Introduction to

Oedipus the King

English 12
Miss Waferling

Greek Theatre History
The earliest form of drama was called
Dithryamb, which was a choral ode sung to
Dionysus (The god of wine and fertility).
The choral ode would be sung by a group of
boys in various costumes.
Cities would gather for singing competitions.
The judges would decide a winner based on
the reaction of the audience.
Greek Theatre History
Theater of Dionysus
Athens
Main theater for tragedy
20,000 seats
Located on side of Acropolis

Greek Theatre
Amphitheater: open air theater on hillside
or a natural half-bowl shape, wooden or
stone seats

Greek Theatre
Few actors were used in each production.
Most actors played more than one role.
All roles played by male actors.
Few props used in each production.
Plays were performed as competitions.
Large masks worn during the
performance.
-Actors could not communicate with
any kind of facial gesture.
Greek Masks
Parts of the Greek Theatre
Orchestra: Circular space in front of the
Skene where the chorus would sing,
dance, and interact with the actors.
Theatron: Where the spectators sat.
Skene: Building that framed the main
stage.
Parodos: The paths by which actors and
chorus members would enter.
What You Should Know About Sophocles
Born in Colonus around 496 BC
Wrote 123 plays in his lifetime, but only 7 of
these plays survived
He is one of the great triangle of Greek
tragedians (the other two are Euripides and
Aeschylus)
-One of the founding fathers of Western drama
Aristotle uses his play structure as the model
for the perfect tragedy.
Educated and worked as a government official
in Athens

Background of Oedipus Rex
Written by Sophocles around 430 B.C.
First in the Theban Plays Trilogy
In 430 BC, a plague struck the city of
Athens, which was under siege by Sparta
during the Peloponnesian War.
Oedipus Rex opens in medias res (in the
middle of things). There is a plague taking
place in Thebes.


Essential Questions
How is the idea of fate significant to
Oedipus?
What is hubris and how it is important to
the plays outcome?
What is the definition of a tragic hero and
does this apply to Oedipus?

Themes for Oedipus the King
The tension between individual action and
fate.
Knowledge is futile and limited in its ability
to bring happiness to those who seek it.
Hubris can lead to the downfall of man.
Power has the ability to metaphorically
blind those who possess it.
Memories have a complex impact on
people.



Terminology of a Greek Tragedy
tragedy a play that recounts an
important series of events in the life of a
significant person (main character) which
results in that person meeting an unhappy
and disastrous end.

tragic hero the main character of a
tragedy.
5 Characteristics of the tragic hero:
1) Character must be of noble or high status.

2)Possesses a tragic flaw (hamartia). The tragic flaw is traditionally
excessive pride (hubris).

3) Reversal of fortune brought on by the tragic heros actions.

4) The character's fate must be greater than deserved.

5) Actions result in an increase of self-awareness and self-knowledge.
hamartia also known as a tragic flaw.
An error, mistaken judgment or misstep
through which the hero succumbs to his
downfall.

fatal or tragic flaw a character
defect in a tragic hero which leads to
the heros downfall.

hubris excessive pride, ambition,
or overconfidence that leads the
protagonist to break a moral law or
ignore a divine warning leading to
catastrophic results.
catharsis emotional cleansing. The
release of emotion of the audience at
the end of a tragedy.
dramatic irony when the
audience knows information that the
characters do not.