1. Antigone—An Introduction We will cover:  Greek Drama and Tragedy  Sophocles  Oedipus Rex  Terms to know

2. Greek Drama—Religious Origins  Also called classical drama  Started in Athens in honor of the Greek God Dionysus  In the 6 th century B.C. individual actors began using dialogue with a chorus to tell a story.  Heavily tied to the Greek gods and goddesses worshiped by the culture

3. Greek Drama—The Theater  It began as, for lack of a better term, a big Grecian party (or religious festival)  Thousands attended…and the theater was the main form of entertainment.  The theater was out doors, during the day, and at the bottom of a hill  Each year at the festival of Dionysus playwright's competed for the “Academy Award” of the Grecian times.

4. Greek Drama—Mythological Sources  The subjects of Greek tragedy are myths and legends  Myths are traditional stories about gods and goddesses—legends are stories about people believed to have once lived.  Gods and goddesses are often characters in the Greek tragedies. Usually a tragic hero’s downfall is a result of having offended the gods.

5. Tragedy and the Tragic Hero  A Tragedy is a drama that recounts the downfall of a dignified, superior character who is involved in historically or socially significant events.  Aristotle was the first to define tragedy.

6. Sophocles  Sophocles was to become one of the great playwrights of the golden age  The son of a wealthy merchant, he would enjoy all the comforts of a thriving Greek empire. He studied all of the arts.  At a young age he competed in the City Dionysia--a festival held every year at the Theatre of Dionysus in which new plays were presented

7. Sophocles Continued  In his first competition, Sophocles took first prize  More than 120 plays were to follow. He would go on to win eighteen first prizes, and he would never fail to take at least second.

8. Oedipus Rex—Story time!  Sophocles's Oedipus Rex is probably the most famous tragedy ever written. Sophocles first produced the play in Athens around 430 B.C. at the Great Dionysia, a religious and cultural festival held in honor of the god Dionysus, where it won second prize.  In the play Oedipus, King of Thebes, upon hearing that his city is being ravaged by fire and plague, sends his brother-in-law Creon to find a remedy from the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. When Creon returns Oedipus begins investigating the death of his predecessor, Laius, and discovers through various means that he himself was the one who had unknowingly killed Laius and then married his own mother, Jocasta. Jocasta commits suicide, Oedipus blinds himself, takes leave of his children, and is led away.  Oedipus and Jocasta had four children: two boys and two girls. All four star in his next play Antigone.

9. Oedipus Rex

10. Terms to know:  1. Prologue: Spoken by one or two characters before the chorus appears. The prologue usually gives the background information needed to understand the events of the play.  2. Parodos: the song sung by the chorus as it makes its entrance  3. Episodes/Scenes: the main action of the play  4. Odes: a song (and often dance) that reflects on the events of the episodes, and puts the plot into some kind of larger mythological framework

11. More Terms to know:  Choragos: the leader of the chorus who often interacts with the characters in the scenes.  Chorus: the singers/dancers who remark on the action  strophe: the movement of the chorus from right to left across the stage  antistrophe: the reaction to the strophe, which moves across the stage from left to right.

12. Last of the Terms:  Paean: a prayer of thanksgiving to Dionysos in whose honor the Greek plays were performed  Exodos: sung by the chorus as it makes its final exit, which usually offers words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play