Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King The world

Oedipus Rex (or Oedipus the King) “The world is full of wonders but nothing is more wonderful then man” Sophocles

Sophocles’ Life l 496 B. C. - 406 B. C. l Life coincided with the golden era of Greek tragedy l Career began when he entered the annual theatrical competition sacred to the god Dionysus

Sophocles’ Life l From 468 -406 (68 years) wrote over 120 plays ¡ 24 of which won first prize in the Dionysia; those that did not come in first placed second l Innovator in Greek tragedy--he was the first to use the mechane, crane used to lower Gods onto the stage l Increased the size of the chorus and added a third speaker to the chorus

Sophocles’ Life l Sophocles’ plays dealt with the “Human Experience. ” l Plays suggest that though a human may not have complete control over his/her destiny, he/she may still be held accountable for his/her actions. l Person’s place in the universe.

Sophocles’ Life l Only seven of Sophocles’ plays have survived intact l Oedipus the King is considered his masterpiece, the most important and influential drama ever written

Ancient Greece l Ancient Greece responsible for modernization society. ¡Art, Philosophy, science, medicine, mathematics, drama and literature all underwent dramatic growth and evolved into what we know today.

Greek Theater Four Qualities of Greek Drama 1. Performed for special occasions (festivals) Athens had four festivals worshipping Dionysus -- (Bacchus in Latin, Roman) god of wine, fertility, rebirth 2. Competitive -- Actors and playwrights competed

Greek Theater 3. Choral -- singing seems to have been an important part- a group of men (varied in size from 3 to 50) 4. Closely associated with religion – stories based on myth or history.

10 Characteristics of Sophocles' plays l emphasis on individual characters l reduced role of chorus l complex characters, psychologically wellmotivated l characters subjected to crisis leading to suffering and self-recognition - including a higher law above man l exposition carefully motivated

Characteristics (cont. ) lscenes suspenseful and climactic laction clear and logical lpoetry clear and beautiful lfew elaborate visual effects ltheme emphasized: the choices of people

The chorus l Dominant in early tragedies (so main actors could change roles ? ) l Size: Generally believed to be 15 by the time of Sophocles, Later diminished in time l Entered with stately march, sometimes singing or in small groups l Choral passages sung and danced in unison, sometimes divided into two groups l Sometimes exchanged dialog with the main characters, rarely individual speaking (though some say the choregus may have spoken / sung alone)

Terminology l Hubris- excessive pride or self- confidence l Hamartia- tragic flaw l Peripeteia- sudden change of events l Catharsis- purging of emotions

Oedipus Myth l Oedipus was the mythical king of Thebes, son of Laius and Jocasta. l Unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. l Laius, Oedipus' father, kidnapped and raped the young boy Chrysippus and was then cursed by Chrysippus' father, Pelops.

Oedipus Myth l The weight of this curse bore down onto Oedipus himself. l At his birth, an oracle prophesied that he would kill his father and marry his mother, Jocasta. l Seeking to avoid such a fate, Laius had the infant's ankles pierced with nails and had him exposed (placed in the wilderness to die).

Oedipus Myth l His servant could not carry out Laius' order and instead handed the boy to a shepherd who presented the child to King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth, who raised him as their own son.

Oedipus Myth l At a party thrown by King Polybus, a drunk guest called Oedipus a bastard. l Oedipus did not believe the man and in an effort to confirm his parentage Oedipus sought out the Oracle at Delphi. l Instead of telling him his parentage, the Oracle related the same prophecy as was told to his father: that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother.

l Oedipus decided not to return home in order to avoid Polybus and Merope. l As he traveled, Oedipus encountered a mystical creature that was terrorizing Thebes. l Oedipus saved the city by answering the riddle of the Sphinx ("What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? ": Man, as a baby man crawls on four legs; as an adult walks on two legs; when old, man uses a cane. )

Oedipus Myth l He was rewarded with the now-vacant throne of Thebes and the widowed queen Jocasta's hand in marriage. l In Sophocles' play, Oedipus the King, Oedipus has four children with Jocasta, though this may have been a plot device he employed, as incest was not part of the original myth.

The Oedipus Complex l Sigmund Freud used the name The Oedipus complex to explain the origin of certain neuroses in childhood. l Defined as a male child's unconscious desire for the exclusive love of his mother. ¡Desire includes jealousy towards the father and the unconscious wish for that parent's death. ¡Oedipus himself, as portrayed in the myth, did in no way suffer from this neurosis - at least, not towards Jocasta, whom he only met as a grown up.

The Oedipus Complex l Freud reasoned that the ancient Greek audience, which heard the story told or saw the plays based on it, did know that Oedipus was actually killing his father and marrying his mother. l The story being continually told and played therefore reflected a preoccupation with theme.