1) The people of Thebes ask their king, Oedipus, to end the plague destroying the city. An oracle says to find who killed the previous king, Laius. 2) Oedipus questions the prophet Teiresias, who reveals Oedipus himself is the killer. 3) As the truth emerges through multiple witnesses, it is discovered that Oedipus fulfilled the prophecy—he unknowingly killed his father and married his mother, Jocasta. Horrified, Jocasta hangs herself, and Oedipus blinds himself before leaving Thebes in exile.

1. Greek
Tragedy
Presented By : Sahil Akhter
Presented To : Miss Sehar Jabeen
Ejaz
Roll No : 19051
B.S English Literature &
Linguistics
Semester 2nd
Section B
Evening

2. Greek tragedy
The word ‘tragedy’ has come from ‘tragos’ which means
‘A goat-men sacrificing song’
 Greek Tragedy as we know today was created in Athens
some years before 534 B.C, when Thespis was the
earliest recorded author.
 Born in Attica , he wrote plays and its first recorded
winner of a prize for tragedy at the Great Dionysian.
Because of this , he is often called the Father of
Tragedy .Though Thespis is the inventor of tragedy.

3. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy
1. “Tragedy depicts the downfall of a
basically good person through some
fatal error or misjudgment, producing
suffering and insight on the part of
the protagonist and arousing pity and
fear on the part of the audience.”
2. “A tragedy is the imitation of an
action that is serious and also, as
having magnitude , complete in itself;
in appropriate and pleasurable
language; in a dramatic rather than
narrative form; with incidents
arousing pity and fear, wherewith to
accomplish a catharsis of these
emotions.”

4. Features of Greek tragedy
The following are some of the chief characteristic features of a Greek
Tragedy:-
1) The play has a tragic ending that evokes pity and fear in its viewers
making them to experience a feeling of catharsis (purification).
2) The plot is composed of three parts such as good beginning,
middle, and an ending.
3) The themes are largely based on myths or stories central to the
belief structures of a culture to heighten the religious mood, but
varied interpretations of events.
4) The protagonist hails from a noble family but meets with death
because of the irony of Faith or hamartia.
5) Nemesis, sometimes called the daughter of Night in Greek
mythology, represented the righteous anger of the Gods against the
proud and haughty and against breakers of the law and distributed
good and bad fortune to all mortals at the end of the play.
6) In Greek Tragedies we see the frequent use of messengers to
relate information.

5. Festival of Dionysus
o Drama was developed by the
ancient Greeks during
celebrations honoring
Dionysus.
o Dionysus is the God of the
vine, which produces grapes
for wine. Wine was associated
with resurrection and
suffering.
o The festival of Dionysus took
place in Athens over five days
in March and April.
o During the first day, their was
a procession honoring
Dionysus – all citizens

6. festival
o During the festivals second day, the choral songs were
performed.
o On the last three days of festival, the actors performed
three tragedies, one satyr play, tragedy and one comedy.
o Judged by a panel of 10 elected judges.
o The most famous and popular public festival of the time:-
o 4 – 5 days long
o Business was suspended
o Prisoners were let out of jail on bail
o Foreign heads of state were honored.

7. Greek theaters
• The modern word theater comes
from the Greek word theatron
meaning “seeing place.”
• The theater were all outdoors and
were called amphitheaters .
• Greek theater was similar to an
outdoor stadium that could hold
between 15,000 – 20,000 people.
• Seats were carved out of stone on
a hillside.
• The stage area was at the bottom
and was where the chorus
members sang and danced around
on altar.

8. Parts of a Greek theater
The earliest Greek theaters had four major parts:-
A. Orchestra ----- the circular area of the theatre where
the actors would sing and dance.
B. Theatron ----- where attendees would sit to view the
action.
C. Parodos ----- were the paths by which the chorus and
the actors made their entrances and exits.
D. Skene ----- a building located behind the stage that was
designed to look like a temple, a palace or other
structure needed. It served as a prop and also allowed
actors to make entrances and exits.

10. Greek theater

11. Costumes and props in early Greek tragedy

12. Costumes and props in early Greek tragedy
 Actors in this early plays did not rely on elaborate costumes to
tell the characters apart. Instead they used huge masks to
distinguish between characters.
 Using masks also allowed actors to play more than one
role. The only costume change involved was adding a new
mask.
 The actors in these plays that had tragic roles wore boots
called cothurnuses that elevated them above the other
actors.
 The actors with comedic roles only wore a thin soled shoe
called a sock.
 Wigs were also frequently added to help distinguish between
characters.
 Women were not allowed to participate . If playing a female
role, the male actor in want of a female appearance wore the
prosternida before the chest and the progastrida before the
belly.

13. cothurnuses

14. Greek masks
 Colors were used in the masks
as well to convey emotion.
 Most were some shade of red
since they were made of terra
cotta.
 The masks had a very large
mouthpieces that amplified
the sound of the actors’ voices
and often had large eye
openings as well.
 These masks usually
represented familiar characters
that would be easily
recognized by the audience.

15. The chorus
 Chorus was used to present the exposition & to provide
commentary on the action & characters:
 15 men represented the citizens
 They were always on stage,
 They frequently sang and dance.
 They always had a leader who carried on a dialogue with the main characters or
with the rest of the chorus.
 The function of the chorus was to:-
o Set the tone
o Give background information
o Recall events of the past
o Interpret and summarize events
o Ask questions
o Offer opinions
o Give advice, if asked
o Stay objective

16. chorus

17. chorus

18. Greek playwrights
 Greek theater had many important playwrights.
 Tragedy writers:-
o Aeschylus
o Sophocles
o Euripides
 Comedy writers:-
o Aristophanes
o Menander
 Plots focused on Gods and their interactions with
humans.

19. Oedipusrex
By
Sophocles

20. sophocles
 Who is this guy?
 Sophocles was born in
Colonus, Greece in 497 BCE.
 He lived during the Golden Age
of Greece.
 He was a successful musician,
athlete, and respected
playwright.
 He was also active in social
and political life.
 In the drama festivals of his
day, sophocles won the first
place prize for best play 24
times!

21. sophocles
 He wrote more than hundred plays but only seven
remain.
 The most famous of his plays are:-
 Oedipus the King
 Oedipus at Colonus
 Antigone
 Electra
 He made each play of a trilogy stand by itself as a
separate story.
 He invented painted scenery and added flute music in
the background of his plays.

22. Literary devices and elements
A. Dramatic Irony ------ dramatic irony is when the words
and actions of the characters of a work of literature
have a different meaning for the reader than they do for
the characters.
B. Characterization ------ art of creating characters.
C. Flashback ------ the story switches from the present to
an event that occurred in the past.

23. settings
Thebes Corinth

24. characters
 Oedipus rex:- The ruler of Thebes.
 Creon :- Oedipus’ brother-in-law, and Jocasta’s brother.
 Jocasta :- Oedipus’ wife and mother.
 Apollo :- The Sun god and Healer god.
 Laius :- Oedipus’ father and Jocasta’s first husband.
 Delphi :- An oracle that predicts Oedipus will kill his father
and marry his mother.
 Teiresias :- The blind prophet who predicts fate and can see
the future.
 Polybus :-Oedipus’ surrogate father in Corinth, and the ruler
of Corinth.
 Zeus :- The elders call upon the god, Zeus, to give help to
Thebes and Oedipus.

25. characters
 Corinthian :- The man who brings news of Polybus’
death and who asks Oedipus to rule Corinth.
 Merope :- Oedipus’ surrogate mother in Corinth, and
current ruler of Corinth.
 Shepherd :- Oedipus was given to the herdsman by
Jocasta, who tried to get rid of her ill-fated child.
 Labdakos :- The ruling family of Thebes, consisting of
Creon, Laius and Jocasta want to rule.
 Antigone :- One of the Oedipus’ daughters.
 Ismene :- One of the Oedipus’ daughters.

26. Plot of oedipus rex
The first point to note about the plot of Oedipus Rex is that , like
most Greek plays of ancient times, it observes all the three
unities:-
o Unity of place
o Unity of time
o Unity of action
The entire action of the play takes place at the royal palace in
the city of Thebes.
The entire action of the play occupies no more then twenty-four
hours which was the maximum duration permissible according to
rules.
Our entire attention is focused on a single theme, the
investigation made by Oedipus into the murder, of Laius and the
discovery of truth.
There are no side – plots, or under – plots.

27. 3 major elements of tragic plot
The three major elements of tragic plot are as follows:-
o Perpeteia
o Anagnorisis
o Scene of suffering
1. Peripeteia ----- “reversal of fortune” from good to bad.
2. Anagnorisis ----- a change from ignorance to knowledge,
producing love and hate between the persons destined for good or
bad fortune. This recognition= discovery of true identity or
involvement, establishment of guilt or innocence, & revelation of
previously unknown details. In the best tragedies, the peripeteia &
anagnorisis occur together and create suspense.
3. Scene of suffering ----- a destructive of painful action, such as
death, bodily agony, or wounds. This destructive and painful action
should be caused by loved ones. This will arouse the most fear &
pity.

28. Plot
Suffering of Thebes.
Oracle of Teiresias.
Murder of Laius.
Riddle of the Sphinx.
King of Corinth.
Prophecy came true.
Jocasta commits suicide.
Oedipus gouges out his eyes.
Oedipus says bye to his children, and leaves
the city.

29. Themes, tones, symbolism
 Themes:-
 Fates and Free will
 State control
 Sight and blindness
 Tones :-
 Sorrow and Grief
 Symbolism :-
 Light and Darkness
 Blind and Seeing
 Falling from grace
 Arrogant pride
 Swollen feet
 Brooches

30. The performances
 No scenery was used on stage.
 No violence was shown on stage.
 Performances were held during the day and went on
even despite bad weather.
 Over 30,000 audience members attended at once.
 There were no curtains, intermissions, lights, or
microphones.
 Consequently, all scenes took place in day light settings,
all scenes changes had to be built into the actor’s
dialogue, and the chorus and actors had to have strong
voices.
 Actors had to be able to speak in poetic language.

31. Oedipus “a tragic hero”
According to Aristotle, the ideal tragic hero would be
someone the audience respects, fears for, and has pity for.
Oedipus is an ideal tragic hero because the main character
is someone we would want to succeed, but he is tragically
doomed to fail . Oedipus is someone the audience can
respect. He comes from royalty, he is intelligent, and he
has granted rule over a city .Oedipus is a victim of tragic
flaw that is not through his own doing. He does not know
that he is actually Jocasta’s and Laius’s son, so the tragedy
he will suffer cannot be his fault. The audience relates to
him and respect him, so they are emotionally attached and
fear for him.

32. Oedipus “a tragic hero”
Because he did not have information that was necessary to
make sound judgments, Oedipus is doomed to fail, and his
response to his failings causes pity in the audience.
Oedipus punishes himself with painful blindness and cuts
himself off from the world. He lives the rest of his life in
torment as payment for his mistake.

33. Important vocabulary
A. Catharsis ----- an emotional purification or relief
brought about by viewing the tragedy.
B. Hubris ----- reckless pride, sometimes brought about by
a belief the protagonist has that he/she is above the
fates or in control of destiny.
C. Hamartia ------ a character fault or mistake.

34. Oedipus rex – dramatic structure
 Setting ---- palace at Thebes over the course of a day.
 Prologue ---- details problems and steps Oedipus has taken
to correct it.
 Parodos ----chorus’ lament, and prayer to various Gods.
 First episode /scene------ Oedipus and Teiresias’ argument
over prophecy.
 First ode/ Stasimon------ Chorus sides with Oedipus.
 Second episode/scene
o Oedipus and Creon conflict.
o Jocasta tells her story.
 Second ode / Stasimon ----- Choral response critical of
Oedipus

35. Oedipus rex – Dramatic structure
 Third episode/ scene
o Jocasta appeals to Gods.
o Corinthian messenger arrives with news.
 Third stasimon/ode -----Chorus appeals to Dionysus.
 Fourth episode/ scene
o Shepherd is brought.
o Oedipus realizes his identity.
 Fourth stasimon/ ode ----- Chorus expresses pity for
Oedipus
 Exodos
o Messenger reports fates of Jocasta and Oedipus.
o Creon banishes Oedipus.
o Choral leaders censures people.

36. Summary of
Oedipus rex

37. summary
AS the play opens, the people of Thebes request their King,
Oedipus to lift the plague that is trying to destroy the city.
Oedipus has already sent his brother–in-law, Creon, to the
oracle to learn what to do.
On his return, Creon tells that the oracle instructs to find the killer
of Laius, the King who ruled Thebes before Oedipus. The
punishment of the murderer will end the plague. Oedipus makes
his mind to find the murderer and exile him from the city.
Summoned by King Oedipus, the blind prophet Teiresias at first
refuses to speak the truth but soon they fell out and exchanged
hot words and hurried accusations against each other. Creon
joins him and he too was harshly treated by King Oedipus.
Jocasta intervened and thus Creon was saved by the wrath of
the King.

38. summary
Jocasta , the queen, tells Oedipus that a prophet once told
her that Laius , her husband , would die at the hands of
their son. According to Jocasta , the prophecy didn’t come
true because the baby died , abandoned , and Laius
himself was killed by a band of robbers at a cross roads.
Oedipus becomes tensed when he hears the words of
Jocasta because just before he came to Thebes he killed a
man at a cross roads who resembled Laius. To learn the
truth, Oedipus sends for the only living witness to the
murder , a shepherd.
Another worry haunts Oedipus. As a young man, he
learned from an oracle that he was fated to kill his father
and marry his mother. Fear of the prophecy drove him from
his home in Corinth and brought him ultimately to Thebes.

39. summary
Oedipus finds out from Corinthian messenger that Polybus,
King of Corinth, Oedipus’ father, has died of old age.
Oedipus worries about fulfilling the prophecy with his
mother , Merope. Overhearing, the messenger tells that
Polybus and Merope are not Oedipus’ real parents.
In fact, the messenger himself gave Oedipus to the royal
couple when a shepherd offered him an abandoned baby
from the house of Laius. Oedipus become determined to
track down the shepherd and learn the truth of his birth.
Suddenly terrified , Jocasta begs him to stop the
investigation, and then runs off to the palace, wild with
grief.

40. summary
Oedipus eagerly awaits the shepherd. At first, the shepherd
refuses to speak, but under threat of death he tells what he
knows. Oedipus is actually the son of Laius and Jocasta. Despite
his precautions, the prophecy that Oedipus dreaded has actually
come true.
The realization that he has killed his father, married his own
mother and begot children by her, he was stuck with horror and
shame. Rushing into the palace, Oedipus finds that the Queen
Jocasta has killed herself. Oedipus takes the pins from his gown
and inflicts blindness on him by the pins.
Now blinded and disgraced , Oedipus begs Creon to look after
his two daughters and to banish him from the kingdom
immediately. In the closing scene, the blind Oedipus recovers
himself from the deep shock and shows an invulnerable mind
and thus the story comes to an end.

41. Oedipus rex - overview

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