and introduced painted scenery
 Oedipus Rex (the king), Antigone, and
Oedipus at Colonus
 Lived a long, very happy life
 Young – skillful wrestler, dancer, and
musician. Later, had a successful career
in public life (military leader,
ambassador, public treasurer, etc.)
 Helped establish the 1st Athenian public
hospital
d  Handsome, charming, friendly, and
well educated
 Ironic that he had such a dark view of
human life
 Deeply aware of life’s pain and sorrow
 Plays feature towering heroes who remind
the audience of the vast potential of
human beings
 Of all his plays, the one who has touched
the hearts of audience most deeply is
Oedipus.
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Elements of a Tragedy
Tragedy
 “Tragedy” reflects this purpose – comes from the Greek word for “goat” (the goat was
regarded as a sacred animal to Dionysus.)
 Aristotle – Oedipus Rex as the model of a perfectly made tragedy – “an imitation of an
action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude”
 Triggers 2 emotions: pity and terror
 Often starts “en media res” or “in the middle” of the action
Tragic Hero/ Heroine Must be noble or of high status
 Neither thoroughly good nor thoroughly bad
 Has a tragic flaw that leads to their own downfall (Hamartia)
 Hubris: excessive pride or arrogance( often hero/heroine’s hamartia)
 Evokes both pity and fear from the audience
 Reversal of seemingly good fortune (Perepiteia)
 Enlightenment or recognition of hero’s responsibility (Anagnorosis)
 The audience is cleansed of pity and fear and feels renewed (Catharsis)
Chorus (15 elders)
 No positional power (citizens)
 Peripheral to main interactions (on the sidelines)
 Effected by main interactions
 Summarizes and emphasizes events in the play
 Looks at point of view of all characters
Audience
 Knows the story more than the characters (dramatic irony)
 Interacts via pity and fear
Tragedies are tragic because
 Plot mirrors life (realistic)
 The hero experiences a downfall (reversal of fortune aka peripeteia)
 The audience experiences fear/ pity
 There is an enlightenment/acceptance of responsibility in which the protagonist realizes
that they are the reason for the destruction surrounding them (anagnorosis)
 A moment where the audience and protagonist are cleansed of pity and fear; a release or
cleanse
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DRAMATIC TERMS
6 Elements of Tragedy based on Aristotle's Poetics
1. Tragedy: a play with a serious theme that usually ends unhappily for the main
character set in motion by some tragic flaw in his or her personality (hamartia)
2. Hubris: arrogance or excessive pride
3. Foreshadowing: clues as to what will probably happen later in the play
4. Climax: the highest point of emotional tension or turning point of tension
5. Catharsis: An emotional purification or cleansing felt by the audience at the end of a
tragedy. As the audience members watch the play, they feel a mixture of pity and fear,
but by the play's end, the audience feels washed clean and emotionally renewed by
witnessing and understanding the fate of the protagonist.
6. Denouement: the resolution of the main conflict (not usually a happy outcome for the
main character.)
Sections of a Greek Play:
Prologue: spoken by one or two characters before the chorus appears. Sets forth the subject of
the play and provides the mythological background necessary for understanding the events of
the play
Parados: song sung by the chorus as it first enters
*strophe: sung as the chorus turns from one side of the orchestra to the other
*antistrophe: sung while the chorus moved in a direction opposite from the strophe
Episodes: scenes of dialogue in which one or more actors take part
Stasimon: a choral ode that often reflects on the dialogue and events of the preceding episode;
weaves the plot into a cohesive whole
Exodus the final episode where there is a processional song sung by the chorus at the end of
the play offering words of wisdom related to the actions and outcomes of the play
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Oedipus Characters
Priest
Oedipus
Jocasta
Creon
Chorus
Choragos
Laius
Tiresias
The Oracle at Delphi
Polybus
Merope
Antigone
Isemene
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AGREE
DISAGREE
1. There is only one way to “see” things.
2. There is such a thing as “fate.” A person has the ability to
change his/her fate.
3. If we are true to ourselves, and act on our true feelings (good
or bad) we will always be able to handle the consequences.
4. Family secrets should NEVER be shared outside the family.
5. If you are in a position of power, you should be exempt from
following certain rules/consequences.
6. We should always work toward bettering our community
even if it is ourselves that we must change.
7. Your parents’/family’s reputation heavily impacts you/your
own reputation.
8. It is easier to place blame on those around us than to look
inside ourselves.
9. I believe in coincidence.
10. There is a fine line between pride and arrogance. Having
too much pride is evil.
Formula and Flow of Classical Greek Tragedy
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Influenced by
and / or
Leads to
The consequences of which lead to
and
But these come too late to avoid
Which causes or brings about
KIM Handout
K
Key Idea
I
Information
M
Memory Clue
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1. Fate
2. Hubris
3. Hamartia
4. Peripeteia
5. Catharsis
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The Family Tree!
Show the “true” relationship between:
Oedipus and Jocasta:
Oedipus and Creon:
Oedipus and Polybus/Merope:
Oedipus and Antigone/Isemene:
The Backstory!
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Name______________________________________Date______________Class______
OEDIPUS READING GUIDE QUESTIONS
ACT I (pgs 262-283)
1. How does Oedipus characterize himself?
2. What is his attitude toward the suppliants?
3. What conditions in Thebes does the Priest describe?
4. How do the suppliants view Oedipus?
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5. What request does the Priest make of Oedipus?
6. What step has Oedipus already taken to deal with the problem?
7. According to Creon, what did Apollo say must be done in order to cure Thebes of its
pollution?
8. According to Creon what were the circumstances of Laius's death?
9. What motive does Oedipus assign to the killer of Laius?
10. What is Oedipus resolved to do?
11. What is the reaction of the Chorus to the advice of Apollo to Thebes?
12. What conditions in Thebes does the Chorus describe?
13. What is Tiresias’ reaction to Oedipus's request for help?
14. How does Oedipus view Tiresias’ behavior?
15. What does Tiresias reveal to Oedipus as a result of the king's angry accusation?
16. Note the emphasis on sight and blindness in the dialogue between Oedipus and Tiresias.
What irony is implicit in this emphasis?
17. What suspicion does Oedipus begin to harbor about Creon?
18. What superiority does Oedipus claim over Tiresias?
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19. Note the frequent equation of physical sight with knowledge throughout this scene and the
rest of the play. What is the irony of this equation?
20. What does Tiresias predict will happen to Oedipus?
21. What is the Chorus's view of Tiresias’ accusations against Oedipus?
22. Create a “say, mean, matter” chart. Choose a significant quote from this Act, and copy it in the
“say” column. Tell what the quote means in the “mean” column.” Then write why the quote matters (in
4-5 sentences) to bigger ideas in the play in the “matter” column.
ACT II (pgs 285-300)
1. What motivates Creon's entrance at the beginning of this episode?
2. Why does Oedipus accuse Creon of conspiracy?
3. How does Creon defend himself against Oedipus's accusation?
4. What does Oedipus threaten to do?
5. What does Jocasta attempt to do? Is she successful?
6. How does Jocasta try to assure Oedipus that he not guilty of Laius' death?
7. What is Jocasta's view of prophecy?
8. Why is Oedipus frightened by the information given by Jocasta?
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9. What happened to the one surviving witness to the killing of Laius?
10. Why did Oedipus go to the Oracle at Delphi and what was he told there?
11. Where did Oedipus arrive as a result of this information?
12. What happened at this place?
13. What does Oedipus fear?
14. What detail in Jocasta's story of Laius's death does Oedipus take comfort in?
15. How does Jocasta try to reassure Oedipus?
16. What request does Oedipus make?
17. What wish does the Chorus express in the first stanza?
18. In the beginning of the second stanza the Chorus says that hubris’ 'arrogant disregard for
the rights of others' produces the tyrant, without a doubt referring to Oedipus. In your opinion
is Oedipus a tyrannical ruler? Is he guilty of hubris? Why?
19. Create a “say, mean, matter” chart. Choose a significant quote from this Act, and copy it in the
“say” column. Tell what the quote means in the “mean” column.” Then write why the quote matters (in
4-5 sentences) to bigger ideas in the play in the “matter” column.
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ACT III (pgs 301-327)
1. Jocasta appears at the beginning of this scene alone on stage. What prayer does she make
and to whom?
2. After her prayer a Messenger arrives. What news does he deliver to Oedipus?
3. What is Oedipus's reaction to this news?
4. What is Jocasta's reaction?
5. What further information does the Messenger give to Oedipus?
6. Whom does the Chorus identify as the herdsman mentioned by the Messenger?
7. Why does Jocasta ask Oedipus not to seek out the herdsman and then leave?
8. How does Oedipus interpret Jocasta's emotional behavior?
9. What is Oedipus's view of the role of Chance (sometimes translated as 'Fortune') in his life?
10. Why do you agree/disagree with Oedipus?
11. Explain the irony of the arrival of the Messenger occurring just after Jocasta's prayer. Is the
Messenger's news really the good news he thinks it is?
12. In the first stanza the Chorus addresses the mountain Cithaeron on which Oedipus was
exposed as a baby. In the second stanza the Chorus addresses Oedipus and speculates
about the identity of his parents. Whom do they suggest as possible parents?
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13. By whom had the Herdsman been employed?
14. Why is the Herdsman reluctant to answer the questions of Oedipus and the Messenger?
15. What revelation does the Herdsman make?
16. What general comment on human life does the Chorus make based on the example of
Oedipus?
17. Summarize briefly the account of Oedipus's life given by the Chorus in the next two
stanzas.
18. What horrible fact with regard to Oedipus's marriage does the Chorus point out?
19. What news does the Second Messenger announce?
20. What is the symbolic significance of Oedipus's self-blinding?
21. What does Oedipus intend to do? Why?
22. Oedipus joins in song with the Chorus, lamenting his fate. Whom does Oedipus blame for his
sorrows?
23. What reasons does Oedipus give for his self-blinding?
24. How does Oedipus feel about Creon at this point?
25. What requests does Oedipus make of Creon?
26. What future does Oedipus foresee for his two daughters?
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27. What important truth about his life does Creon point out to Oedipus?
28. What general lesson does the Chorus draw from the example of Oedipus's life?
29. Create a “say, mean, matter” chart. Choose a significant quote from this Act, and copy it in the
“say” column. Tell what the quote means in the “mean” column.” Then write why the quote matters (in
4-5 sentences) to bigger ideas in the play in the “matter” column.
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