Class Notes on Oedipus the King by Sophocles

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Class Notes onOedipus the King by Sophocles

• lines 1-997
• (prologue through 2nd ode)

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Prologue (lines 1-168)

• Oedipus enters and asks the Priest what is wrong.
• Creon reports from Delphi that Laiuss killer
  must be found.

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Paradosintro ode (lines 168-244)

• The Chorus, the citizens of Thebes, begs the gods
  for release from the plagues.
• What is the purpose of the Chorus?

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1st scene (lines 245-526)

• Oedipus exhorts the crowd and their Leader to
  deliver the killer.
• Foreshadowing
• Dramatic irony
• Tiresias (foil) arrives and under pressure tells
  Oedipus that he is the killer he seeks.
• hyperbole
• Oedipus angrily accuses Tiresias of conspiring
  with Creon (foil) against him.

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1st ode (lines 526-572)

• The Chorus sings of their confusion at the
  prophecy, but the song ends with their support of
  Oedipus.

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2nd scene (lines 573-953)

• Creon defends himself to the Leader and the
  Chorus and then to Oedipus.
• hyperbole
• Jocasta enters and calms Oedipus with the story
  of how the prophet was mistaken about her son.
• Oedipus realizes that he could have killed Laius
  and tells the story of why he left Corinth.
• They wait for the shepherd who was present at
  Laiuss death.

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2nd ode (lines 954-997)

• The Chorus sings against those who ignore the
  gods and the prophecies.
• Dramatic Irony (as opposed to situational and
  verbal ironies)

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Binary Opposites

• Blindness/sight
• Darkness/light
• Knowledge/ignorance
• Divine knowledge/human knowledge

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Elements of Drama

• Catharsis
• Hubris
• Hamartia

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Some Thematic Concepts

• Freedom of will vs. Fate
• Morality/immorality

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A Question

• Is Oedipus a good man?
• Aristotles Poetics tragedy if effective is
  about a good guy

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"A hero is someone who has given his or her life
to something bigger than oneself" -- Joseph
Campbell the following is adapted from
Campbells The Heros Adventure

• The usual hero is someone
• from whom something has been taken
• who feels something is lacking from the normal
  experiences available or permitted to the members
  of his society

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Home

• The hero exists in his/her ordinary world.

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The Call to Adventure

• Some heroes set out responsibly and intentionally
  to perform the deed prescribed by the journey.
  Other heroes are thrown into the adventure.
  There are still other heroes who initially refuse
  the call to adventure, but eventually change
  their minds (if they didn't, there wouldn't be a
  story). No matter why the journey was undertaken,
  the hero is always prepared for the trials he
  faces.

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Reluctant Hero

• The hero takes off on a series of adventures
  beyond the ordinary, either to recover what has
  been lost or to discover some life-giving
  idea/potion/remedy. The journey is a cycle of
  going and returning. The hero must move beyond
  known, conventional safety in order to undertake
  this journey.  

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Supernatural Aid

• Although the hero is ultimately the one who must
  face the challenges, he/she generally does not do
  so alone. In most stories, the hero will have a
  guide, someone who is wise in the ways of the
  world, and someone who will offer the hero
  guidance and wisdom as he/she progresses through
  the journey.
• In addition to the guide, the hero will often
  have some kind of a talisman, some symbolic item
  that offers power or strength to the hero. 
• Most heroes also have companions on their
  journey. The companions can serve a variety of
  functions. They may offer balance for the hero,
  they may help the hero in battle, they may help
  the hero learn valuable lessons. 

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Crossing the Threshold

• Early on in the journey, the hero will leave the
  world he/she has always known. The hero will
  leave what is familiar and venture into the
  unknown. As the hero leaves his/her familiar
  world, the hero will cross a threshold. Sometimes
  this is simply symbolic, but other times there
  will be some kind of physical barrier that the
  hero must get through. Threshold Guardians are
  those who would prevent those who are not ready
  for the journey from beginning. They may try to
  prevent the hero from leaving, or they may try to
  prevent the hero from entering into the new
  realm. Whatever side they are on, they will not
  let anyone pass who is not up to the task at hand.

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• The hero must prove to be worthy of hero status,
  and to prove this the hero will face a series of
  challenges or trials while on the journey. The
  trials fall into two main categories.
• Two types of hero deeds1. The Physical Deed
  The hero performs a courageous act in battle or
  saves lives. 2. The Spiritual Deed The hero
  learns to experience the supernormal range of
  human spiritual life and then comes back with a
  message.
• The trials the hero faces are designed to see if
  the intending hero should really be a hero. Is
  he really a match for the task? Can he overcome
  the dangers? Does he have the courage, the
  knowledge, the capacity to enable him to serve?
  In addition, the hero learns something about his
  own character through his adventures.  

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Trials (The Belly of the Whale)

• There are several different challenges the hero
  might face
• Brother Battle blood relation or a symbolic
  brother. 
• Dragon Battle literal or inner dragons.
• Abduction / Sea Journey / Night Journey most
  hero's are traveling great distances.
• Entering the Belly of the Whale reference to the
  story of Jonah.
• Meeting with the Goddess woman of great power.
• Sacred Marriage special connection with one
  character which serves as motivation when all
  else seems hopeless.  
• Ritual Death or Dismemberment Hero is
  transformed by giving up his/her old life.  

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Allies Enemies

• The hero is often accompanied on the journey by a
  helper who assists in the series of tests and
  generally serves as a loyal companion.
  Alternately, the hero may encounter a
  supernatural helper in the world of adventure who
  fulfills this function.

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Ordeal/Climax/Final Battle

• This is the critical moment in the hero's journey
  in which there is often a final battle with a
  monster, wizard, or warrior which facilitates the
  particular resolution of the adventure.

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Seizing the Sword/Gift

• Once he has conquered and reigned victorious a
  gift is in order. This may be in the form of
  greater wisdom or perhaps a sacred marriage.

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Flight

• After accomplishing the mission, the hero must
  return to the threshold of adventure and prepare
  for a return to the everyday world. If the hero
  has angered the opposing forces by stealing the
  elixir or killing a powerful monster, the return
  may take the form of a hasty flight. If the hero
  has been given the elixir freely, the flight may
  be a benign stage of the journey.

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Master of Both Worlds/Rebirth

• The hero again crosses the threshold of adventure
  and returns to the everyday world of daylight.
  The return usually takes the form of an
  awakening, rebirth, resurrection, or a simple
  emergence from a cave or forest. Sometimes the
  hero is pulled out of the adventure world by a
  force from the daylight world.

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Elixir

• The object, knowledge, or blessing that the hero
  acquired during the adventure is now put to use
  in the everyday world. Often it has a restorative
  or healing function, but it also serves to define
  the hero's role in the society.