1. OEDIPUS REX (OEDIPUS THE KING) ENG 273: World Literature

2. Greek Theater Theater was very popular in Ancient Greek culture Drama competitions held at religious festivals (Dionysus) Genres: Tragedy Comedy Satire Components Story taken from Greek Mythology Action takes place outside Includes chorus Comment on the action of the play

3. Sophocles Lived c. 497 – c 405 B.C. Athenian Playwright Plays actually survived Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes, Oedipus at Colonus Innovative techniques, deep character development,

4. The Play Based on well known Greek Myth Tragedy Told and retold in Oral Tradition First performed in 486 B.C. Audience would have been very familiar with the story Impact on Western literature and culture Sigmund Freud Pyschoanalysis “Oedipal Complex”

5. The Plot Oedipus is King of Thebes Became King after solving the Sphinx’s riddle Thebes is wracked with plague Oedipus sent Creon to the Oracle to find out how to rid the city of the plague Answer: Find Lauis’ murderer and punish him (execute or banish) Prophesies Laius would be murdered by his son Preventive measure: baby son left on mountain to die Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother Preventive measure: ran away from his “parents” Hidden truth: the prophesies came true

6. The Audience From the beginning of the play, the audience is aware of the knowledge that Oedipus lacks He killed his father and married his mother Scenes build on the tension between what the audience knows and what Oedipus does not know Aristotle First example of “Literary Criticism” in “Poetics” Oedipus the King = perfect tragedy Plot: beginning, middle, and end Catharsis = release of emotion Perfect “tragic” hero Not fully evil Not fully good Allows the audience to sympathize with his plight

7. Characters: On Stage Oedipus Creon (brother-in-law) Tieresias (blind prophet) Jocasta (wife/mother) Antigone and Ismene (daughters) Chorus Leader Messenger Shepherd

8. Characters: Off Stage Laius (deceased father) King and Queen of Corinth

9. Characters: Divine Apollo (Phoebus) The Sphinx The Oracle

10. Key Themes Search for Truth Knowledge versus Ignorance Blindness versus Sight Power of Prophesy Fate/Destiny versus Free Will Relationship of gods to humans Flawed Hero Pride Arrogance