Oedipus the King
ACE / Honors English I
A riddle:
What walks on four legs in the morning,
two legs in the afternoon, and three
legs in the evening?
Answer: a human
Greek Drama History
• Drama first developed in Athens from
religious ceremonies in honor of the god
Dionysus.
• First "dramas" were choral and dance
presentations
• Eventually an actor was added to respond to the
chorus. This was first done by the playwright
and actor, Thespis. (We still call actors
"thespians" today to honor him as the first actor.)
Format of Greek Drama
• Were performed during the day time
• Actors loved to hold week long festivals and
contests as to who would write the best play
• 1- Prologue, which described the situation and
set the scene
• 2- Parados, an ode sung by the chorus as it
made its entrance
• 3- Five dramatic scenes
• 4- Exodus, the climax and conclusion
Conventions of Greek Drama
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Three Unities (time, place, action)
Use of chorus to tell the story (parados, exodus)
Actors use masks for large theatres
Simple stage / scenic demands
Plot-driven story line
No violence on stage
Deus ex machina (“God of the machine”)
The Greek Tragic Hero
• The ancient Greeks enjoyed dramas about tragic heroes
who do the following:
– Experience a complete fall from grace
– Make a decision that leads to their downfall
– Realize their error only when it is too late
– They learn that the Gods, not them, control fate
Oedipus in a Cultural Context
• Plot-driven stories = value efficiency
• No violence on stage = value peace
• Greeks admired strong, confident leaders but they
cautioned against having excessive pride (hubris)
which was a crime.
• Greeks valued reason and intellect.
• Greeks admired leaders who could control their
emotions (stoicism)
Oedipus the King
• Oedipus, King of Thebes, promises to help end a
horrible plague brought on by the gods because of the
murder of King Laius. Oedipus commits to finding out
and punishing the murderer by either murder or exile.
• The blind prophet Teiresias claims that Oedipus is the
murderer!
• Furthermore, he claims that Oedipus killed his father,
slept with his mother, and that Oedipus is both father
and brother to his own children!!!
• Now Oedipus is outraged. He’s also unsure what to do
about the mess in his Thebes.
Oh, and one more thing…
• Translated from Greek, “Oedipus”
means swollen foot.
• Remember that!
Aristotle taught there are 3 main
strategies in an argument
•Logos/Logical
•Ethos/Credibility
•Pathos/Emotional
Ethos-Credibility
• Appeals to the conscience, ethics,
morals, standards, values, and
principles.
• Author or speaker tries to
convince you he is of good
character.
• Qualified to make his claims.
• Cites relevant authorities.
• Quotes others accurately and
fairly.
Pathos-Emotional Appeal
• Appeals to the heart,
• Emotions,
• Sympathy,
• Passions,
• Sentimentality,
• Uses imagery,
figurative language,
• Carefully constructed
sentences.
LOGOS-Logical Argument
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Involves facts or
Research
Quoted authorities
Cause and Effect information
Analogies or comparisons
Common sense information
Shared values
Precedents