Where did Drama Come From? Legendary Greek gods and goddesses were, by law, celebrated through formal arts, ceremonies, and rituals during the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, often appearing as characters in drama

Origins of Greek Theater Began thousands of years ago as dances and songs performed to honor the gods Dionysus, god of wine and procreation, seemed to be the subject of many of these early dramas Dramas were usually about the events that occurred when the gods spoke to and interacted with men Thespis was the first actor who performed around 534BC

Origins of Greek Theater Most important events in ancient Greece were performed outdoors; dramas were no exception Three week-long festivals were set aside each year for the purpose of dramatizing stories of the Greeks’ lives: one in March, another in January, and another at varying times throughout the year

Physical Structure of the Theater The theater in which Oedipus would have been performed could collectively hold at least 15,000 people at one time. The acoustics (sound quality) of the amphitheater had to be great; even thought it was round in shape, many of the folks couldn’t see actors on stage in the upper levels As long as playwrights wrote in parts for characters that would explain important setting information, there was no need for fancy props or make-up artists

Theater, Greek (cont’d) Theatron - Tiered seating area built into a hillside in the shape of a horseshoe.

The Greek Thespian (Actor) Three actors were the most to appear on stage at any one time There were, however, more than three characters in a play – actors would simply dress in costume and perform more than one role per play The MASK the actor wore was key to his “identity” Costumes were oversized to make the characters appear “larger than life” to the audience

Aristotle’s Definition of Tragedy A Greek Tragedy…. (1) is based on past events familiar to the audience; (2) has a main protagonist of noble status or birth; (3) has a main protagonist whose downfall is caused by a character flaw; (4) has a protagonist who, in spite of his flaw, gets sympathy from the audience; (5) has a protagonist who gains self-knowledge through his fall; (6) has a plot that unfolds in one place in a short period of time, usually about a day. (7) allows the audience the chance to experience catharsis (a release of pent-up emotions)

The structure of most Greek tragedies presents a tight, formal arrangement of parts, including: The Prologue [opening scene] The Parados [first of the Chorus’s lyric songs] A regular alternation of scenes in Dialogue and Choral Odes The Exodos [concluding scene]

Greek Dramatic Terms. These are terms you must become familiar with in order to gain a more complete understanding of the function and structure of Oedipus’ story. The terms that are most important to this play are included in this slide presentation.

Anagnorisis Startling discovery; moment of epiphany; time of revelation when a character discovers his true identity. In other words, this is the “Aha!” or “Oh no!” moment of the play, depending upon the nature of the revelation.

Antagonist Chief opponent of the protagonist, or main character, in a Greek play.  You may have to look beyond a “good guy/ bad guy” relationship to find the antagonist of Oedipus!

Catharsis In literature and art, a release of tension / pent-up emotions. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) used the term to describe the effect on the audience of a tragedy acted out on a theater stage. This effect consists in cleansing the audience of disturbing emotions, such as fear and pity, thereby releasing tension.

Catharsis, cont’d This phenomenon occurs in one of two ways: Audience members resolve to avoid conflicts of the main character–for example, Oedipus in Oedipus Rex and Creon in Antigone–that arouse fear or pity, or audience members transfer their own pity and fear to the main character, thereby emptying themselves of these disquieting emotions. Either way, the audience members leave the theater as better persons intellectually, morally, or socially. They have either been cleansed of fear of pity or have vowed to avoid situations that arouse fear and pity.

Chorus Bystanders in a play who present odes on the action. The chorus generally had the following roles in the plays of Sophocles: (1) to explain the action, (2) To interpret the action in relation to the law of the state and the law of the Olympian gods, (3) to foreshadow the future, (4) to To serve as actor in the play,  (5) To sing and/or dance, and (6) to give the author's views. In some ways, the chorus is like the narrator of a modern film or like the background music accompanying the action of the film, or text on the film screen that provides background information or identifies the time and place of the action.

Dialogue Conversation between characters in a play. 

Drama Literary work with dialogue written in verse and spoken by actors playing characters experiencing conflict and tension. In Greek drama, a play derives its plot from stories from history or mythology. The English word drama comes from the Greek word "dran," meaning "to do." .

Dramatic irony Failure of a character to see or understand what is obvious to the audience. Oedipus, for example, was unaware early on of what the audience knew: that he was married to his own mother, Jocasta. 

Hamartia Character flaw or judgment error of the protagonist of a Greek tragedy. Hamartia is derived the Greek word hamartanein, meaning to err or to make a mistake. The first writer to use the term was Aristotle, in The Poetics.

Hubris Great pride. Hubris often is the character flaw (hamartia) of a protagonist in Greek drama. Pride was considered a grave sin because it placed too much emphasis on individual will, thereby downplaying the will of the state and endangering the community as a whole. Because pride makes people unwilling to accept wise counsel, they act rashly and make bad decisions. 

Machine Armlike device in an ancient Greek theater that could lower a "god" onto the stage from the "heavens." The Greek word for machine, mechane, later gave rise to a pejorative Latin term, deus ex machina (god from a machine), to describe an event in a literary work or film that could not logically have happened other than by “divine intervention” of sorts. The term (pronounced DAY ihs ex MAHK in uh or DE ihs ex MAHK in uh) is usually used adverbially, as in The policeman arrived deus ex machina to overhear the murderder admit his guilt to his hostage.

Mask  Face covering with exaggerated features and a mouth device to project the voice. Greek actors wore masks to reveal emotion or personality; to depict the trade, social class or age of a character; and to provide visual and audio aids for audience members in the rear of the theater. 

Peripateia In a tragedy, sudden reversal of fortune from good to bad. (Think “wheel of Fortune” model)

Prologue / Prologos Introduction of a play that provides background material

Satire In Greek literature, a play or a passage in a play that pokes fun at public figures or the gods.

Trilogy Group of three plays on a related subject or theme.  “Oedipus the King” is the first play of a Trilogy including “Oedipus at Colonus” and “Antigone,” a play about Oedipus’ daughter.

Sophocles’ heroic tragedy “Oedipus Rex” Sophocles’ heroic tragedy

Starring..... Oedipus - native of Thebes; subject of a terrible prophecy that has him killing his father and marrying his mother; sent away, but returns triumphant Jocasta - Queen of Thebes; marries Oedipus after the death of her husband, the King Creon - Jocasta's brother Oracle at Delphi - predicts Oedipus’ fate Antigone & Ismene - Oedipus’ daughters Chorus - Theban citizens; comment on events as they unfold

Oedipus Rex – the first part of a three part play – was actually written second. The tale of King Oedipus would have been very familiar to Sophocles’ audiences. Oedipus, the ill-fated king of Thebes, has a mysterious past that eventually catches up with him and wreaks havoc on himself, his family, and his country.

Oedipus had been traveling to Thebes from Corinth, having run away from there because of a prophecy from Apollo that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus didn’t know that the King and Queen of Corinth weren’t his real parents, but that he was in fact the child of Laius and Jocasta of Thebes. They, too, heard this prophecy at Oedipus’ birth, and made arrangements to send the boy to Mount Cithaeron to his death.

The old shepherd who brought him to the mountain took pity on him, however, and gave him to a shepherd from Corinth - who was also tending his flock on the mountain. This Corinthian man in turn gave Oedipus to the King and Queen of Corinth, who named him Oedipus [literally, “swollen foot” for his injured ankles bound by Jocasta] and raised him as their own.

Years later, as Oedipus traveled to Thebes, he unknowingly met a man on the road and killed him where three roads meet. This stranger, unbeknownst to Oedipus, was his biological father, Laius. This murder set the prophecy in motion.

Oedipus continued on to Thebes, where he earned his reputation as a hero and deliverer of the people by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. The Sphinx was a monster in the shape of a lion with the wings of an eagle and the head of a woman. It lay waiting outside the city and would challenge any passerby to solve this riddle: “What walks on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?”

If they could not answer her, they were killed immediately. But Oedipus gave the answer and thus saved the city from its long period of suffering. The hero married Jocasta, the queen, as a reward. They have four children and rule jointly with Jocasta’s brother, Creon, for twenty years.

As the play begins, the city of Thebes is suffering again, this time from a terrible plague. Creon reports from the oracle, or priestess, that the plague will not end until the murderer of Laius is found and punished. Oedipus commits himself to locating the murderer and suffers terrible consequences as he discovers the horrible truth about himself and his identity.

Because this story was well-known to Sophocles’ audience, he was able to focus his play on the discovery of deeds committed before the actual beginning of the play. All violence takes place off stage, and what the audience actually sees is the reactions of those who must live with the truth or die. All action takes place in a single location and involves a small number of characters who interact with Oedipus who, as the central figure, remains on stage for most of the play.

The Chorus should be considered as a single voice, a single “character” in this play with a single conscience. This conscience is representative of the Theban people, the nameless, faceless mob of onlookers who comment on events as they unfold before them. At times they interact with the other characters; other times they simply provide commentary in the same was a narrator would do.

The play consists almost entirely of dramatic dialogue. As you read, you will encounter long, powerful monologues as well as short, angry banter between characters. But in this work what is left unsaid is often more powerful than what is stated outright. Practically every line contains a double meaning, chock full of irony that serves to heighten the drama of the play. Even the Chorus only gradually comes to grips with the events that have taken place in their beloved Thebes.

The themes, or underlying messages, of Oedipus Rex are crucial to the plays’ long-lasting appeal. The themes explored in this tragedy include: The quest for identity The nature of innocence and guilt Blindness and sight (all forms) Fate verses Free Will The Abuse of power

The action of Oedipus Rex may be described as a search for the truth. As you read the play and experience the tragedy along with Oedipus, pay attention to the role each character plays in either fulfilling or further complicating this search.