Oedipus Rex: Background information

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Oedipus RexBackground information Terms

• October 2009

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Background on Oedipus Baby OedipusNotes page
618 619

• Oedipus means Swollen Foot
• His biological Father is King Laius biological
  mother is Queen Jocasta
• King Laius receives a prophecy stating that his
  son will kill him and marry Jocasta.
• As a result of the Prophecy , Laius and Jocasta
  get rid of baby Oedipus by piercing his feet
  (hence the nickname) and leaving him on a
  mountain.

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More on Oedipus childhood

• But the servant who was suppose to leave
  Baby-Oedipus on the mountain rescued the baby and
  gave it to King Polybus and his Queen to raise
  (Laius Jocasta are unaware that this baby is
  still alive).
• As far as Oedipus knows, his father is King
  Polybus.
• In your notes compare this to the childhood of
  Paris from The Iliad.

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The Oracle at Delphi

• The Oracle at Delphi was thought to be the center
  of the world it was a temple to the god Apollo.
  Leaders would go there for advice on how to rule
  or govern
• This is the Oracle that gave Laius his prophecy
• Apollo is the God associated with Delphi

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The Death of King Laius

• King Laius was at a crossroad / intersection and
  he is blocked by someone trying to pass. His
  servant was with him.
• Oedipus was the other man at the crossroad (they
  did not recognize each other)
• Neither Oedipus nor King Laius would get out of
  the way they fought Oedipus killed King Laius
  (not knowing who it was)

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The Death of Laius continued

• King Laiuss servant later lied and claimed that
  they were attacked by many robbers
• The murder was never investigated because the
  city of Thebes had other problems to worry about.

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The Sphinx!!!

• Thebes is under attack by a Sphinx, which is a
  female monster that will eat you if you cant
  answer her riddle.
• Oedipus walks into Thebes, solves the riddle,
  then the Sphinx destroys herself.
• He is the hero of Thebes!!!

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The Sphinx continued

• The riddle What walks on four legs in the
  morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the
  evening?
• Oedipuss answer to the Sphinxs riddle
• MAN
• It is significant that Oedipus answers the
  riddle of man.

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After defeating the Sphinx saving Thebes

• As a result of saving Thebes, Oedipus is given
  the Widowed Queen, Jocasta.
• He becomes KING!!!
• HE DOESNT KNOW THAT JOCASTA IS HIS BIOLOGICAL
  MOTHER!!!

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Oedipus Complex

• Sigmund Freuds theory
• Children are torn between feelings of love for
  one parent while feeling a sense of competition
  with the other. According to Freud, this tension
  is one possible cause of neuroses in later life.
• According to Freud, the boy wishes to possess his
  mother and replace his father, who he views as a
  rival for his mother's affections.
• desire for mother /
• jealously and anger towards his father.

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• Terms
• Tragedy
• Hubris
• Harmartia
• Catharsis

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TRAGEDY GOAT SONG

• Aristotle gets credit for the definition of Greek
  Tragedy
• a story that depicts the downfall of a character
  of high status
• who is neither completely good or completely
  evil.
• This fall is brought on because of some tragic
  flaw, or personal weakness.

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TRAGIC FLAWS!!!

• Hubris
• The most common tragic flaw was that of hubris,
  or pride
• Harmartia
• ARISTOTLES TERM FOR THE TRAGIC FLAW, OR ERROR
  IN JUDGEMENT WAS HARMARTIA

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Catharsis

• Aristotle believed that witnessing the downfall
  of a basically good but flawed individual would
  evoke pity and fear in the audience
• sympathy for the character but also fear of
  becoming that same character This feeling was
  called catharsis (an emotional cleansing or
  release)

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Tragedy, Comedy, Satyr

• A typical festival
• Three tragedies
• By the same author / playwright
• A satyr play
• Comedy the comedy was by a different author and
  was usually last
• Because three tragedies were shown at a time they
  were often written in cycles of three, trilogies

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COMEDY VS. SATYR

• Comedy often contained humorous satires of
  public figures (a satyr play was a form of comedy
• A Satyr play involves pranks and merriment,
  often ridiculing heroes or gods. This is where
  the term SATIRE comes from, (satire the use of
  humor to point out the flaws in something)
• The characters were dressed as satyrs, half human
  and half goats. This is the source of a modern
  day farce (slapstick or stories where improbable
  funny situations are the norm)

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MECHANE DUES EX MACHINA

• Mechane a device for raising and lowering gods
  onto the stage (in some plays a god would end all
  of the conflict at the end of a play)
• Dues ex machina god from the machine, a term
  used for any ending in a play that is overly
  simplistic

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Choruses Thespians

• Ancient Greeces contribution to the western
  world was DRAMA
• Grew out of ritual religious performances
• Early performances honored Dionysius (The god of
  the vine and revelry)
• Early performances included choruses, or troupes
  of dancers who would chant and sing
• One of these chorus leaders was named Thespis,
  who separated himself from the chorus by giving
  himself individual lines. This is the start of
  the interaction between the group / chorus with
  an individual / or an actor.
• Hence, Actors are called Thespians

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Strophe Antistrophe

• Both are components of the chorus.
• The Strophe gives the first turn of ideas and the
  Antistrophe responds
• In Oedipus Rex, the chorus often reveals the
  thoughts and emotions of the citizens of Thebes
• Strophe turn
• Antistrophe turn back / turn the other way

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Writers You Should Know

• Aeschulus (525-456 BC) introduced a second actor
  into his scene
• Sophocles (496-406 BC) introduced a third actor
  SOPHOCLES WROTE OEDIPUS REX
• (other notable Greek playwrights were Euripides
  484-406 Aristophanes 450-388)