oedipus the king. i. background a.the labdacids (great theban dynasty 1. labdacus (his mother’s...
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Oedipus the King
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I. Background
A. The Labdacids (great Theban dynasty
1. Labdacus (his mother’s father is one of Cadmus’ “sown men”)
a. carries off Pelops’ son while driving a
chariot—kidnapping and assault
b. Pelops gives “The Curse of the
House of Labdacus
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Background
B. Oedipus Family Tree
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Plot – unity of action
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II. Major Themes
A. Psychological1. Search for identity
a. Archetypal theme—
b. What is man? – riddle of the
Sphynx (solved the first time,
but not the second)
a. Price of self knowledge
b. The monster within
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II. Major Themes
A Psychological (continued)
2. child pays for the sins of the father
3. Pride
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II. Major Themes
B. Social Level
1. duty to the
society
2. the search for the truth
a. The truth—all is suffering
b. Blindness—sight imagery
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II. Major Themes
C. Universal Level1. Respect for the gods
2. What the gods are or
represent
3. Pride—greatest sin
against the gods
(anti – sophists and Socrates?)
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Fate or Free Will
• 4. Fate and Free Will –
– They interact: one creates
the other
– Greeks had no trouble with
the paradox
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Fate or Free Will
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Fate or Free Will
The terrifying question about Oedipus, even more than his inability to
escape his fate, is the role
of chance—he just hap-
pened to be in the wrong
place at the wrong time.
What happened to him could
just as easily have happened to any of us.
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III. CharactersA. Oedipus: he thinks he knows
who he is
B. Jocasta
C. Creon
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III. Characters
D. Tieresius
E. Chorus
F. Messenger
G. Shepherd/Soldier
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IV. Style
A. Formal tragic form—Define:1. Prologue: spoken before chorus appears
2. Parados: chorus’ song as it first enters
3. Five dramatic scenes
4. Stasimon: choral odes at the end of each episode—reflects on that episode
5. Exodus: choral song as they exit
B. Contagion imagery—don’t forget the plague!
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IV. Style
C. Eyes—sight—blindness symbolism
D. Use of Irony
1. symmetrical—
2. structural--
(see list)
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IV. Style
E. Symbolism mountain1. Setting –
Thebes Corinth
2. Crossroads
3. Sphynx
4. Tiresias
5. Swollen feet
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Conclusion: The Big Why
What makes Oedipus Rex great?
1. depth of understanding
-- human nature
-- human suffering
-- the universal
questions