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Oedipus Rex Written by: Sophocles

Oedipus Rex Written by: Sophocles. Oedipus Rex is considered one of the world’s greatest tragedies. Sophocles. Sophocles was born around 496 B.C. He was one of Greece’s greatest playwrights and won prizes for his tragedies 24 times

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Oedipus Rex Written by: Sophocles

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  1. Oedipus Rex Written by: Sophocles

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

  3. Sophocles • Sophocles 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.

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. Oedipus Rex • The Theban Plays- three tragedies by Sophocles about King Oedipus of Thebes • written over a period of 36 years • Antigone(442 BC) • Oedipus Rex (429 BC) • Oedipus at Colonus(406 BC)

  8. Oedipus Rex • Themes: • The quest for identity • The nature of innocence and guilt • The nature of moral responsibility • The limitations of human will versus fate • The abuse of power

  9. Oedipus Rex • Dramatic irony- When the reader or audience knows something important that a character in a story or drama does not know

  10. 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)

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

  12. THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta

  13. THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta baby

  14. THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta baby Oracle…servant/ shepherd

  15. THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta baby Oracle…servant/ shepherd Mt. Cithaeron

  16. THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta baby Oracle…servant/ shepherd Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound Mt. Cithaeron

  17. CORINTH King Polybus Queen Merope THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta baby Oracle…servant/ shepherd Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound Mt. Cithaeron

  18. Oedipus hears prophecy CORINTH King Polybus Queen Merope THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta baby Oracle…servant/ shepherd Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound Mt. Cithaeron

  19. Crossroads scuffle…kills Laius Oedipus hears prophecy CORINTH King Polybus Queen Merope THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta baby Oracle…servant/ shepherd Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound Mt. Cithaeron

  20. Crossroads scuffle…kills Laius Solves riddle, Oedipus hears prophecy CORINTH King Polybus Queen Merope THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta baby Oracle…servant/ shepherd Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound Mt. Cithaeron

  21. Riddle of the Sphinx • Sphinx…head of woman, body of lion, wings of eagle • Riddle: What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?

  22. 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

  23. Sphinx con’d • Oedipus 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.

  24. Crossroads scuffle…kills Laius Solves riddle, saves town, marries Queen Oedipus hears prophecy CORINTH King Polybus Queen Merope THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta baby Oracle…servant/ shepherd Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound Mt. Cithaeron

  25. Crossroads scuffle…kills Laius Solves riddle, saves town, marries Queen Oedipus hears prophecy Play begins 20 years later… CORINTH King Polybus Queen Merope THEBES King Laius Queen Jocasta baby Oracle…servant/ shepherd Shepherd finds baby with ankles bound Mt. Cithaeron

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