Oedipus Rex

1
Oedipus Rex

• Part 1 of Sophocles Theban trilogy
• 400s B.C.
• Performed in 406 B.C. _at_ Theater of Dionysus

2
The Production of the Play

• The actors do not use The Method
• Actors wear elaborate masks
• (You have a mask assignment here.)

3
What is the drama about?

• What happens when a good person finds out that,
  unbeknownst to himself, hes done something
  reprehensible? Is he still responsible for what
  hes done?
• How much freedom of choice do we actually have?
• How does a leader wield power effectively and
  ethically?

4
Hamartia

• The tragic heros tragic flaw
• The otherwise noble hero has a weakness of some
  kind blindness, ego/arrogance, ambition
• Weakness brings him to a low point
• This enables him to learn, to have insight,
  giving the audience the same insight