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Overview Oedipus the King Mythology
Greek Theatre Overview Oedipus the King Mythology
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Overview of Greek Theatre
The land The myths The stage
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The Land Greece has thousands of inhabited islands and dramatic mountain ranges Greece has a rich culture and history Democracy was founded in Greece Patriarchal (male dominated) society Philosophy, as a practice, began in Greece (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle)
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Located in Europe in the Aegean Sea
The Land Located in Europe in the Aegean Sea
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The Land
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The Stage
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The Stage Three Main Portions of Greek Theatre:
Skene – Portion of stage where actors performed (included 1-3 doors in and out) Orchestra – “Dancing Place” where chorus sang to the audience Theatron – Seating for audience
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The Stage
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The Stage
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Where and how were the dramas performed?
Once a year In an amphitheatre Free! With a chorus who described most of the action. With masks With all the violence off stage With tragedy first, then comedy later.
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Elements of Greek Theatre
Storytelling of gods, heroes and battles would be told by traveling actors. Tragic trilogies involved epic myths from Greek mythology Priests would organize choruses Playwrights decided to combine stories and choruses to create plays (mostly tragedies, “goat song”)
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Dithyramb Festival A festival in the name of the god Dionysus (wine, fertility, theatre and madness) 7 day event: Honour of Dionysus’s story; sacrifice bull Dythyrambic Competition (choric hymn/dance) Boys against Men 5 comedies presented (crude and underdeveloped) 3 tragedies and 1 satire presented in the course of 3 days Awards
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Performers Chorus: Group of 25-30 older men to help inform
audience, through chant, of characters’ actions / motives. Actors: All men, wearing colourful costumes and exaggerated masks to be easily identified. Thespis: Famous actor to first limit chorus to 15, engage in dialogue with them, and use masks.
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Major Greek Dramatists
Born Wrote Aeschylus 524 B.C. Seven Against Thebes Sophocles 496 B.C. Oedipus Antigone Euripides 480 B.C. Medea
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Play format PROLOGUE (introduction) PARADOS (entrance of chorus)
EPISODES & STASIMA (dialogue & chorus interludes) EXODUS (actors leave stage)
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Sophocles (496-406 BCE) Wrote 113 plays, only 7 surviving
Tragic playwright believed in recognizing the inevitability of suffering (fate) Focus on single individual (tragic hero) who must learn about himself and the nature of universal justice Included only the part of the Oedipus myth that allows for this understanding Psychological – fallibility of humans who despite nobility, marred by fatal error Innovation added a 3rd actor, introducing concept of ‘perspective’ reduced and modified chorus to be more inclusive included dramatic irony Painted background scenery
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Sophocles’s Oedipus the King
AKA Oedipus Tyrannus or Oedipus Rex Written about 430 BCE and performed in Athens Set in Thebes (a city in ancient Greece) The play is read like a ‘whodunnit’ in which Oedipus is searching for the the King’s killer (himself)
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Oedipus’s past Oracle prophesied to Laius (King of Thebes) that he would be killed by his son and his son would marry his own mother. They ordered the son to be killed, but the shepherd took pity and took him to Corinth where he was adopted by King Polybus and his baron Queen. Upon adulthood, Oedipus saw the Oracle who told him of the prophesy. He vowed to never return to Corinth. Wandering, he met and killed Laius, thinking he and his men were robbers. He moved on to Thebes. A Sphinx was attacking Thebes until someone solved its riddle. Oedipus solved it and was crowned King, marrying the widow Queen (his mother). Years later (this is the beginning of the play), a plague descended on the land and would remain until Laius’s murderer be punished. Oedipus soon discovers he did it, and after Jocasta commits suicide, he digs out his eyes and eventually flees Thebes with his daughter Antigone.
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Riddle 1 2 travelers on a path, 1 in front, 1 in back
The one in front is the son of the one in back But the one in back is not the father of the one in front How are they related? The one in back is his mother
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Riddle 2 You’re on a path and come to a fork. One way leads to town; the other to a forest. You need to get to town, but don’t know which path to take. Two brothers standing at the fork know. One always lies; the other always tells the truth. You’re allowed one question to find your way to town. What do you ask? Ask either of them: “Which path would your brother say leads to town?” Then take the opposite path.
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Things to Look for in Oedipus
Dramatic irony Concept of fate Characterization of Oedipus Role of and belief in the gods Blindness, truth and knowledge Disease Nature of the conflict Concept of transgression-violation of a law, command or duty
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Sophocles’ Antigone Set in Thebes (a city in ancient Greece)
Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta Antigone’s brothers, Eteokles and Polyneces, took opposite sides in a war Eteokles and Polyneces killed each other in battle Antigone’s uncle, Kreon, became king of Thebes
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Copy Only The Boxed Portion!
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Euripides’ Medea Medea is a princess from Colchis
Medea marries Jason, who is in Colchis on a quest for the Golden Fleece Medea betrays her father and murders her brother for her love of Jason Medea has magical powers Jason takes Medea back to his homeland, Corinth, where they have children Jason takes another wife, the king of Corinth’s daughter
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Jason’s Voyage on the Argo
Jason and Medea meet Corinth: Where Jason and Medea settle down
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Myths played a key role in Greek drama
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The Myths – Why they were written
Explained the unexplainable Justified religious practices Gave credibility to leaders Gave hope Polytheistic (more than one god) Centered around the twelve Olympians (primary Greek gods)
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Explained the Unexplainable
When Echo tried to get Narcissus to love her, she was denied. Saddened, she shriveled to nothing, her existence melting into a rock. Only her voice remained. Hence, the echo!
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To justify religious practices
Dionysian cults in ancient Greece were founded to worship Dionysus, god of grapes, vegetation, and wine.
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To give credibility to leaders
The Romans used myths to create family trees for their leaders, enforcing the made-up idea that the emperors were related to the gods and were, then, demigods.
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To give hope The ancient citizens of Greece would sacrifice and pray to an ORACLE. An oracle was a priest or priestess who would send a message to the gods from mortals who brought their requests. Where DID hope come from? After unleashing suffering, famine, disease, and many other evils, the last thing Pandora let out was HOPE.
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The Oracle at Delphi Most famous oracle in Greek mythology.
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Mount Olympus… …Where the Olympians lived. Who are the Olympians?
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The Olympians Are the 12 Main Gods
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Temperaments of the Olympians
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Zeus King of gods Heaven Storms Thunder lightning
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Poseidon Zeus’s brother King of the sea Earthquakes Horses
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Hades Brother to Zeus and Poseidon King of the Underworld (Tartarus)
Husband of Persphone
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Ares God of war
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Hephaestus God of fire Craftspeople Metalworkers Artisans
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Apollo God of the sun Music Poetry Fine arts Medicine
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Hermes Messenger to the gods Trade Commerce Travelers
Thieves & scoundrels
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Dionysus God of Wine Partying (Revelry)
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Hera Queen of gods Women Marriage Childbirth
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Demeter Goddess of Harvest Agriculture Fertility Fruitfulness
Mom to Persephone
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Hestia Goddess of Hearth Home Community
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Athena Goddess of wisdom Practical arts War
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Aphrodite Goddess of love and beauty
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Artemis Goddess of hunting and the moon.
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The End
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