Information on Greek theatre, Oedipus,

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Information on Greek theatre, Oedipus, an
Interview with Mr. Towers

• Oedipus Rex written around 441 B.C. by Sophocles

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Sophocles the Playwright

• Athens, Greece. Produced 100 plays, seven of
  which survive today (all of which are deeply
  troubling).
• Greek culture believed that anything was possible
  through human effort and reason Sophocles
  presented the opposite in Oedipus Rex.
• This play involves characters that are caught up
  in unsolvable dilemmas causing them to challenge
  their faith in the gods as well as humanity.
• Oedipus Rex is one of the worlds greatest
  tragedies.

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Another Interesting Guy

• Thespis was an actor/ director/ producer. Very
  arrogant and wanted to stand out. He evolved the
  protagonist. Three actors were on stage at a
  time. Used chorus to connect the plot between
  scenes with actors.
• (This is where the term thespian comes from
  meaning actor)

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Given the form of this play, what is it telling
us about the culture and point in history when it
was performed?

• The play was performed as a celebration to
  Dionysus (the god of fertility, sex and theater).
  The event was a three-day celebration where three
  playwrights presented tragedies...
• Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus were three
  of the most celebrated and successful
  playwrightseveryone went. It was one event that
  they all celebrated.
• M. Towers

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• Also keep in mind the importance of myth in the
  Greek culture. Gods, heroes, and storytelling
  dominated their world and most of it was oral.
• - M. Towers

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The Stage

• Skene (skay-nay) scene hut located on stage
• Periaktoi (pear-ee-ack-toy) triangular prisms
  or scenery country/city/other

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Can you speak to the acting that was involved and
how actors tackle a work like Oedipus today?

• This Greek text is extremely demanding on modern
  actors. Actors were very skilled and trained
  2,500 years ago. Theyd have to be! Some
  audiences were 20,000 -60,000 strong! They would
  need to have well trained voices and bodies in
  order to effectively communicate. M. Towers

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That is like performing to a sold out crowd at
the TD Banknorth Garden AND UP TO a sold out
crowd at Yankee Stadium. WITHOUT A MICROPHONE!
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The Orkestra

• Dithyramb (dith eh-ramb) synchronized chanting
  think iambic pentameter
• Chorus singers and dancers. Few women. Dancing
  circle would perform on stage before actors came
  along. Then they got bumped to the pit. Also
  reduced in scope with the addition of actors. 60
  ? 40 ? 20.

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what is difficult about directing this play?

• They lack a lot of what we call dramatic action!
  The Greeks didnt show you much. They TALK about
  what has just happened but show you very little.
  For example You dont see Oedipus claw his eyes
  out, you hear about the aftermath be we are
  spared the sight of it. We want to see it! This
  is classic Greek theater. M. Towers

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Terms to Recap

• Tragedy a serious drama with a protagonist who
  struggles to achieve one thing and is ultimately
  unable to attain it, failing deeply.
• Tragic Flaw a weakness that the protagonist has,
  leading to his or her downfall.
• In Greek tragedy this is referred to as Hamartia
  (ha-mar-tia) meaning to miss the mark the
  tragic flaw causing the down fall.

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The Challenge

• Oedipus Rex was a story that everyone in the
  audience would have known. How do you retell and
  make it interesting? Think Romeo Juliet for
  today. Consider how the audiences previous
  knowledge of the story would increase the level
  of tragedy.

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Switch toPre-Oedipus PowerPoint
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The Play Begins

• Sophocles opens his play with a relatable issue
  to the people of Athens a plague!
• Setting Ancient Athens (5th century B.C.)
• The city of Thebes is ravaged by a seemingly
  never-ending plague and the people beg their King
  Oedipus to save them. King Oedipus sends his
  brother-in-law, Creon, to the Oracle of Apollo at
  Delphi for answers.

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Continued

• The Oracle tells Creon that the plague of Thebes
  will end when the murderer of the previous king,
  King Lauis, has been punished. King Oedipus tells
  the people he will apprehend the murderer and
  save Thebes.
• This will set him on his course of Perepeteia
  (pear-eh-peh-tay-uh) to achieve the exact
  opposite of what one sets out to achieve.
  Eventually, leading to Anagnorisis
  (ahnag-nor-isis) the realization.

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Main Characters

• Oedipus protagonist, name means swollen foot,
  suffers from Hubris (hew-bris) overbearing
  pride. He is a good King and cares for his people
  but again, is full of himself.

• Jocasta the wife and mother of Oedipus, tries
  to protect Oedipus from the truth. Seems to
  change her opinion on whether to trust or ignore
  the Oracle.

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Main Characters

• Teiresias a blind prophet who tells Oedipus he
  will become blind and poor. One of the most
  powerful characters.

• Theban Elders They honor King Oedipus and the
  gods. When they speak they reinforce their
  support for the king and the importance of
  respecting the gods.

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Main Characters

• Creon brother in law of Oedipus. Oedipus fears
  Creon wants the crown but Creon denies this.

• Messenger 1 Tells King Oedipus that King Polybos
  of Corinth is dead and that he was not his real
  father. Baby Oedipus had been given to the
  messenger by someone from Lauis household.

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Main Characters

• Sheperd of Lauis After Oedipus threatens his
  life, he admits giving Baby Oedipus to Messenger
  1 after Lauis and Jocasta told him to put the
  baby in the woods.

• Messenger 2 Describes Jocastas suicide,
  predicts the people of Thebes will suffer because
  of King Oedipus sins.

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And the Chorus

• Two groups called Strophe and Antistrophe. Their
  chants recap what has happened and ask questions
  to the characters that have not been answered.
  Often it sounds like they are speaking their
  thoughts aloud.

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Can you explain the Strophe and Antistrophe a
little bit more?

• Literally, the strophe and anti-strophe are
  (poetic) stanzas. With regards to dramatic
  movement within them, the chorus would have moved
  to CONTRAST form one another. The antistrophe was
  an answer or a response to the strophe and
  therefore the movement would have mirrored and
  supported that concept.
• M. Towers

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Concepts that will turn into Themes

• Power of the gods
• Quest for identity and truth
• Nature of innocence and guilt
• Nature of moral responsibility
• The ability to control ones fate

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Imagery

• References to light and darkness to predict the
  future
• References to being able to see and blindness

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Image Links

• http//bananamagic.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/oed
  ipus.jpg
• http//ibrahims2.tripod.com/background.jpg
• http//www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/LX/Images/TheaterTer
  ms.jpg
• http//www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Technology/Tech0018.
  jpg
• http//farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/2818328540_c65
  d9f0fa3_o.jpg
• http//static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pic
  tures/2006/07/06/bacchaitk372