Oedipus Rex: Man, Play, and Myth.
Man: Oedipus Rex as man, or as a king, was very powerful and most likely just as impulsive. The moment he discovers a curse put upon him and his kingdom, he sets out to lift it; ignoring all morality and killing many. Oedipus is also very proud and confident. This makes him a good leader at first, but eventually leads to his downfall. For example, after he saves Thebes, he exclaims how everyone will know his fame and love him.
Play: The play as a whole is defined as a Greek Tragedy. It tells the story of a king who must save his town from a curse, only to find sorrow on his path. Other characteristics of this play include the ability to recognize hard emotions in the characters (ie: sorrow, sadness, anger, etc.) and to evoke thoughts of humanity in the readers/viewers. The play, different from the myth, takes place with Oedipus as an adult and his life as king.
Myth: The myth of Oedipus Rex was written before the play, and is a slightly different story. In the myth, it tells the story of Oedipus before adulthood/kingship. It explains how the oracle of Delphi came to him as a child and said how Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. Most people knew the myth before seeing the play.
Aristotle: tragedy and hubris.
Tragedy: Aristotle actually created a formula for a perfect tragedy, and describes Oedipus Rex as one. He says, "a tragedy
must be an imitation of life in the form of a serious story that is complete
in itself." Oedipus Rex most definitely has an imitation of realism and is very serious and complete. His theory of tragedy goes like this: plot, character, thought, diction, song, spectacle, and cleansing. (In that order.)
Hubris: Aristotle's literary device of Hubris is defined by him as, “...doing and saying things that cause shame to the
victim…simply for the pleasure of it. Retaliation is not hubris, but
revenge. … Young men and the rich are hubris-tic because they think they
are better than other people.” Oedipus expresses hubris by choosing not to recognize his problems, therefore putting those around him in danger.
Terms: dramatic irony, Sophocles, Tiresias, fate, and Greek theater.
Dramatic Irony: Dramtic irony is "(Theatre)
theatre the irony occurring when the implications of a
situation, speech, etc, are understood by the audience but not by the
characters in the play." (Dictionary.com) It is used in Oedipus Rex when the audience understands that Oedipus really did kill his father, Laius, and is married to his mother, Jocasta. Oedipus is to arrogant to recognize these problems when the audience does, but that is a tool that Sophocles chose to use.
Sophocles: Sophocles, the writer of the play Oedipus Rex, was a Greek play writer and Tragedian. He was born in Greece in 498 BCE and died in 406 BCE. He is most famous for his work with the Theban plays, Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonus.
Tiresias: Tiresias was a blind prophet if Thebes, who in Oedipus Rex tells Oedipus the truth when Oedipus comes seeking answers about Laius. Oedipus refuses to listen to these truths and has him banished from the kingdom. Tiresias explains how he was once turned into a woman for seven years by killing a female snake as well. He appears in many other Greek myths as well.
Fate: Fate, as it is defined, is the development of events beyond one's control. This idea of a set destiny was held very closely by the Greeks; particularly in their mythology. In Oedipus Rex, fate is given by an oracle, refused by the receiver, and inevitably followed through.
Greek Theater: Greek theater, always taking place in a large, open amphitheater in ancient times, has many formats and varieties. In tragedy however, the format goes like this: Prologue, Parode, Episode, Satsimon, and Exode. (In that order.) There are other types of greek theater, including comedy and satire. The Greeks used theater to express politics, entertainment, and human tragedy/myth for the most part.
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