1. Pity the Man? Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus 1

2. Agenda Recap and Update OAC Intro, Background, etc. Tragedy in Performance “A Little to the Left?” (What’s Oedipus stepped into?) Oedipal Reversals OTK to OAC... Have Things Changed? Character, Moral Climate

3. Tragedy in Performance “A Little to the Left?”—What’s Oedipus stepped into? (Penguin trans. pp. 292–295)

4. Have Things Changed? Character, Moral Climate

5. Have Things Changed? (And if so, How?) Has the moral climate changed? Is Oedipus still tragic? Was he ever tragic? 25-Oct 2011 Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 5

6. Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, cont’d Eros, Tyrants, hubris, Knowledge

7. Erōs and the Tyrant Eros 9-Mar-15

8. Rite of Passage Separation Transition Incorporation Arnold van Gennep, Les rites de passage (Paris, 1909) 9-Mar-15 Sophocles Oedipus the King 8

9. Oedipus’ Reverse Rite of Passage Oedipus sight- ignorance- incorporation blindness- knowledge- separation transition “I count myself the son of Chance,” (Oedipus, p. 224)

10. Oedipus-pharmakos (“scapegoat”) Oedipus, p. 244: “Quickly, for the love of god, hide me somewhere, kill me, hurl me into the sea where you can never look on me again.” 9-Mar-15 Sophocles Oedipus the King 10

11. Sophocles’ Oedipus the King Introduction to Play

12. Sophocles, “Theban Plays” Playwright ca. 496-ca. 406 BCE first victory 468 Plays – dates Antigone, ca. 441 Oedipus the King, after 429 Oedipus at Colonus, ca. 406 Plays – story order Oedipus the King Oedipus at Colonus Antigone Thebes 25-Oct 2011 Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 12

13. Production, Historical Context War with Sparta: 431–404 Oligarchic revolution: 411/10 Colonus cavalry skirmish, 410 (407?) Story Order Oedipus the King (after 429) Oedipus at Colonus (ca. 406) Antigone (ca. 442) Story Order Oedipus the King (after 429) Oedipus at Colonus (ca. 406) Antigone (ca. 442) Compositional Order Antigone (ca. 442) Oedipus the King (ca. 429?) Oedipus at Colonus (ca. 406) Compositional Order Antigone (ca. 442) Oedipus the King (ca. 429?) Oedipus at Colonus (ca. 406) 25-Oct 2011 Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 13

15. prologue (pp. 284 ff.) Oed, Ant, Citizen identity, positioning parodos (291) amoibaion (chorus-character dialogue) Chorus, Oed, Ant supplication 1 st episode A (298) leader, Oed, Ismene, Ant amoibaion (314) Chorus, Oed Oed’s crimes (?) 1 st episode B (318) Leader, Theseus, Oed supplication, negotiation 1 st stasimon (326) praise (Colonus, Athens) 2 nd episode (328) Ant, Oed, Leader, Creon, Theseus tussle over Oed 2 nd stasimon (348) victory song 3 rd episode (350) Leader, Oed, Ant, Thes leave-taking begins 3 rd stasimon (358) the human condition 4 th episode A (359) Ant, Oed, Poly a father’s curse amoebic kommos, dialogue (371) Chorus, Oed, Ant portents 4 th episode B (373) Thes, Oed 4 th stasimon (377) prayers for Oed exodos (378) spoken dialogue, lyric kommos messenger, leader, Ant, Ismene, Thes Oed’s demise, lament, consolation Analysis Analysis

16. Stage Set, “Colonus Hippius” skene (stage building) To Underworld Olive grove Equestrian statue to Thebes Altar of Athena Hippia, Poseidon Hippios Source: Wiles Tragedy in Athens to Athens

17. Some Plot Variants Sophocles Oedipus at ColonusOther… Prior to action of play, Oedipus, after big reveal, seeks to be killed. When calms down, is allowed to live on at Thebes. Later, Thebes exiles him. Oedipus remains in Thebes and is buried there (Soph. Antigone, Homer, Euripides) Oedipus goes into self-imposed exile at end of OTK. Prior to action of play, Jocasta (Oedipus’ mother) has Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles, Polynices by Oedipus. Hangs self at end of OTK (OAC prequel). Jocasta kills self when incest revealed. Oedipus then remarries and has a new family (Antigone etc.) Jocasta lives on with Oedipus at Thebes (Euripides Phoenician Women).