Reading Classics of Humanities (I)

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Reading Classics of Humanities (I)

• OEDIPUS REX
• Week 4
• Iris Tuan

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Sophocles

• Sophocles (ancient Greek 495 BC - 406 BC) was
  the second of three great ancient Greek
  tragedians.
• According to the Suda, a tenth century AD
  encyclopedia, he wrote 123 or more plays during
  the course of his life.
• For almost 50 years, he was the dominant
  competitor in the dramatic competitions of
  ancient Athens that took place during the
  religious festivals of the Lenaea and the
  Dionasia.

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Sophocles

• His first victory was in 468 BC, this was the
  first time that he competed.
• Only seven of his tragedies have survived into
  modern times with their text completely known.
• The most famous of these are the three tragedies
  concerning Oedipus and Antigone these are often
  known as the Theban plays or The Oedipus Cycle.
• Sophocles influenced the development of the
  drama, most importantly by adding a third
  character and thereby reducing the importance of
  the chorus in the presentation of the plot.

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Sophocles

• A marble relief of a poet, perhaps Sophocles.

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The Theban plays (The Oedipus Cycle)

• Perhaps the most famous of Sophocles plays are
  commonly known as the Theban plays or The Oedipus
  Cycle.
• The cycle consists of the plays Oedipus Rex (or
  Oedipus Tyrannus), which won the second prize at
  the Dionysia festival ca. 429, Oedipus at
  Colonus, which won the first prize when produced
  by his grandson, and Antigone.
• Taking up the theme of humans being trapped both
  by fate and their own frailties, the plays tell
  the story of the family of Oedipus.

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Oedipus

• A modern painting portraying Oedipus at Colonus.

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Oedipus Rex

• Antigone Leads Oedipus out of Thebes by Charles
  Francois Jalabeat

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Oedipus Rex

• Oedipus the King (Oedipus Tyrannus, or "Oedipus
  the Tyrant"), also known as Oedipus Rex, is a
  Greek tragedy, written by Sophocles and first
  performed ca. 429 BC.
• The play was the second of Sophocles' three
  Theban plays to be produced, but comes first in
  the internal chronology of the plays, followed by
  Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone.
• Over the centuries it has come to be regarded by
  many as the Greek tragedy par excellence.

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Oedipus Rex

• Douglas Campbell chorus

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Oedipus Rex

• Oedipus, son of King Laiusof Thebes and Queen
  Jocasta. After Laius learned from an oracle that
  "he was doomed/To perish by the hand of his own
  son," Jocasta ordered a messenger to leave him
  for dead "In Cithaeron's wooded glens."
• Instead, the baby was given to a shepherd and
  raised in the court of King Polybus of Corinth.
• As a young man in Corinth, Oedipus heard a rumor
  that he was not the biological son of Polybus and
  Merope.
• When Oedipus asked them, they denied it.
• Oedipus remained suspicious and decided to ask
  the Delphic Oracle who his real parents were.

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Oedipus Rex
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Oedipus Rex

• The Oracle seemed to ignore this question, but
  instead told him that he was destined to "Mate
  with his own mother, and shed/ With his own
  hands the blood of his own sire."
• Oedipus left Corinth under the belief that
  Polybus and Merope, Polybus' wife, were his true
  parents.
• On the road to Thebes, he met Laius and they
  argued over which wagon had the right-of-way.
• Oedipus' pride led him to kill Laius, ignorant of
  the fact that he was his biological father,
  fulfilling part of the oracle's prophecy.

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Oedipus Rex

• Oedipus then went on to solve the Sphinx's
  riddle "What is the creature that walks on four
  legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three
  in the evening?"
• To this Oedipus answered "Man.
• " Distraught that her riddle had been answered
  correctly, the Sphinx threw herself off the side
  of the wall.
• His reward for freeing the kingdom of Thebes from
  the Sphinx's curse was kingship and the hand of
  the queen, Jocasta, who was also his biological
  mother.
• Thus, the prophecy was fulfilled

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Oedipus Rex

• ????????, Oedipus?Sphinx

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Oedipus Rex

• The play begins years after Oedipus is given the
  throne of Thebes.
• The chorus of Thebans cries out to Oedipus for
  salvation from the plague sent by the gods in
  response to Laius' murder.
• Oedipus searches for Laius' murderer and promises
  to exile the man responsible for it, ignorant of
  the fact that he is the murderer.
• The blind prophet, Tiresias, is called to aid
  Oedipus in his search however, after warning
  Oedipus not to follow through with the
  investigation, Oedipus accuses him of being the
  murderer, even though Tiresias is blind and aged.
• Oedipus also accuses Tiresias of conspiring with
  Creon, Jocasta's brother, to overthrow him.

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Oedipus Rex

• Oedipus then calls for one of Laius' former
  servants, the only surviving witness of the
  murder, who fled the city when Oedipus became
  king to avoid being the one to reveal the truth.
• Soon a messenger from Corinth also arrives to
  inform Oedipus of the death of Polybus, whom
  Oedipus still believes is his real father.
• At this point the messenger informs him that he
  was in fact adopted and his real parentage is
  unknown.

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Oedipus Rex

• Jocasta guesses the truth and runs away.
• Oedipus is stubborn however, a second messenger
  arrives and reveals that Jocasta has hanged
  herself and Oedipus, upon discovering her body,
  blinds himself with the golden brooches on her
  dress.
• The play ends with Oedipus entrusting his
  children to Creon and declaring his intent to
  leave in exile.
• Creon, however, convinces Oedipus that they
  should consult the Delphic Oracle on what to do
  next.
• Creon leads Oedipus back into the palace.
• The chorus then admonishes the audience to count
  no man happy until he has died.

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Oedipus Rex

• Oedipus blinds himself

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Oedipus Rex

• Two oracles dominate the plot of Oedipus the
  King. Jocasta relates the prophecy that was told
  to Laius before the birth of Oedipus.
• Laius was only told of the patricide and not of
  the incest.
• Jocasté An oracle was reported to LaÏos
• (I will not say from Phoibos
  himself, but from
• His appointed ministers, at any
  rate)
• That his doom would be death at
  the hands of his own son
• His son, born of his flesh and
  of mine! (Scene 2 Line 186-190)

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Oedipus Rex

• Hearing this prophecy prompts Oedipus to recall
  one he received from the Delphic Oracle shortly
  before he left Corinth
• Oedipus I went to the shrine at Delphi.
• The god dismissed my question
  without reply
• He spoke of other things.
• Some were clear,
• Full of wretchedness,
  dreadful, unbearable
• As, that I should lie with my
  own mother, breed
• Children from whom all men
  would turn their eyes
• And that I should be my
  fathers murderer.
• I heard all this, and fled.
• 
  (Scene 2 Line 262-270)

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Oedipus Rex
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Oedipus Rex
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Oedipus RexScene Oedipus says goodbye to his
children
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Reference

• Wikipedia
• http//www.amrep.org/oedipus/
• http//faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/A-Robert.R.Lauer-1/S
  P4183BINTRO1.html
• http//bama.ua.edu/ksummers/cl222/
• http//www.stratfordfestival.ca/imagegallery/archi
  ves.cfm
• http//drama.cua.edu/HartkeSeason/Archive20Photos
  /index.htm