Oedipus RexWritten by: Sophocles

Oedipus Rex is considered one of the world’s greatest tragedies

SophoclesSophocles was born around 496 B.C.He was one of Greece’s greatest

playwrights and won prizes for his tragedies 24 times

Born into wealth, Sophocles lived during Athens’ Golden Age of achievement and wrote 123 plays

We still have 7 of those plays today.

Oedipus Rex Notes Tragedy- serious drama featuring a main

character, often of noble birth, who strives to achieve something and is ultimately defeated.

Tragic flaw- the inborn character flaw or weakness

that causes the main character’s downfall

Structure of Greek Tragedies

Prologue: Sets forth the subject and provides the mythological background necessary for understanding the events of the play

Parados: “song” sung by the chorus as it first enters- named for the corridors at the front of the stage of a Greek theater

Episode: a scene of dialogue in which one or more actors take part

Structure of Greek Tragedies, cont.

Exodus: a processional song “sung” by the chorus at the end of the play, offering words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play

Chorus: a group that serves as a nameless onlooker and commentator- Sophocles uses the Chorus as an actual character

Choral Odes: the chorus’s lyric songs

Oedipus RexThe Theban Plays- three tragedies

by Sophocles about King Oedipus of Thebes

written over a period of 36 yearsAntigone (442 BC)Oedipus Rex (429 BC)Oedipus at Colonus (406 BC)

Oedipus RexThemes:

The quest for identityThe nature of innocence and guiltThe nature of moral responsibilityThe limitations of human will versus

fateThe abuse of power

Oedipus RexDramatic irony-

When the reader or audience knows something important that a character in a story or drama does not know

Dramatic Irony, cont.The fundamental irony in the play

stems from the audience’s knowledge of Oedipus’ true identity (of which Oedipus is completely unaware)

What do we (the audience) know that Oedipus doesn’t know? Well…

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

baby

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

baby

Oracle…servant/shepherd

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

baby

Oracle…servant/shepherd

Mt. Cithaeron

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

baby

Oracle…servant/shepherd

Mt. Cithaeron

Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

baby

Oracle…servant/shepherd

Mt. Cithaeron

Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound

CORINTH King Polybus

Queen Merope

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

baby

Oracle…servant/shepherd

Mt. Cithaeron

Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound

CORINTH King Polybus

Queen Merope

Oedipus hears prophecy

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

baby

Oracle…servant/shepherd

Mt. Cithaeron

Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound

CORINTH King Polybus

Queen Merope

Oedipus hears prophecy

Crossroads scuffle…kills Laius

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

baby

Oracle…servant/shepherd

Mt. Cithaeron

Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound

CORINTH King Polybus

Queen Merope

Oedipus hears prophecy

Crossroads scuffle…kills Laius

Solves riddle,

Riddle of the SphinxSphinx…head of woman, body of

lion, wings of eagleRiddle: What goes on four legs in

the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?

Answer:A man! He crawls on all fours as a

baby, walks on two legs as an adult, and walks with a cane during old age

Sphinx con’dOedipus solved the riddle, and the

Sphinx destroyed herself.Of course morning, noon, and

night are metaphors for the times in a man's (person's) life. Such metaphors are common in riddles.

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

baby

Oracle…servant/shepherd

Mt. Cithaeron

Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound

CORINTH King Polybus

Queen Merope

Oedipus hears prophecy

Crossroads scuffle…kills Laius

Solves riddle, saves town, marries Queen

THEBESKing Laius

Queen Jocasta

baby

Oracle…servant/shepherd

Mt. Cithaeron

Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound

CORINTH King Polybus

Queen Merope

Oedipus hears prophecy

Crossroads scuffle…kills Laius

Solves riddle, saves town, marries Queen

Play begins 20 years later…