1. Oedipus Rex (The King) by Sophocles

2. Objectives: By the end of this unit, SWBAT: 1.Identify the role of dramatic irony in the play 2.Analyze the theme if fate being more powerful than free will 3.Examine the role of fate in Greek tragedy 4.Discuss the importance of blindness and sight in the play, and identify how various characters either have vision or are blind

3. Objectives Cont. 5. Examine how Sophocles builds suspense in the play 6. Respond to Multiple Choice questions similar to those that will appear on the AP exam 7. Create a visual group project that illustrates the most important themes, symbols, or motifs from the text.

4. Social and Political Athens (5 th Century BCEE) Best known ancient Greek playwrights. The Athenian government was an “exclusionary democracy”. Sophocles was a member of the ruling class. Used his plays as an attempt to warn….

5. Who was Sophocles? 496 – 406 B. C. a playwright who lived a long, comfortable, happy life grew up in a wealthy family in ATHENS, GREECE his dramatic work portrayed misery and tragedy He is said to have died while reading Antigone aloud. produced 123 plays (only seven survive today) the age of Sophocles in Greece was a time when anything seemed possible through human effort and reason toward the end of Sophocles’ life, Athens raged a war against Sparta, their bitter rivals

6. Purpose of Sophocles’ Plays Sophocles’ surviving plays (written after 440 B.C.) are deeply troubling These plays depict characters caught up in unsolvable dilemmas that test their faith in divine and human justice

7. Religious Ideals – Oedipus Rex The most familiar “Olympian” gods were a small part of the scheme. Not all-powerful in a sense of our modern concepts of God. The Greeks did believe in Free Will. Free Will was not more powerful than Destiny. Human Free Will cannot be completely dismissed either.

8. “What a Tragedy” a TRAGEDY is a serious drama featuring a main character who strives to achieve something and is ultimately defeated! the tragic flaw The main character’s downfall is often due to an inborn character flaw or weakness – the tragic flaw.

9. Tragedy in Oedipus Rex Both FATE (destiny) and FREE WILL (tragic flaw) played a role illustrating that, while on the one hand, a man could not completely control the circumstances of his life, still he was subject to the consequences of the choices he did make.

10. Hubris One common trait associated with hamartia (the tragic flaw) is hubris. Hubris is the exaggerated self pride or self confidence, which often results in fatal retribution.

11. Conventions of Greek Theater Sophocles opens his play with a situation that the people of Athens could identify with: a plague with no end in sight! What type of IRONY is this???? Plays were acted in the daytime, with minimal sets and props. All actors were ______. Due to religious intent and dignified style, no violence was shown on stage. How would you know that a murder has taken place?

12. The Chorus 15-20 men represented the citizens They were always on stage and frequently sang and danced. They always had a leader who carried on a dialogue with the main characters or with the rest of the chorus. They performed in song with back-and-forth movement that heightened the emotion of their performance: strophe, antistrophe, and epode. (LOOK THEM UP!)

13. The Function of the Chorus was to: Set the tone Give background information Recall events of the past Interpret and summarize events Ask questions Offer opinions Give advice, if asked Stay objective Act like a jury of elders or wise men who listened to evidence in the play before reaching a moralistic conclusion

14. Drum roll PLEASE!!

15. The Plot… Oedipus the main character, kills his father and marries his mother in an attempt to avoid the very prophecy he ultimately fulfills.