Introduction notes on Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Focuses on Greek theatre and tragedies.

1. Oedipus
Sophocles
Intro to Ancient Greek Theatre

2. Ancient Greek Theater
● Tragedy and Comedy plays
● Sophocles was one of three well known
playwrights of the fifth century

3. Theatron
● Theatre buildings were called theatrons.
● Acting- amateur actors; all male; usually
only three
● They wore masks...why?

4. Tragedy
● Highest form of drama
● Big themes: love, loss, pride, the abuse of
power, and the relationships between man
and gods.

5. Protagonist
● Typically…
o commits some terrible crime without realizing how
foolish and arrogant he has been.
● Then…
o as he slowly realizes his error, his world crumbles
around him

6. So what is a tragic hero?

7. Tragic Hero
A person who is neither good nor evil who
commits an act that results in suffering and
utter defeat.

8. Other words to know...
● Hamartia: “missing the mark”
o came to signify a tragic flaw, especially a
misperception, a lack of some important insight, or
some blindness that ironically results from one’s
own strengths and abilities
● Peripeteia: sudden reversal of fortune
o change of stability toward the downfall of the
protagonist

9. Continued...
● Hubris: pride
o the defect of a character that causes the tragic hero
to ignore problems
● Catharsis: an emotional discharge that
brings about moral or spiritual renewal or
welcome relief from tension and anxiety
o the marking feature and ultimate end of any tragic
work

10. Features of Ancient Greek
Tragedy
● Suffering
● Cleansing
● Religious
● Honored Dionysus
● Competitions
● Prizes
● Myth
● History
● Not bloody
● Limitations
● Masks

11. Aristotle’s Definition
● deals with one issue that is very serious
● had a chorus whose role was to comment on the
action of the play
● in a play, the story must be dramatized or acted out
● should lead the audience to feel sorry for the main
character
● as the play moves along, the events should build up
the emotions of pity and fear

12. Aristotle’s Elements of
Tragedy
● Plot
● Character
● Thought
● Diction
● Melody
● Spectacle