Oedipus Rex

A guide to understanding Greek tragedy

Introduction

What is a tragedy?

Modern Definition

“a drama in verse or prose and of a serious and dignified character that typically describes the development of a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny, circumstance, society) and reaches a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion.” (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged [1961; 1993 revision])

The Greek Tragedy

Tragedy - tragoidia (Greek) = “song for a goat”

Refers to specific type of dramatic performance; does not relate to content matter. Aristotle said the content must be “serious” but serious does not mean “sad”

Plays performed annually during festival to honor Dionysus in late March, held at the City Dionysia

The Great Tragedians

Aeschylus (525-456 BCE) Know titles of 82 plays; sources say wrote 90.

Seven survive (1 questionable) Sophocles (496-406 BCE)

Know 118 plays; sources say 123. Seven survive.

Euripides (480-406 BCE) Know of 92 plays; 17-18 survive (Rhesus

thought to be by another author. Cyclops only surviving satyr play

Dionysus: Patron of the theatre

Domains include frenzy and irrationality, nature and plant fertility, wine

Brother to Apollo, god of reason and moderation

Is considered a god even though technically had human mother; incinerated. Fully gestated in Zeus’ thigh

Unclear how Dionysus became connected with theatre still unclear to scholars

Tragedy as a religious medium

Theory, started by Aristotle, tragedies originated in rituals for gods

Nietzsche believed all major characters (i.e.: Oedipus) were “masks” of Dionysus

Views adopted by many scholars, known as the “Cambridge Ritualists”, thought original drama would have been focused around Dionysus

Few modern scholars accept theory

Origin of the tragedy

Choral performances of poetry common in ancient Greece

Thespis added an actor to chorus, thus creating drama

Tragedy came into own by 5th century BCE in between two wars: Persian Wars(490 and 480 BCE) and the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)

Athens undergoes great political changes

Reorganization of Athens

508 BCE – Cleisthenes takes over and institutes political reform, laying groundwork for democracy

Reorganizes Athens city-state into 10 groups based on residence rather than family. Each deme included residents from coast, city, and rural areas

Adult male citizens take active role in politics – go to assembly to hear discussion and vote

Effect of reorganization

Audience of tragedies used to meeting in large groups and listening to the points of view of different speakers

Tragedies probably linked to the development of rhetorical style at this time

Format of the tragedy

Each tragedian submitted three plays and one satyr play (burlesque)

All plays connected thematically Content was almost exclusively drawn from

ancient myth – very rarely used current politics

Broad outlines of plot already known as audience knew stories. Writer’s skill depended on his use of traditional material Could invent minor characters

Content of tragedy

Often focus on conflict in family and (often) destruction of family because of conflict

Family conflicts lead to larger social themes: justice, tension between public and private duty; dangers of political power; relationship between the sexes

Political restructuring had weakened family loyalties but not destroyed them altogether Tension in plays between the family and the

state

Women and the tragedies

Unclear whether women and slaves attended tragedies. Under Athenian social norms, women remained out of public with the exception of religious holidays

Greek tragedies have many strong female characters who do not fit with traditional roles, showing courage, depth

Makes it clear perceptions of women’s roles and social function complex