Greek Tragedies and Oedipus Rex
According to Aristotle’s Poetics drama
(tragic writing) should include:
• Plot- the arrangement of scenes
• Character- keep true, hero=brave, no noble
villains, stay true to the character within the
work of literature also
• Theme- must have a purpose, not just to
entertain
• Language- elevated speech
• Music- behind the Greek chanting, true to
theme
• Spectacle- wows the senses, extravagant
Other Necessary Elements:
• Hamarteia- tragic flaw, thematically linked
• Parapeteia- turning point
• Anagnoresis- recognition, lead character
must realize he/she was wrong
• Pathos- pain from empathy, the audience
must feel it
• Catharsis- release
A Greek Tragic Hero:
• 1. POSITION. The hero is royal or noble with
great power, usually a king. He is a good,
respected man who acts out of good
intentions. He has much to lose.
– Though the tragic hero is pre-eminently great,
he/she is not perfect. Otherwise, the rest of us-mere mortals--would be unable to identify with
the tragic hero. We should see in him or her
someone who is essentially like us, although
perhaps elevated to a higher position in society.
• 2. TRAGIC FLAW (hamartia). In spite of his
good intentions, the hero makes a tragic error
which causes his reversal. The error usually
stems from a character flaw, usually pride
(hubris – arrogant pride or over-confidence).
– The hero's downfall, therefore, is partially
her/his own fault, the result of free choice, not of
accident or villainy or some overriding,
malignant fate. In fact, the tragedy is usually
triggered by some error of judgment or some
character flaw that contributes to the hero's lack
of perfection noted above.
• 3. REVERSAL (Parapeteia- ). Because of his
tragic error, the hero suffers a downfall from
his happy, envied position to suffering and
misery.
• 4. RECOGNITION (Anagnoresis- ). The hero
realizes that his own flaw or error has caused
his reversal. This recognition always occurs
too late for the hero to prevent or escape his
reversal.
The fall is not pure loss. There is some increase
in awareness, some gain in self-knowledge,
some discovery on the part of the tragic hero.
The Use of Masks
• Masks were used instead of costume changes
since only 3 actors played all of the roles
• Masks had exaggerated facial expressions to
show emotion
• They also acted as megaphones
The Role of Women?
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•
•
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First in Asia
Not in Europe until the 1400s
Europe- first in Italy, second in France
England? Not until the late 1660s!
»The roles of Medea, Antigone,
etc…would have been played by men
with feminine masks
Greek Tragedy Structure:
• The basic structure of a Greek tragedy is fairly
simple. After a prologue spoken by one or
more characters, the chorus enters, singing
and dancing. Scenes then alternate between
spoken sections (dialogue between
characters and between characters and
chorus) and sung sections (during which the
chorus danced). Here are the basic parts of a
Greek Tragedy:
• a. Prologue: Spoken by one or two characters
before the chorus appears. The prologue
usually gives the mythological background
necessary for understanding the events of the
play.
• b. Parodos: This is the song sung by the chorus
as it first enters the orchestra and dances.
• c. First Episode: This is the first of many
"episodes" when the characters and chorus
talk.
• d. First Stasimon: At the end of each episode, the
other characters usually leave the stage and the
chorus dances and sings a stasimon, or choral
ode. The ode usually reflects on the things said
and done in the episodes, and puts it into some
kind of larger mythological framework.
• For the rest of the play, there is alternation
between episodes and stasima, until the final
scene, called the...
• e. Exodos: At the end of play, the chorus exits
singing a processional song which usually offers
words of wisdom related to the actions and
outcome of the play.
Women in Ancient Greece
• Only adult men were considered citizens
• Foreigners, women, children, and slaves all
inferior
• Women always under the guardianship of a
male
• Although many plays show powerful and
clever women, this was not representative of
the Greek society
• Around age 14 women entered an arranged
marriage with an older man for the purpose of
creating legitimate children
• Separate women’s quarters in the homes
• Women did not attend dinner parties or appear
at many public events with spouse
• Society expected men to have sexual
relationships outside of marriage
• The word adultery was solely defined as a woman
cheating on her husband
• It was a crime against her husband because he
would not be able to claim her children as
legitimately his heirs
SOPHOCLES: The Playwright
Basic Background:
• Although Sophocles died more than 24 centuries
ago, he continues to live today in his plays as
one of the history’s greatest writers. Only seven
of his 123 dramas survive intact.
• His themes---justice, pride, obstinacy, flawed
humanity, and the struggle between destiny and
free will---are as timely today as they were in his
own time.
More Basic Info:
• He was born a mile northwest of Athens in 496 B.C. in
a town called Colonus.
• He was a child of advantage, enjoying the comforts of
the privileged and receiving an education that
undergirded his natural talents.
• He studied poetry, dance, philosophy, mathematics,
astronomy, law, athletics, and military tactics.
• He was a man of the people: kindly, generous, and
popular.
• Sophocles died about year 405.
Oedipus the King: characters
• Oedipus (ed-i-pus): The protagonist of
Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus.
Oedipus becomes king of Thebes before the
action of Oedipus the King begins. He is
renowned for his intelligence and his ability to
solve riddles—he saved the city of Thebes and
was made its king by solving the riddle of the
Sphinx, the supernatural being that had held
the city captive
• Jocasta: Queen of Thebes; husband is killed
before story begins and she marries Oedipus
• Creon: brother of Queen (bro-in-law to
Oedipus)
• Tiresias: Tiresias, the blind soothsayer
(fortune teller) of Thebes, appears in both
Oedipus the King and Antigone
Oedipus Rex: Things To Be Looking For
(themes, motifs, literary devices, etc.):
• Sight v Blindness
• Fate v Free Will
• The Crossroads
• Wisdom v Knowledge
• Power
• Determination
• Irony (dramatic, verbal, situational)
(dramatic—audience knows something characters do not,
verbal-character says something contradictory—think “sarcasm”,
situational—outcome contrary to what is expected)
Visual Aid for “Who’s Who”
MARRIED
SIBLINGS
JOCASTA
LAIOS
CREON
SON
OEDIPUS
MARRIED
UNCLE
ENGAGED
SIBLINGS
ANTIGONE
POLYNEICES
ETEOCLES
KILL EACH OTHER IN BATTLE
ISMENE