Greek Drama

Background for Oedipus rex and Antigone

A greek play by Sophocles

Why does Ms. List love Ancient Greece so much? Because she studied the

classics in college and they Rule!!

The Basics Greek drama occurred during the “Golden Age” of

Greece: 500 to 300 B.C. Tragedies were produced as part of a religious

festival for Dionysus (god of wine and fertility) every year in Athens.

Awards were given to the playwright who presented the best series of three dramas (we still have festivals like this! Sundance Film Festival, for example)

Greek Tragedy Involves intense

emotion, a horrible truth that leads to catharsis – the cleansing or getting rid of bad emtions

In a tragic play, the hero is brought to his downfall by a flaw in his character – the tragic Flaw!

The tragic flaw is also called hamartia, the error in judgement or the critical mistake

Hubris=excessive pride (sound familiar?)

Greek comedy

Always involves a happy ending where things are resolved

In contrast, tragedies always have a very sad ending

The tragic Hero

Oedipus and Antigone are our tragic heroes – we feel sorry for them because they suffer and fear because what happened to him is part of the human condition

The tragic hero usually ends in death or destruction

Dramatic irony

One of the most important elements in this play is dramatic irony – where the audience knows something that the characters don’t

Watch for this as we read!

(Irony is a contrast between what is expected, and what actually happens)

So Who is this Sophocles guy?

Sophocles was one of 3 great Greek tragic playwrights (b. 496 B.C.)

Wrote over 100 plays

Awarded first prize about 20 times…never lower than second place

First to add a third actor to cast

Quick notes on oedipus rex First in a series of

three plays (Antigone & Oedipus at colonus)

Takes place in Thebes (greece)

depict the curse of Oedipus Sophocles did not

come up with the story on his own, it was an ancient greek myth

Oedipus Cast Oedipus (King)

Jocasta (wife)

Tiresias (prophet)

Creon (brother)

Senators Messenger Old man

Structure of Greek Tragedy

and the Role of the Chorus

What you need to know when reading Oedipus Rex

The awesome amphitheater

Plays were performed in HUGE outdoor amphitheatres that could seat 40,000 people (Yankee Stadium seats 52, 325)

No microphones! But you can hear a penny drop from all the way at the top!

Cast And action

All actors were men. They wore masks to depict which characters they were.

There were no scene changes (no backstage!)

The audience knew the story ahead of time. The emotion of the characters was what they came to see.

Violent action took place offstage (I.e. audience had to imagine it). Messengers then told the audience what happened.

Unity of Time, Place, and Action

Greek plays were much different from the films we are used to: The unity of action: unity of action: Play follows one

main storyline with no or few subplots. The unity of placeunity of place: : play occurs in a

single place and does not change setting (the stage represents one place)

The unity of timeunity of time: : the action in a play should take place over no more than 24 hours.

So what is the chorus?

The chorus was a group of 12-15 men who sang and danced during the plays.

They often represent the community’s thoughts but not necessarily the poet’s thoughts.

In Oedipus Rex, the chorus is made of senators – wise old guys!

Chorus

Chorus

The Role of the Chorus

To set the mood of the play and tell us the themes

To interpret the action in relation to the law of the state and the law of the Olympian gods

To divide the action and offer reflection on events

To give background information (Think of it like you have all your

grandparents, aunts, and uncles sitting around commenting on your life)

Structure of Tragedy

A Greek Tragedy alternates between odes and episodes

It goes: Ode-->Episode-->Ode-->Episode-->Ode….you get it

Odes are songs sung by the chorus to comment on the action

Episodes are when characters talk together (Dialogue)

In more detail… Prologue: The first part of the play that give

background information. Strophe: Chorus sings while walking Right to Left Antistrophe: Chorus sings while walking Left to

Right Choral Ode: At the end of each episode, the

other characters leave the stage and the chorus sings!

The End

Exodos: At the end of play, the chorus exits singing a processional song which usually offers words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play. This is the “moral” of the story where the chorus

tells us what we were have supposed to learn from the characters

Oedipus Rex = Tragic Hero

“Man of high standard who falls from that high because of a flaw that has affected many” - Aristotle

The Tragic Hero

A dynamic (round) character others respect and admire

Nearly perfect

Tragic Flaw

The hero is nearly perfect-

Has one flaw or weakness Tragic flaw Hubris

Flaw brings hero down Reversal of

fortune

Who has she been sleeping with?

Catharsis Audience’s

purging of emotions through pity and fear.

The spectator is purged as a result of watching the hero fall.

Before you read

Prologue – pg 158

1st ode – pg 168

1st Episode – pg 171

2nd ode – pg 186

2nd episode – pg 188

Choral Dialogue – pg 197

3rd Ode – pg 209

Riddle:

What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?

Oedipus Rex King of thebes, Prophecy Plague on the city: whoever

killed last king Laius has to leave or die

Oedipus accused by tiresias Oedipus suspicious of creon Jocasta says prophecies are

stupid

Oedipus Continued

Messenger comes to say Polybus is dead

Polybus = Not the father Jocasta realizes the prophecy is

true! How will it all turn out when

your mom is your wife and you’ve killed your dad?

The Oedipus Family Tree

More Like the Family Stick!

King Oedipus married Queen Jocasta (his mother-

ewww!)They had 4 children (Eww):

-Eteocles -Antigone-Polynices -Ismene

/ /Sons Daughters (O’s brothers?) (O’s sisters?)Fight for Thebes Go back to ThebesCursed by dying fatherKill each other

King Creon of Thebes married Queen Eurydice

Creon is Oedipus’ uncle, Jocasta’s brother (also Oedipus’ brother-in-law)

They have two sons:

Megareus Haemon / /

dies during betrothed to Antigone,

siege of Thebes his cousin

Antigone

Exit Slip! How is a tragedy different from a comedy? What is dramatic irony? Who is our tragic hero? Why is he tragic? Where does our story take place?

Challenge: what is catharsis?

Enduring Understanding

To what degree will you go to preserve self-interest versus acting on behalf of the common good?

Do Now

Answer Journal questions 5 and 6 in your packet

Objective

Swbat define theme

SWBAT analyze the themes of antigone by discussing enduring questions

Product: A written statement of at least one theme in Antigone

Agenda

Do Now Group Reading New material – Theme Gallery Walk – Theme s o f Antig o ne

Independent Practice – Write yo ur o wn theme o f Antig o ne

Theme - Definition

- A truth about human nature Expressed in 1 sentence Derived From (pulled from) the

literature

Definition Ex: Music Ex: Politics

How to find your subjects and themes

Question 1: Does a character state the theme?

Question 2: Look at the title

Question 3: Use the subjects and symbols as a starting point: What is the author trying to say about this subject? What does the symbol represent?

Question 4: Look at the main conflict. What forces are pitted against one another? Why? How is the conflict resolved? What can we learn from that?

Question 5: What happens to the main character? How do his decisions and actions affect his life? What can we learn from that?

Single word, idea in the storySubject

Theme

Prove it!

You must check yourself: Can you prove that the theme applies

to the whole text? Can you find specific examples in the

text that help prove your theme?

Prove it = 2-3 sentences that give evidence for your theme!

Lil’ Wayne: “Tie My Hands”

They try to tell me keep my eyes openMy whole city under water, some people still floatin’…

Take away the football team, the basketball team, Now all we got is me to represent New OrleansNo governor, no help from the mayorJust a steady beatin’ heart, a wish, and a prayer

Music

Katy Perry: “Hot N Cold”

Cause you’re hot then you’re cold, you’re yes then you’re no. You’re in then you’re out, you’re up and you’re down.You’re wrong when it’s right, you’re black when it’s white. We fight, we break up. We kiss, we make up.

Music

Roller-coaster relationships and fickle partners are frustrating

Theme:

Neyo: “Miss Independent”

She got her own thing, that’s why I love herMiss Independent, oooh the way we shineMiss IndependentOh there’s somethin’ about kinda woman that can do for herselfI look at her and it makes me proudThere’s somethin’ about her

Music

Independent women deserve love and respect

Theme:

F. Scott Fitzgerald“The Great Gatsby”

"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money of their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."

Wealth makes people careless and selfish

Theme:Tom and Daisy leaving town

Subject:

Politics

Your Turn

Gallery Walk (10 min):

On the back table, there are pages with the essential questions of Antigone. As you walk, jot down your thoughts about how we see this in the play, and any beginning thoughts of themes that may be connected to it.

Literature

Noise level = silence

Let everyone concentrate!

Essential Question #1

Is it more important to be right than to be happy?

Essential Question #2

Is it our responsibility to rebel against and break an unjust law?

Essential Question #3

What price should a person be willing to pay if he/she breaks an unjust law?

What would you have done if you were antigone?

Essential Question #4

Can a leader show uncertainty and maintain leadership?

What would you have done if you were Creon?

Essential Question #5

What point is Sophocles trying to make about pride? How does Hubris affect both creon and antigone?

Essential Question #6

Who decides which “laws” are to be obeyed? What are the differences between the laws of the gods and the laws of man?