Ancient Greece

Sophocles and Oedipus Rex

Greece in the 4th Century B.C

Greece was the superpower of the known world

The Greeks worshiped many gods: Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo, etc.

Greek citizens were required to attend festivals to worship and honor the gods.

Festival of Dionysis

Dionysis was the god of wine, agriculture, and theater

During this religious festival there was a theater competition – each competing playwright submitted 3 tragedies and 1 comedy

Winners won a goat The most successful and

recognized playwright was Sophocles

Sophocles

Wrestler, musician, general, politician

Very handsome and successful

Celebrated playwright 120 (ish) plays 20 (ish) first prizes

Only 7 plays remain – the most famous: Oedipus Rex

Theater of the Greeks

Every show was done during the day Audiences could be as many as 14,000 Minimal, if any set Only the “chorus” Thespis – first “actor” All the actors were men – wore masks Never showed any violence on stage.

More Theater of the Greeks

The Chorus A group of about 15 men Speak in one voice as one “character” Represent the people – in this case the people

of Thebes Offer prayers to the gods Summarizes the action

Oedipus Rex Notes…

Background Oedipus leaves his home city of Corinth to go

wandering Comes to a cross road and kills a man who

wouldn’t get out of his way Comes to city of Thebes who has recently lost

their king. Thebes is under siege of the Sphinx and her

riddle Oedipus answers riddle, Sphinx dies, Oedipus

is made king and marries the previous queen

Sphinx’s Riddle…how smart are you?

What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?

Answers? (you die if you get it wrong…)

A man – child, healthy adult, old man with a cane

Oedipus Rex Notes…

Remember: This is a story that

was not invented by Sophocles

The original audiences would have known the story and how it ended

Apollo…

Greek god of music, medicine, light, truth, and poetry Also the sun god

(sorta)

Had an oracle at Delphi – which was the most famous oracle of Ancient Greece An oracle is a

priestess who delivers the prophesies of the god

Oedipus Rex Notes…

Themes Willingness to ignore the truth Limits of free will Human pride

Symbolism Sight and Light = Truth Blindness and Dark = Ignorance/lies

Motifs (when an author uses a literary element over and over – in this case symbols and irony – that emphasize the themes) Sight vs. Blindness / Light vs. Dark Dramatic irony

Literary Terms for you…

Irony – when the opposite of what is expected happens Situational Irony – when a character or reader

expects one thing to happen but something else entirely happens

Verbal Irony – when someone says one thing but means another

Dramatic Irony – the contrast between what a character knows and what the reader or audience knows