Oedipus Rex

1. Oedipus Rex A guide to understanding Greek tragedy

2. Introduction • What is a tragedy?

3. Modern Definition • “a drama in verse or prose and of a serious and dignified character that typically describes the development of a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny, circumstance, society) and reaches a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion.” (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged [1961; 1993 revision])

4. The Greek Tragedy • Tragedy - tragoidia (Greek) = “song for a goat” • Refers to specific type of dramatic performance; does not relate to content matter. Aristotle said the content must be “serious” but serious does not mean “sad” • Plays performed annually during festival to honor Dionysus in late March, held at the City Dionysia

5. The Great Tragedians • Aeschylus (525-456 BCE) • Know titles of 82 plays; sources say wrote 90. Seven survive (1 questionable) • Sophocles (496-406 BCE) • Know 118 plays; sources say 123. Seven survive. • Euripides (480-406 BCE) • Know of 92 plays; 17-18 survive (Rhesus thought to be by another author. • Cyclops only surviving satyr play

6. Dionysus: Patron of the theatre • Domains include frenzy and irrationality, nature and plant fertility, wine • Brother to Apollo, god of reason and moderation • Is considered a god even though technically had human mother; incinerated. Fully gestated in Zeus’ thigh • Unclear how Dionysus became connected with theatre still unclear to scholars

7. Tragedy as a religious medium • Theory, started by Aristotle, tragedies originated in rituals for gods • Nietzsche believed all major characters (i.e.: Oedipus) were “masks” of Dionysus • Views adopted by many scholars, known as the “Cambridge Ritualists”, thought original drama would have been focused around Dionysus • Few modern scholars accept theory

8. Origin of the tragedy • Choral performances of poetry common in ancient Greece • Thespis added an actor to chorus, thus creating drama • Tragedy came into own by 5th century BCE in between two wars: Persian Wars(490 and 480 BCE) and the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) • Athens undergoes great political changes

9. Reorganization of Athens • 508 BCE – Cleisthenes takes over and institutes political reform, laying groundwork for democracy • Reorganizes Athens city-state into 10 groups based on residence rather than family. Each deme included residents from coast, city, and rural areas • Adult male citizens take active role in politics – go to assembly to hear discussion and vote

10. Effect of reorganization • Audience of tragedies used to meeting in large groups and listening to the points of view of different speakers • Tragedies probably linked to the development of rhetorical style at this time

11. Format of the tragedy • Each tragedian submitted three plays and one satyr play (burlesque) • All plays connected thematically • Content was almost exclusively drawn from ancient myth – very rarely used current politics • Broad outlines of plot already known as audience knew stories. Writer’s skill depended on his use of traditional material • Could invent minor characters

12. Content of tragedy • Often focus on conflict in family and (often) destruction of family because of conflict • Family conflicts lead to larger social themes: justice, tension between public and private duty; dangers of political power; relationship between the sexes • Political restructuring had weakened family loyalties but not destroyed them altogether • Tension in plays between the family and the state

13. Women and the tragedies • Unclear whether women and slaves attended tragedies. Under Athenian social norms, women remained out of public with the exception of religious holidays • Greek tragedies have many strong female characters who do not fit with traditional roles, showing courage, depth • Makes it clear perceptions of women’s roles and social function complex