Ancient Greece
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Transcript of Ancient Greece
Sophocles and Oedipus Rex
Ancient Greece
Greece in the 4th Century B.CGreece was the
superpower of the known world
The Greeks worshiped many gods: Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo, etc.
Greek citizens were required to attend festivals to worship and honor the gods.
Festival of DionysusGod of wine, agriculture,
and theaterDuring this religious
festival there was a theater competition – each competing playwright submitted 3 tragedies and 1 comedy
Winners won a goatThe most successful and
recognized playwright was Sophocles
SophoclesWrestler, musician,
general, politicianVery handsome and
successful Celebrated
playwright120 (ish) plays20 (ish) first prizes
Only 7 plays remain – the most famous: Oedipus Rex
Every show was performed during the dayAudiences could be as many as 14,000Minimal, if any set, usually just a doorOnly male actors, who all wore masks
Theater of the Greeks
Group of around 15 men, speaking with one voice as one character
3 jobs: summarize, pray, speak for the people
The Chorus
Thespis (according to Aristotle, the first actor ever)
No Violence on the Stage
Oedipus Rex Notes…Remember:
This is a story that was not invented by Sophocles
The original audiences would have known the story and how it ended
1. Oedipus leaves his home city of Corinth to go wandering – some prophecy scarred him
2. Comes to a crossroad and kills a small group of people who wouldn’t get out of his way
3. Arrives at the city of Thebes who has recently lost their king
4. Thebes is under siege of the Sphinx and her riddle
5. Oedipus answers riddle, Sphinx dies, Oedipus is made king and marries the previous queen
What Happened Before…
Sphinx’s Riddle…how smart are you?
What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?
Answers? (you die if you get it wrong…)
A man – child, healthy adult, old man with a cane
Another Greek god to Know: Apollo…
Greek god of music, medicine, light, sun, truth, knowledge, and poetry
Had an oracle at Delphi: the most famous oracle of Ancient Greece
What’s an oracle?
ThemesWillingness to ignore the truthLimits of free willHuman pride
SymbolismSight and Light = TruthBlindness and Dark = Ignorance/lies
Motifs Sight vs. Blindness / Light vs. Dark
Oedipus Rex Notes…
Irony – when the opposite of what is expected happensSituational Irony – when a character or reader
expects one thing to happen but something else entirely happens
Verbal Irony – when someone says one thing but means another
Dramatic Irony – the contrast between what a character knows and what the reader or audience knows
Literary Terms for you…