Background Information

Oedipus by Sophocles-Study Guide

Historical Background

It is reported that Sophocles was born about 496 B.C. at Colonus, a village just on the outskirts of Greece. Sophocles studied poetry, music, dancing, and gymnastics and this early schooling prepared him for the military, foreign policy, and the arts. (2 Oedipus Trilogy)

In the fifth century B.C., Athens was at its golden age of drama for Greece and the world. Sophocles wrote more than 120 plays, but only seven complete tragedies survive. (3)

Greek Theater and its Development

In fifth century B.C., Athens theater represented an essential public experience:

  1. social
  2. political
  3. religious

For Athenians, theater served as an expression of public unity. Ancient Greek myth (the theme of most tragedies) not only touched members of the audience individually, but drew them together as well. The dramatization of stories from a shared heritage helped to nurture and preserve a cultural identity through times of hardship and war. (7)

The Oedipus Myth

The myth of Oedipus (which also appears briefly in Homer) represents the story of a man’s doomed attempt to outwit fate. Sophocles’ tragedy dramatizes Oedipus’ painful discovery of his true identity. (8)

The myth? *Warned by the oracle at Delphi that their son will kill his father, King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes try to prevent this tragic destiny. Laius pierces his son’s feet and gives him to a shepherd with instructions to leave the baby in the mountains to die. But pitying the child, the shepherd gives him to a herdsman, who takes the baby far from Thebes to Corinth. There, the herdsman presents the child to his own king and queen, who are childless. Without knowing the baby’s identity, the royal couple adopt the child and name him Oedipus (“swollen foot”). (8)

Dramatic Irony

The difference between what an audience knows and what the characters on stage know. It is the tension of the play that develops from Oedipus’ slow but inevitable progress toward his terrible self-knowledge. (10)

In addition to the above, review the following items:

  1. tragic hero 7. classical definition of tragedy
  2. role of the gods/fate 8. Freytag’s pyramid
  3. Oedipus theme (burden of shame) 9. Teiresias/paradox of blindness
  4. hamartia 10. irony (verbal, situational, dramatic)
  5. hubris 11. the role of the chorus
  6. catharsis 12. ancient Greek theater

THESE ANSWERS ARE DUE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018

USE STUDY GUIDE, WEBSITE NOTES, AND BOOK TO ANSWER

Pronunciation Key

Oedipus = Ed-i-pus Ismene = Is-mee-nee

Iocaste = Jo-cast-a Kithairon = Kee-the-ron

Creon = Kree-on Laius = Li-oos

Teiresias = Ti-ree-see-as Polybos = Pol-e-bus

Antigone = An-tig-o-nee Merope = Mer-o-pee

  1. List the five roles of the chorus.

a.______

b.______

c.______

d.______

e.______

  1. Who was the god mentioned in the video and what is he known for?

______

  1. Describe Oedipus. Think about his good and bad traits so far.

______

  1. Who is Apollo and why is he mentioned early on in the play?

______

  1. Define: catharsis, hubris, harmatia. Explain how one applies to Oedipus.

Catharsis: ______

Hubris: ______

Hamartia: ______

Apply one term to Oedipus so far and explain why? ______

  1. Describe the effects of the plague in the prologue.

______

  1. How did Oedipus bring the city of Thebes fortune?

______

  1. Why is Apollo mentioned on page 6? Hint: What does Apollo represent?

______

  1. Pay close attention to any references to sight, eyes or blindness and list them. Also light and darkness. Vision (or lack thereof) is an important metaphor in this play. Add pg. #s (direct passages).

______

  1. In the parados, the chorus mentions the condition of Thebes and three gods. Explain how and why these specific gods are prayed to (page 11) and how they may help the current situation.

______