1. Oedipus Rex Background
Ancient Greek Theater and Tragedy

2. The Origin of Tragedy
Almost everything in modern theater dates back to theater in Golden Age of Greece
Roots: Religious rituals and festivals in honor of Dionysus (god of wine and procreation) in Athens
Songs and dances in honor of gods develop into theater
Chorus—group of about 12 who sang and danced at outdoor theaters during the festival
Around an altar, sacrificed goats
Tragedy = “goat-song”

3. Origin of Tragedy, cont. Importance of festivals/theater
Gov’t would suspend business for a week for the festivities
Citizens expected to attend and participate in Chorus
Experienced performers raised to status of actor—even excused from military duty
Greeks thought plays should be instructional as well as entertaining
Women not allowed to participate, sometimes not even to attend

4. 5th Century Athens – Heyday of Greek Theater
After Persian War (490s-480s BC)
During Pericles’ reign ( BC)
Before the Peleponnesian War Athens vs. Sparta BC

5. Famous Greek Playwrights
Thespis (6th century BCE)
“Father of Drama”--thespians
First “actor” and dialogue (534 BCE)
Before, only the Chorus spoke the text of the play; now an “answerer” interacts with the Chorus leader
Aeschylus ( BCE)
2nd actor; lessens importance of Chorus
Wrote trilogies on unified themes

6. Famous Greek Playwrights, cont.
Sophocles ( BCE) **
Adds the 3rd actor
Fixes Chorus number to 15
Introduces painted scenery
Made each play of the trilogy separate in nature
Although Oedipus Rex is part of the Oedipus cycle, Antigone, etc. are performed in different years
Euripides ( BCE)
Relies on heavy prologues and deus ex machina endings (intervention from heaven)

7. Structure of the Theater
Theatron— “seeing place” where audience sat
Orchestra—circular dancing place where actors and Chorus perform
Thymele—altar to Dionysus in center of Orchestra
Skene—building used as dressing room
Proskenion—facade of skene which served as a backdrop
Parodos—entrance to theater used by Chorus

9. Actors and Acting Actor and dramatist originally the same
Never have more than three actors
Protagonist— “first contestant”
Deuteragonist –second actor
Tritagonist –third actor
Each can play many roles; some roles are played by many actors
All male performers
Played the female parts

10. Costumes and Masks Used to indicate shifts between characters
Larger than life
Long flowing robes with symbolic colors
Heavy padding to make actors bigger
High boots, often with raised soles
Masks—linen, cork
Identified age, gender, emotion
Exaggerated features—large eyes, open mouth
General enough features to be a sort of “Everyman”
This allows audience to take instructional message personally

14. Acting Style The cumbersome costumes make movement difficult
Rely on sweeping, general gestures to convey emotion
Beating chest or hanging head
Line delivery reflects costumes and Greek values
Declamatory style—long monologues
Debates between characters
Stichomythic dialogue: single lines of verse dialogue alternate between two characters in ping-pong fashion

15. Chorus Greek tragedy originates in song and dance
Musical accompaniment for choral odes—flute, lyre, percussion
Odes broken into alternating strophes and antistrophes (like stanzas)
Dance = expressive rhythmical movement
Chorus moves back and forth and gestures in unison
Shift directions with strophe and antistrophe
Choragos—chorus leader or spokesperson, can interact with central characters
Function: Gives dramatic focus and the language is a fine example of Greek poetry

16. Functions of the Chorus In essence, it represents the vox populi, the voice of the people, but as such, it can do many different things such as:
Discuss issues raised by the main characters or action
Express how the people of the city feel
Gossip
Provide a moral backdrop against which the events of the play happen
Reflect on the political situation of the city
Reveal background information to the audience (exposition)
Show disagreement/conflict between different factions in the city
Worship the gods

17. Conventions Unities—Aristotle’s idea of 3 unities Messenger
Action—simple plot with no subplots or irrelevancies
Time—often a single day
Place—one scene throughout (market, temple, courtyard, etc.)
Messenger
Tells news happening away from scene
Reports acts of violence not allowed to be seen

18. Conventions, cont. Limitations of Greek Theater
Continuous presence of Chorus
Usually standing in the background between odes
No intermissions
Continuous flow of action and Choral odes
No curtains; No lighting
Plays performed in outdoor theaters during daylight hours

19. Greek Dramatic Structure
Prologos (Prologue):
the opening portion of the play, which sets the scene and contains the background info
Parados:
the entrance song of the chorus
Episodes (Scenes):
scene in the action of the drama, peformed by the actors
Stasimons (Odes):
a choral passage, alternating with the episodes of the plot of the drama
Exodos:
the concluding section of the tragedy, ends with the chorus singing their final lines as they exit

20. Structure of Oedipus Rex
Structure of this play lines up with what we expect from modern drama
Prologos
Exposition: background, prepares way for plot
Episode 1/ Stasimon (Ode) 1
Conflict: the struggle
Episode 2/ Stasimon 2 and Episode 3/Stasimon 3
Rising action: complications leading up to climax
Episode 4
Climax: crisis or turning point of play, born of conflict
Stasimon 4
Falling action: action simplifies or unravels
Exodos
Falling action/Resolution: revelation of meaning

21. Oedipus the King (or Rex)
Does Oedipus change his character?
Sophocles is the “Godfather of Irony”
Aristotle praised Sophocles a century later (300s BC) for his theatrical influenced and technical skills
Aristotle used “Oedipus” as the model tragedy, citing its tight form and organization: desis (ravelling up) and lusis (unravelling)