There was no better way than mine. No more advice! If I had eyes, how could They bear to look at my father in Hades? Or at my devastated mother? Not even Hanging could right the wrongs I did them both. (lines 1554-58) � � Author � Time/Date of Composition � Contextual Information � Form � Major Themes Preview � Author � Lived circa 496-406 BCE � Spent most of his life in the city-state of Athens � Very popular, well-educated, and productive writer � Only seven of his plays are extant: the three Oedipus plays, Ajax, Trachiniae, Electra, and Philoctetes (“Sophocles” from Wikipedia) � � Sophocles is remembered for his tragic plays AND for changes he made to the theater, including… �  “introduction of scene painting” (Norton 482) �  “increase of chorus members from twelve to fifteen” (Norton 482) & decreased centrality of chorus to plot �  “bringing in a third actor” (Norton 482) à allowed for three-way dialogues Author � �  Folks like Sophocles’ writing because his characters seem real �  Consider The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Ramayana, and Sunjata. The main characters are all epic heroes… basically, the ancient world’s version of today’s super-heroes. They aren’t “real people” they’re “super”-real �  Sophocles’ characters are real—with qualities people can relate to and flaws that make them fallible. They could be… us. �  …but hopefully not “us” with Oedipus-level flaws! �  Thought exercise: pay attention to any characters you find relatable in Oedipus Rex. What about them is relatable? Do you pity them? Fear them? Author � � Oedipus Rex was probably composed and performed around 429 BCE à be mindful that the exact date is not certain � 429 BCE is also the date of a terrible plague in Athens. Some folks argue the plague afflicting Thebes in Oedipus Rex is actually a reference to the plague that was affecting Athens when Sophocles was writing (Norton 484) Time/Date of Composition � Contextual Information �  The Oedipus myth was a well-known story in the ancient Greek world (Norton 483). �  Consider the following passage from Homer’s The Odyssey (not be confused with The Iliad), dating to the 700s BCE �  Note: The Odyssey spells Oedipus’s mother Epicaste instead of Jocasta “Attic Cup: Oedipus and the Sphinx” from Encyclopedia Britannica) � I saw Oedipus’ mother, beautiful Epicaste, Who unwittingly did a monstrous deed, Marrying her son, who had killed his father. The gods soon brought these findings to light; Yet for all his misery, Oedipus still ruled In lovely Thebes, by the gods’ dark designs. But Epicaste, overcome by her grief, Hung a deadly noose from the ceiling rafters And went down to implacable Hades’ realm Leaving behind for her son all of the sorrows A mother’s avenging spirits can cause (Odyssey 11.275-85) Contextual Information � � Oedipus Rex is a tragedy, or a kind of play with .

1. There was no better way than mine.
No more advice! If I had eyes, how could
They bear to look at my father in Hades?
Or at my devastated mother? Not even
Hanging could right the wrongs I did them both. (lines
1554-58)
�
�Author
�Time/Date of Composition
�Contextual Information
�Form
�Major Themes
Preview
�
Author
�Lived circa 496-406 BCE
�Spent most of his life in the
city-state of Athens
�Very popular, well-educated,
and productive writer
�Only seven of his plays are

2. extant: the three Oedipus
plays, Ajax, Trachiniae,
Electra, and Philoctetes
(“Sophocles” from Wikipedia)
�
�Sophocles is remembered for his tragic plays AND
for changes he made to the theater, including…
� “introduction of scene painting” (Norton 482)
� “increase of chorus members from twelve to
fifteen” (Norton 482) & decreased centrality of chorus
to plot
� “bringing in a third actor” (Norton 482) à allowed for
three-way dialogues
Author
�
� Folks like Sophocles’ writing because his characters seem
real
� Consider The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Ramayana,
and
Sunjata. The main characters are all epic heroes… basically,
the ancient world’s version of today’s super-heroes. They
aren’t “real people” they’re “super”-real

3. � Sophocles’ characters are real—with qualities people can
relate to and flaws that make them fallible. They could
be… us.
� …but hopefully not “us” with Oedipus-level flaws!
� Thought exercise: pay attention to any characters you find
relatable in Oedipus Rex. What about them is relatable? Do
you pity them? Fear them?
Author
�
�Oedipus Rex was probably composed and performed
around 429 BCE à be mindful that the exact date is
not certain
�429 BCE is also the date of a terrible
plague in Athens. Some folks argue the plague
afflicting Thebes in Oedipus Rex is actually a
reference to the plague that was affecting Athens
when Sophocles was writing (Norton 484)
Time/Date of Composition
�
Contextual Information
� The Oedipus myth was a
well-known story in the
ancient Greek world

4. (Norton 483).
� Consider the following
passage from Homer’s
The Odyssey (not be
confused with The Iliad),
dating to the 700s BCE
� Note: The Odyssey spells
Oedipus’s mother
Epicaste instead of
Jocasta
“Attic Cup: Oedipus and the Sphinx”
from Encyclopedia Britannica)
�
I saw Oedipus’ mother, beautiful Epicaste,
Who unwittingly did a monstrous deed,
Marrying her son, who had killed his father.
The gods soon brought these findings to light;
Yet for all his misery, Oedipus still ruled
In lovely Thebes, by the gods’ dark designs.
But Epicaste, overcome by her grief,
Hung a deadly noose from the ceiling rafters
And went down to implacable Hades’ realm
Leaving behind for her son all of the sorrows
A mother’s avenging spirits can cause (Odyssey 11.275-85)
Contextual Information

5. �
�Oedipus Rex is a tragedy, or a kind of play with a
serious subject matter à often focus on questions of
ethics
� Note: Today, “tragedy” is a term that can also apply to
movies, novels, et al
�Tragedies possibly originate out of ritual traditions
and the worship of Dionysus (Norton 475-76) à
regardless, they were very popular in ancient Greece
�Tragedies borrow plots from Greek mythology,
especially The Iliad and The Odyssey (Norton 476)
Form
�
�Dialogue (aka, the spoken language between
characters) in tragedies was written/spoken in
iambic meter, “which was supposed to be the verse
form closest to normal speech” (Norton 479)
� Iambic sounds like characters are speaking normally
rather than reciting poetry
Form
�

6. �Oedipus Rex makes use of dramatic irony
�Dramatic irony is a convention of plays (and today,
movies) in which the audience knows or
understands something the main character doesn’t
� Example: the original audience for Oedipus Rex would
have known who Oedipus’s real parents really were
and were therefore aware of what Oedipus would
eventually discover
� Thought exercise: can you think of any dramatic irony
in recent movies or TV shows you’ve seen?
Form
�
�Literal and metaphorical meanings of language
(especially as regards oracles and prophecies)
�Blissful ignorance
�Free will vs destiny/fate
�Crime and punishment
Major Themes
Dionysia (Bacchanalia) Various dates
from Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World
Dictionary

7. View article on Credo
T he Dionysia was a fe stival in ancie nt Gre e ce in honor of
Dionysus (also calle d Bacchus), the son of
Ze us and god of wine , fe rtility, and drama. T he re we re a
se rie s of Dionysian fe stivals: the Oschophoria,
the rural or COUNT RY DIONYSIA, the Le nae a, the ANT
HEST ERIA, the urban Dionysia, and the most
famous—the City or Gre at Dionysia.
T he Gre at Dionysias we re he ld in the spring (March or
April) in Athe ns for five or six days, and the ir
ce nte rpie ce s we re the pe rformance s of ne w trage die s,
come die s, and satyric dramas.
T he se took place in the T he ate r of Dionysus on the side
of the Acropolis and we re atte nde d by pe ople
from throughout the country. T he e arlie st trage dy that
survive s is Persai by Ae schylus, from the ye ar
4 72 B.C.E. T he dramatists, actors, and singe rs we re conside
re d to be pe rforming an act of worship of
the god, and Dionysus was thought to be pre se nt at the
productions.
T he City Dionysias we re a time of ge ne ral springtime re
joicing (e ve n prisone rs we re re le ase d to share
in the fe stivitie s)

8. and gre at pomp. T he statue of Dionysus was carrie d in a
proce ssion that also include d re pre se ntations
of the phallus, symbolizing the god.
Dionysus was both a me rry god who inspire d gre at poe try and
a crue l god; the Gre e ks re alistically saw
wine as some thing that made pe ople happy and also made
the m drunk and crue l. T hus, like the god, his
fe stivals se e m to have combine d contrasting e le me nts of
poe try and re ve lry.
T he small rustic Dionysias we re fe stive and bawdy affairs
he ld in De ce mbe r or January at the first
tasting of ne w wine .
Be side s dramatic pre se ntations, the re we re proce ssions of
slave s carrying the phallus, the singing of
obsce ne lays, youths balancing on a full goat-skin, and the
like .
T he Le ne ae , he ld in Athe ns in January or Fe bruary,
include d a proce ssion of je sting citize ns through the
city and dramatic pre se ntations. T he Oschophoria (“carrying
of the grape cluste r”), he ld in the fall whe n
the grape s we re ripe , was marke d by a footrace for youths.
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Dionysia (bacchanalia). (2015). In H. He nde rson (Ed.),
Holidays, festivals & celebrations of the world
dictionary: detailing more than 3,300 observances from all 50
states and more than 100 nations (5th e d.).
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Celebrations of the World Dictionary, e dite d by
He le ne He nde rson. 5th e d. Omnigraphics, Inc., 2015.
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Harvard
Dionysia (bacchanalia). (2015). In H. He nde rson (Ed.),
Holidays, festivals & celebrations of the world
dictionary: detailing more than 3,300 observances from all 50
states and more than 100 nations. (5th e d.).
[Online ]. De troit: Omnigraphics, Inc. Available from: http://e
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MLA
"Dionysia (Bacchanalia)." Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations
of the World Dictionary, e dite d by He le ne
He nde rson, Omnigraphics, Inc., 5th e dition, 2015. Credo
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erence.com/content/entry/hfcwd/dionysia_bacchanalia/0Dionysi

11. a (Bacchanalia) Various datesfrom Holidays, Festivals, and
Celebrations of the World DictionaryView article on
CredoAPAChicagoHarvardMLA
What is "philosophy in literature"?
· The term "philosophy" came into the English language around
the 1300s CE. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, it
means:
c. 1300, "knowledge, body of knowledge," from Old French
filosofie "philosophy, knowledge" (12c., Modern French
philosophie) and directly from Latin philosophia and from
Greek philosophia "love of knowledge, pursuit of wisdom;
systematic investigation," from philo- "loving" (see philo-) +
sophia "knowledge, wisdom," from sophis "wise, learned;" of
unknown origin.Meaning "system a person forms for conduct of
life" is attested from 1771.
· However, writing philosophy or including philosophical ideas
in writing wasn't a new concept in the 1300s. Many writers,
including Plato in the Republic (380 BCE), wrote about
philosophy long before the English language existed
So... What does it mean to study or write about philosophy?
(from textsfromyourexistentialist (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site. on Instagram)
· People who study philosophy usually examine fundamental
questions about life, existence, or themselves. To make these
questions "easier to manage," the study of philosophy is divided
into the following areas ("What is Philosophy (Links to an
external site.)Links to an external site.? from Florida State
University)
[note: further reading not required. I listed it in case you wanted
to learn more!]
· Metaphysics - a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of
things. It asks questions such as: "what is truth?" or "what is a
person" or "is there a God?" Further reading here:
"Metaphysics (Links to an external site.)Links to an external

12. site." from the Encyclopedia Britannica.
· Epistemology - a branch of philosophy that studies how we
know things. It asks questions like "how do we know what we
know?" and "what is knowledge?" Further reading here:
"Epistemology (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site." from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
· Ethics - a branch of philosophy that studies what is good or
right. It asks questions like: "what is good?" or "what makes
people good or bad?" or "how should we treat others?" Further
reading here: "Ethics (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site." from the BBC.
· Logic - a branch of philosophy that studies arguments. It asks
questions like: "how do we determine if the reasoning is good or
bad?" and "what is good reasoning?" Further reading here:
"Logic (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site."
from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
· History of Philosophy - a branch of philosophy that studies
how people thought in the past. It typically investigates the
thinking of famous or well-known philosophers, like Aristotle,
Descartes, or Sartre. Further reading here: "History of
Philosophy (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site."
from The Philosophical Society
· Philosophy in literature is literature that deals with
philosophical questions, whether that be metaphysics,
epistemology, ethics, or logic. Many texts can be said to be
philosophical, even fictional ones. For example, The Epic of
Gilgamesh considers what it means to be mortal and what makes
for a good or bad king. The Ramayana engages with questions
about what it means to be a good son or a dutiful wife.
· We explored the above texts by studying the transition of oral
storytelling to literature --> This new module engages with the
ways texts engage with philosophy or draw on philosophical
concepts.
Read these website

13. http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Dionysos.html
Aristotle's Poetics
· Start by watching this video on Aristotle's philosophy:
· Oedipus Rex is labeled "a tragedy." But what does it mean to
be a tragic play, particularly in Ancient Athens?
· Tragedy is a type of literature emerging from
Aristotle's Poetics. According to Aristotle, a text must arouse
fear and pity in order to be considered tragic.
· Example: Consider a movie with a likable main character who
suffers, but eventually overcomes all odds in the end. You pity
the main character, but you do not fear the story or its
implications. Now... Consider a movie that arouses your
feelings of fear, but no pity. This kind of movie usually falls
into the horror genre.
· What Aristotle meant by fear and pity
· "Fear anticipates the performance of horrible acts by someone
who does not fully understand what he or she is doing, or is
compelled to do those acts against his or her volition"
("Aristotle's Definition of Tragedy (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site." from the University of
California, Santa Cruz)
· "Pity depends on the audience's empathy with the doer of
those acts; the understanding that, under similar circumstances,
the spectator might have acted in the same manner" ("Aristotle's
Definition of Tragedy (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site." from the University of California, Santa Cruz)
· Tragedy resolves the feelings of pity and fear
through catharsis, meaning purification or cleansing --> we are
unsure exactly what Aristotle means by catharsis, but it is
usually interpreted to mean "purging/cleansing an emotional
state and replacing it with a feeling of virtue." It's like the
feeling you get after watching a dramatic movie or reading a
serious novel--as though you sympathize with the characteres
and learned something important all at once. Hans-Georg

14. Gadamer explains the idea in his book Truth and Method:
What is experienced in such an excess of tragic suffering is
something truly common. The spectator recognizes himself [or
herself] and his [or her] finiteness in the face of the power of
fate. What happens to the great ones of the earth has exemplary
significance. . . .To see that "this is how it is" is a kind of self-
knowledge for the spectator, who emerges with new insight
from the illusions in which he [or she], like everyone else,
lives. (132)
· Quick note: Aristotle refers to theater when he writes about
tragedy, but today tragedy can refer to all kinds of genres--
novels, nonfiction writing, and so on...
· Other terms emerging from Aristotle's Poetics are
· Peripeteia: "a reversal of fortune" (Norton 484) --> the main
character experiences a change in fortune; usually from good
luck (or a good life) to bad luck
· Anagnosis: "a recognition" (Norton 484) --> when a character
makes an important discovery about themselves
· Hamartia: "mistake" (Norton 484) --> usually translated as
"fatal flaw," but meaning something close to "you can't escape
your destiny"
· Thought exercise: do you experience pity and fear for
Oedipus? can you identify moments of peripeteia, anagnosis,
and hamartia in Oedipus Rex?
Watch this website:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj7R36s4dbM&feature=yout
u.be