Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus I

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Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus I

• Between Two Cities

Sophocles in old age
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For Next Time

• Oedipal-Sophoclean justice
• fate, freedom, justice a changing picture?
• A downer play?
• stasimon at 1387 ff. (Not to be born is best)
• What does this play do for us?

Oedipus and Antigone
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Performance, Character, Theme

• pp. 292 ff.

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Whats That all About?

• confused
• where they are
• cluelessness
• humiliation dramatized
• messing with him
• youre pathetic
• toying with him
• as pathetic as possible
• oedipus trying to con way in
• trying to get away with staying

• goddesses
• sacred land not to be trodden
• symbolically
• positioning oed in relation to his crime

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Agenda

• General Introduction
• Production, Myth, (Sub-)Genre
• What Value Drama?
• What Value Plato?
• Structural-Thematic Features
• Oedipal Polarities
• What Value Propaganda?
• Discussion

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General Introduction

• Production, Myth, (Sub-)Genre

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Production, Historical Context

• Composed ca. 406
• war with Sparta 431404
• oligarchical revolution 411/10
• Colonus cavalry skirmish, 410 (407?)

Story Order Oedipus the King Oedipus at
Colonus Antigone
Composition Order Antigone (ca. 442) Oedipus the
King (ca. 429?) Oedipus at Colonus (ca. 406)
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Myth Athenian Resonances

• Oedipal endings
• typically Thebes
• here, Athens
• Meaning
• secret rites?
• political strife?
• cavalry skirmish?

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Between Two Cities 400s Athens, Thebes

• Athens
• democratic
• maritime-imperial
• Thebes
• oligarchic
• land-based
• Historical background
• 413 Sicilian debacle
• 412 Restraints on democracy
• 411 Oligarchic coup
• 404 Defeat, oligarchy

Thebes and Athens
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Dramatis personae (principal)

• Oedipus
• Antigone
• Ismene
• Theseus
• Creon
• Polynices
• Chorus (of elderly citizens of Colonus)

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Oedipus at Colonus Analysis

• prologue (pp. 284 ff.)
• Oed, Ant, Citizen
• identity, positioning
• parodos (291)
• amoibaion (chorus-character dialogue)
• Chorus, Oed, Ant
• supplication
• 1st episode (298)
• leader, Oed, Ismene, Ant
• amoibaion (314)
• Chorus, Oed
• Oeds crimes (?)
• 1st episode contd (318)
• Leader, Theseus, Oed
• supplication, negotiation
• 1st stasimon (326)
• praises (Colonus, Athens)
• 2nd episode (328)
• Ant, Oed, Leader, Creon, Theseus

• 2nd stasimon (348)
• victory song
• 3rd episode (350)
• Leader, Oed, Ant, Thes
• leave-taking begins
• 3rd stasimon (358)
• the human condition
• 4th episode (359)
• Ant, Oed, Poly
• a fathers curse
• amoebic kommos, dialogue (371)
• Chorus, Oed, Ant
• portents
• 4th episode contd (373)
• Thes, Oed
• 4th stasimon (377)
• prayers for Oed
• exodos (378)
• spoken dialogue, lyric kommos

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Sub-Genre Suppliant Drama
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Suppliant Dramas ...

• Elements
• outsider arrives
• in danger
• brings danger
• seeks protection
• city (polis) as character

• Examples
• Aeschylus
• Eumenides
• Suppliant Women
• Sophocles
• Oedipus at Colonus

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Oedipal Reversals OK

• Reverse Rite of Passage
• Incorporation
• Transition
• Separation

Compare Oedipus as pharmakos-scapegoat
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Oedipal Reversals OC

• Furies to Eumenides (kindly ones)
• Nothing to a man (aner, p. 306)
• Pharmakos to heros
• Father to alastor
• Human dilemma to divine

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What Value Drama?

• What Value Plato?

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Review

• Plato drama is
• REALITY gt REFLECTION gt imitation
• amoral gratification
• Aristotle drama is pleasure
• vicarious
• cathartic
• instructive

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About OC, Plato Would Say...(and wed say back)

• Applicable concepts
• representation of something not real is bad
• will help with the state
• glorifies athens
• would not like it
• oedipal relationship
• ants reaching out

• Applicable concepts
• thought chorus was gods
• bad thing
• generally, cognitive clarity
• wouldnt like the way oed reacts to creon
• would dislike his disobeying the state
• oeds impiety in relation to the furies grove

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Structural-Thematic Features

• Oedipal Polarities

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Stage Set, Colonus Hippius
South
East
West
skene (stage building)
Equestrian statue
Olive grove
To Underworld
Altar of Athena Hippia,Poseidon Hippios
to Thebes
to Athens
Source Wiles Tragedy in Athens
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Thebes, Athens, Colonus
Colonus Hippius
Athens
Thebes and Athens
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Spatial-Thematic Polarities
FEMALE MALE
left (east of audience) right (west of audience)
earth goddesses patriarchal Olympians
Athena Poseidon
olive tree horse
nature city
wild Thebes civilized Athens
individual social
democracy oligarchy-aristocracy
Source Wiles Tragedy in Athens
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Political Thematics

• Political background
• 413 Sicilian debacle
• 412 Restraints on democracy
• 411 Oligarchic coup
• 404 Defeat, oligarchy

• Thematic resonance?
• Oedipus Do you have a king or a common voice
• Citizen A king in the city governs all these
  parts
• Creon I bear the mandate of my entire people
• Polynices on Eteocles he bribed the people to
  his side

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What Value Propaganda?

• Discussion

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Reactions Platos? Yours?

• Platos
• reaction

• Yours
• reaction

First Stasimon (pp. 326-7) Here, stranger, here
in a land where horses are a glory .