unit guide lisa joye ihs literature and the...

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The Roots of Modern Theatre:

It all started with the Greeks!

Name:

Unit Guide Lisa Joye

IHS Literature and the Arts 2017

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Table of Contents

Resources and Materials for Oedipus Rex, also known by its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus or Oedipus the King

Why are we reading Oedipus? Important words to know with this unit The Difference between Tragedy and Comedy Jig Saw Article

Jig-Saw note-taking activity Modern Greek Tragedy assignment directions Recipe Card (rough draft, hand written)

Recipe Card (final draft, typed) How to write a script Recipe Card rubric Modern Greek Tragedy performance rubric Oedipus guiding reading questions Major Themes in Oedipus Rex Final group discussion questions Rubric for Assessing Group Members Letter Two

Grading 10 points for Jig-Saw individual notes 20 points for Jig-Saw group notes (5 points per article) 10 points for Recipe Card (rough draft) 45 points for Recipe Card (final draft) 24 points for Modern Greek Tragedy performance 42 points for Oedipus Guided Reading questions (2 points per question) 10 points for Assessment of Group Participation in Greek Tragedy 10 points for Letter Two 10 points for Self-Reflection and Parent Feedback

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Why are we studying Oedipus Rex by Sophocles?

It is an Ancient Text! Oedipus Rex , also known by its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus or Oedipus the King is a 2,500 year old Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Sophocles wrote 120 plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form. For almost 50 years, Sophocles was the most celebrated playwright in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens that took place during the religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia. He competed in 30 competitions, won 18, and was never judged lower than second place. Sophocles was famous, like Stephen king or JK Rowling famous! The most famous tragedies of Sophocles feature Oedipus and also Antigone: they are generally known as the Theban plays. Sophocles influenced the development of drama. Sophocles’ major innovation was his introduction of a third actor into the dramatic performance. It had previously been permissible for two actors to “double” (i.e., assume other roles during a play), but the addition of a third actor onstage enabled the dramatist both to increase the number of his characters and widen the variety of their interactions. The scope of the dramatic conflict was thereby extended, plots could be more fluid, and situations could be more complex. Ever heard of the Oedipus complex? Freud loved the story of Oedipus and you should too! Oedipus Rex is regarded by many scholars as the masterpiece of ancient Greek tragedy. This play marks the summit of classical Greek drama’s formal achievement, known for its tight construction, mounting tension, and perfect use of the dramatic devices of recognition and discovery. Sophocles’ language responds flexibly to the dramatic needs of the moment; it can be ponderously weighty or swift-moving, emotionally intense or easygoing, highly decorative or perfectly plain and simple. His mastery of form and diction was highly respected by his contemporaries. Aristotle regarded this play as a masterpiece of construction, and few later critics have dissented.

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Why are we reading this play again?

• To recognize the Greeks concern with fate, self-determination and the role of gods and oracles in everyday life

• Gain an insight into Greek tragedy and such concepts such as fate, hubris, and (dramatic) irony

• To learn about the origin and development of drama in Athens in the 6th and 5th centuries BC

• To analyze and critically assess the specific role of characters within the play and role of the chorus

• To gain an understanding into the different genres of drama (including comedy, tragedy and Satyr plays) and discover some of the social concerns of the ancient Greeks by knowing the themes of some of their plays

• To empathize with a tragic hero and discuss the value of Catharsis • Examine the motif of the crossroads

"When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.” (Dalai Lama)

Oedipus unfolds as a murder mystery, a political thriller, and a psychological whodunit. As the play opens, the citizens of Thebes beg their king, Oedipus, to lift the plague that threatens to destroy the city. The oracle instructs Oedipus to find the murderer of Laius, the king who ruled Thebes before Oedipus. The discovery and punishment of the murderer will end the plague. Oedipus must track down, expose, and punish the assassin. At once, Oedipus sets about to solve the murder.

"There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.” (Erma Bombeck)

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Important words to know with this unit

hubris excessive pride or self-confidence synonyms: arrogance, conceit, haughtiness, hauteur, pride, self-importance, egotism, pomposity, superciliousness, superiority; more(in Greek tragedy) excessive pride toward or defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis tragedy a play in which the protagonist, usually a man of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he cannot deal. He is destined for suffering and defeat because of one (or a combination of) three main factors: hubris, fate, and/or the will of the gods.

irony a contrast between appearances and reality verbal irony: a writer says one thing, but means something entirely different. situational irony: occurs when something happens that is entirely different from what is expected. dramatic irony: occurs when the reader knows information that the characters do not. catharsis The purging of emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, especially through art.

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The Difference between Tragedy and Comedy What is a Tragedy?

A tragedy is a genre of drama in literature that is mainly characterized by its sad

and depressing ending. The play deals with a series of sorrowful events happen to

or are caused by its hero or heroine. Tragedy is also characterized by the emotion it

creates in the audience; a sentiment mixed with sorry and empathy. Although,

tragedy is associated with plays, by extension, it also relates

to poetry and fiction as well. According to historians, the origins of tragedy

occurred in Ancient Greece about 2500 years ago. It has been noted since in all

literary eras and great playwrights of tragedy in the western literature include

Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, Racine, and Schiller. In terms of the plot of a tragedy,

it is usually a series of serious actions that evoke feelings of fear and pity. The

main character or the protagonist of a tragedy is called a tragic hero whereas the

setting of a tragedy is usually a battlefield, a dark and mysterious palace, or any

other disastrous place.

What is a Comedy?

A comedy, in contrast to a tragedy, is a genre of drama in literature that is

characterized by its happy and vivacious ending. Besides making the audience

happy, a comedy rather importantly intends to evoke humour and amusement in

the audience by means of extensive laughter. This kind of plays and dramas make

up the comic theatre of which the western origins date back to the Ancient Greece.

A comedy can again be classed into a number of sub-genres such as satire,

burlesque, comedy of manners, and farce. The plot of a comedy normally deals with

an ordinary problem faced by the common people. Further, a comedy is normally

set in an ordinary place and the protagonist of a comedy is called a comic hero.

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Introduction to Greek Theatre Jigsaw Article #1: The Festival of Dionysus and the first plays Dionysus is the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness, fertility,

theatre and religious ecstasy in Greek mythology. Greek drama, from which all western drama

derives, has its origin in religion: more specifically, in the worship of Dionysus, in whose honor the

Greeks held festivals during which they put on masks and danced, sang, and performed in plays.

The Myth of Dionysus

Dionysus is commonly thought to have been the son of Zeus, the most powerful of all Greek

gods and goddesses, and Semele, a mortal woman. Zeus' wife Hera was extremely jealous and

planned a trick on Semele that would have her killed. She convinced Semele to ask Zeus to reveal

himself in his true form. When Zeus revealed himself, Semele was burned to death after looking

upon his glory. Luckily, Zeus managed to save the unborn Dionysus by stitching him into his own

thigh. Because Zeus carried him until his birth, Dionysus became immortal.

Zeus still had to deal with a jealous wife, though. Hera was now planning the death of

Dionysus. Hera had the other Titans rip his body to pieces. Zeus was able to save the child, with

the help of Rhea. He then sent Dionysus away with Hermes, who took him to Mt. Nysa to be raised

by the half-human, half-goat creatures known as satyrs. Because of his birth story, Dionysus was

always associated with rebirth.

When he was older, Dionysus is said to have discovered the grapevine. He taught mankind

how to cultivate the vine and make wine from the grapes. Dionysus became the god of wine. He

was also associated with the madness and revelry that goes with drinking it.

The Festival of Dionysus Four times a year, the Athenians and citizens from all over Greece would gather together to

worship Dionysus. The largest and most prolific of these festivals was the City Dionysia, or Great

Dionysia, which was held in late March through early April. Here, the Greeks would sing and dance

and revel in a state of madness in worship of the god. Goats were sacrificed in his honor. Men

would dress up as satyrs. Large amounts of wine would be consumed.

Tragedy began here, at the City Dionysia, in the sixth century B.C.E. Few records are left

that date prior to 534 B.C.E., but we do know that at some point a contest was formed to honor

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the best tragedy. In 534, Athens made the contests official and offered financial support for their

production. Once made official, the contests and their winners were recorded by the state, giving

us much more detail about the tragic contests.

Originally, admission to the theatre was free, but the crowds became so great and there was

such confusion and sometimes fighting in the rush for good seats, that the state decided to charge

an admission fee and tickets had to be bought beforehand. But even then there were no reserved

seats, except for certain officials who sat in the front row. In the time of Pericles, complaints were

made that the poorer citizens could not afford to buy tickets, and so important was the drama then

considered, that it was ordered that tickets should be given free to all who applied for them.

On the first day of festivities, a large statue of Dionysus was carried from the temple to the

Theater of Dionysus at the foot of the Acropolis. This procession was of much importance to the

Athenians and Greeks and large numbers of people attended the parade. The procession itself was

a spectacle, and intended as a reenactment of Dionysus' journey to Athens. Once at the theater

and prior to the performance of the plays, the theater was sprinkled with the blood of sacrificial

pigs for purification.

The festival allowed three playwrights to have their plays performed in the tragic contests.

Each contestant was required to submit three tragedies and one satyr play (a form of comedy that

required the chorus to dress as the satyr companions of Dionysus). It is assumed that the tragedies

were required to be in the form of a trilogy. While only one complete Greek trilogy remains, many

of the surviving tragedies seem to have once been a part of a trilogy. The contest lasted for three

days, one for each playwright. Each playwright presented all three tragedies and the satyr play in

one day. The audiences would spend much of the day in the theater, though Greek plays were

shorter than modern plays. After the three days of performances, the winner would be put to a

vote.

The legends and traditions from which most of the Greek plays took their plots were, of

course, well known to the audiences. They were stories commemorating some great event, or

explaining some religious observance, but naturally these legends were differently treated by

different dramatists, each of whom brought out a different side of the story to enforce some

particular lesson which he wished to bring home to the people.

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Introduction to Greek Theatre Jigsaw Article #2: The Origins of Theatre as We Know It Today

The Origins of Theatre - The First Actor

The earliest origins of drama are found in Athens where ancient hymns, called dithyrambs,

were sung in honor of the god Dionysus. These hymns were later adapted for choral processions in

which participants would dress up in costumes and masks. Eventually, certain members of the

chorus evolved to take special roles within the procession, but they were not yet actors in the way

we would understand it.

That development came later in the 6th century BC, when the tyrant Pisistratus, who then

ruled the city, established a series of new public festivals. One of these, the 'City Dionysia', a

festival of entertainment held in honor of the god Dionysus, featured competitions in music,

singing, dance and poetry. The most remarkable of all the winners was said to be a wandering bard

called Thespis. According to tradition, in 534 or 535 BC, Thespis astounded audiences by leaping on

to the back of a wooden cart and reciting poetry as if he was the character whose lines he was

reading. In doing so he became the world's first actor; today we refer to actors as “thespians,” a

term derived from his name.

The Origins of Theatre - The First Plays

The first plays were performed with just one actor (called a protagonist) and a chorus of

people who helped him to tell the story. However, throughout the 5th century BC playwrights

continued to innovate. The playwright Aeschylus added a second speaking role, called the

antagonist, and reduced the chorus from 50 to 12. His play “The Persians”, first performed in 472

BC, is the oldest surviving of all Greek plays. His pupil, Sophocles, went on to add a third actor,

while Euripides added both a prologue, introducing the subject of the play, and the deus ex

machina, a divine figure who wrapped up any loose ends at the close.

Wealthy citizens would sponsor plays by paying a tax called the choregia. And just like

Pisistratus, the tyrant who established the “City Dionysia” to enhance his own popularity, many of

these wealthy patrons hoped the success of the play they sponsored would provide them with a

way into politics.

A Greek audience was very critical, and shouts and applause, or groans and hisses showed its

approval or disapproval of the play being acted. Several plays were given in one day, and a prize

was awarded to the best, so the audience was obliged to start at dawn and would probably remain

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in the theatre until sunset.

What was it like to see a Greek play?

A Greek drama was in many ways much simpler than a modern drama. There were fewer

characters, and usually only three speaking actors were allowed on the stage at once. There was

only one story told and there was nothing to take the attention of the audience away from this.

The Chorus, though it no longer told the story, was very important, for it set the atmosphere of the

play, and lyrics of haunting loveliness hinted at the tragedy that could not be averted, because of

terrible deeds done in the past, or if, indeed, there might be any help, the imagination was carried

forward on wings of hope. The Chorus also served another purpose. In the modern drama, when the

tragedy of a situation becomes almost too great for the audience to bear, relief is often found in

some comic episode, which is introduced to slacken the tension. Shakespeare does this constantly.

But comic episodes were felt to be out of place in a Greek drama, and therefore when a tragic

scene had taken place, the Chorus followed it by a song of purest poetry. The Chorus is a constant

reminder that, though they cannot understand them, there are other powers in the world than the

passions of men.

The theatre is a great semi-circle on the slope of the Acropolis, with rows of stone seats on

which about eighteen thousand spectators can sit. The front row consists of marble chairs, the only

seats in the theatre which have backs, and these are reserved for the priests of Dionysus and the

chief magistrates. Beyond the front row, is a circular space called the orchestra, where the Chorus

sings, and in which stands the altar of Dionysus. Behind the orchestra is the stage on which the

actors will act, at the back of which is a building painted to look like the front of a temple or a

palace, to which the actors retire when they are not wanted on the stage or have to change their

costumes. Overhead is the deep blue sky, the Acropolis rises up behind, and the olive-laden hills

are seen in the distance. Much will have to be left to the imagination, but the very simplicity of

the outward surroundings will make the audience give all their attention to the play and the

acting.

When the play begins, there will only be three actors on the stage at once. They will wear

very elaborate costumes, and a strange-looking wooden sole called a buskin, about six inches high,

on their shoes, to make them look taller and more impressive, and over their faces a curious mask

with a wide mouth, so that everyone in that vast audience will hear them. There will be no curtain

and the play is not divided into different acts. When there is a pause in the action, the Chorus will

fill up the time with their song. If it is a tragedy, we shall not see the final catastrophe on the

stage, but a messenger will appear who will give us an account of what has happened.

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Introduction to Greek Theatre Jigsaw Article #3: Types of Drama and the Competitive Aspect of Greek Playwriting

The Different Types of Greek Drama and their importance

The Ancient Greeks took their entertainment very seriously and used drama as a way of

investigating the world they lived in, and what it meant to be human. The three genres of drama

were comedy, satyr plays, and most important of all, tragedy.

1. Comedy: The first comedies were mainly satirical and mocked men in power for their vanity and

foolishness. The first master of comedy was the playwright Aristophanes. Much later Menander

wrote comedies about ordinary people and made his plays more like sit-coms.

2. Tragedy: Tragedy dealt with the big themes of love, loss, pride, the abuse of power and the

fraught relationships between men and gods. Typically the main protagonist of a tragedy commits

some terrible crime without realizing how foolish and arrogant he has been. Then, as he slowly

realizes his error, the world crumbles around him. Though the Greek tragedies revolved around

rather violent events, the violence was never seen on stage. Instead, a messenger is brought on

stage to relate the details of the tragic event to the audience.

Aristotle argued that tragedy cleansed the heart through pity and terror, purging us of our petty

concerns and worries by making us aware that there can be nobility in suffering. He called this

experience “catharsis.”

3. Satyr Plays: These short plays were performed between the acts of tragedies and made fun of

the plight of the tragedy's characters. The satyrs were mythical half-human, half-goat figures and

actors in these plays wore large phalluses for comic effect. Few examples of these plays survive.

They are classified by some authors as tragicomic, or comedy dramas.

Greek theatre centered around the Festival of Dionysus: the god of wine and fertility. At the

festival, held in Athens, a playwriting competition was held.

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There were strict rules about these plays:

1. The playwright had to include a satyr play (a play about mythical creatures called satyrs—half

man, half goat—who told mostly dirty jokes).

2. The playwright had to submit a trilogy of three plays. These plays were usually a story that took

three plays to tell. The only complete trilogy we have is The Oresteia by Aeschylus (525-456 BC). It

is a really masterful play about Agamemnon's murder and the subsequent revenge cycle this puts in

place. The story ends when Athena intervenes and sits in judgement, ending the revenge-cycle

justice system in favor of a system based on fairness and equity and "blind justice." Incidentally,

Athena graces our Supreme Court building today. She holds a scale to show how fair she is. We also

have three Oedipus plays by the same playwright: Sophocles. These plays all come from different

trilogies, however.

Three playwrights came out to be winners more than others: Aeschylus, Sophocles and the younger

Euripedes. Sophocles (496-406 BC) won the most blue ribbons, but Euripedes (480-406 BC) was

more attractive to scholars during the Rennaissance, so they preserved more of his plays. He is still

the most popular of the three. His plays not only feature gods and noble people, but regular folks

inhabit his plays, and he seems to give them all equal footing right next to the gods. And

remember, Aeschylus' The Oresteia is the only extant full trilogy that ended up being preserved.

The End of the Greek Drama Competition

In 404 BC, the Spartans overran Athens, putting an end to the drama competitions and most of

Athen's cultural life. After that, Alexander the Great came along, and then others. But later, the

Romans discovered the greatness of Athens' culture, and they eventually copied these Athenian

drama competitions in Rome.

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Introduction to Greek Theatre

Jigsaw Article #4: Background on Sophocles and Introduction to Tragedy

Education and Experience

Sophocles (c. 496-406 BCE) was one of the great playwrights of the golden age of Greek

Drama. The son of a wealthy merchant, he enjoyed all the comforts of a thriving Greek empire. He

studied all of the arts. By the age of sixteen, he was already known for his beauty and grace and

was chosen to lead a choir of boys at a celebration of the victory of Salamis. Twelve years later, his

studies complete, he was ready to compete in the City Dionysia--a festival held every year at the

Theatre of Dionysus in which new plays were presented. An accomplished actor, Sophocles

performed in many of his own plays. However, his voice was comparatively weak, and eventually

he would give up his acting career to pursue other ventures. In addition to his theatrical duties,

Sophocles served for many years as an ordained priest. He also served on the Board of Generals, a

committee that administered civil and military affairs in Athens, and for a time he was director of

the Treasury.

Impact on Greek Theatre and Playwriting

Revered by modern scholars for his treatment of the individual and for the complex issues

that his plays address, Sophocles was also revered by his contemporaries: he received the first

prize for tragic drama over Aeschylus when he was twenty-eight years old. He wrote around one

hundred and twenty-three plays for the Athenian theatre, and won twenty-four festivals -- he

placed second in every festival that he did not win. Only seven of his plays, however, have survived

intact. From the fragments remaining, and from references to lost plays in other works, scholars

have discovered that Sophocles wrote on an enormous variety of topics. He also introduced several

key innovations, including ending the tradition of writing trilogies on connected topics at the City

Dionysia, introducing painted background scenery, changing the number of speaking actors from

two to three, and enlarging the chorus from twelve to fifteen men.

The earliest contribution of Sophocles to the drama was the introduction of the third actor,

which immensely reduced the role of the chorus and created better opportunities for character

development and conflict between characters. Even his competitor Aeschylus, who dominated

Athenian playwrights during Sophocles' early career, accepted the new idea and adopted it into his

own work. Aristotle gave Sophocles the credit of the introduction of scenery-painting. After the

death of Aeschylus in 456 BC, Sophocles became the celebrated playwright in Athens. Apart from

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making innovations in the dramatic structure, he was also known for his deeper development of

characters than the earlier playwrights. His widespread reputation helped him to get invitation

from foreign rulers to attend their courts, but he never accepted any of these invitations.

Definition of Tragedy: a play in which the protagonist, usually a man

of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a

personal failing and circumstances with which he cannot deal. He is destined for suffering and

defeat because of one (or a combination of) three main factors: hubris, fate, and/or the will of the

gods.

So why are we drawn to tragedies? Here are (4) reasons audiences love a good tragedy: 1. Connection: Tragedy can show us our ties to others and strip us of our differences.

The tragedy may be horrific, but there is something about the way that people step up and come

together to protect each other and fight for a common cause that can remind everyone that they

have a place in this world. We are deeply united no matter the circumstance, but tragedies can

help us discover how intricately connected our roots are.

2. Awakening: Tragedy can awaken us to the lives we’ve been living. When things are moving along

smoothly — or relatively smoothly — it’s easy to simply go through the motions of living and not

actually live. Then, when tragedy strikes, we are forced to examine all that is keeping us from

feeling alive — all the dreams we haven’t yet attempted to tackle, all the relationships we haven’t

cultivated, all the adventures we haven’t committed to.

3. Priorities and Gratitude: Tragedy forces us to re-evaluate our dedication to material pursuits.

It’s a common question we’ve all pondered at least once in our lives: if you had only a short time

to live, how would you spend those final moments? Tragedy forces us to examine what we have and

be grateful.

4. Service: Tragedy reminds us of the satisfaction that can be had while helping others. Tragedy

forces us to act now and quickly takes us out of only thinking and acting in our own best interest. It

breaks down barriers and strips us of the excuses we have for not stepping outside of ourselves.

One of the best ways to be fully present in the moment is to help others and to feel as if we have a

higher purpose.

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Introduction to Greek Theatre Jigsaw Article #5: Background on Oedipus the King (and a few riddles)

Back Story of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)

In order to understand the play Oedipus the King, you need to know the background of what

happened before the play begins. Greek audiences watching Sophocles’ play would have all been

very familiar with this back story, which is why Sophocles could start his play without explaining

any of it to them. The audience already knows what Oedipus has done, and they already know

what is going to happen to him—the suspense of waiting to see how he is going to figure it out for

himself is what creates interest and intrigue. When the audience knows something that the

characters in the play do not it is called dramatic irony.

Laius and Jocasta are the King and Queen of Thebes. After having trouble getting pregnant, they decide to consult the Oracle at Delphi. The Oracle delivers both good news and bad news. Good news: They will have a son. Bad news: The son will kill Laius Laius and Jocasta are understandably terrified and head back to Thebes to figure out what to do. Sure enough, Jocasta gives birth to a son. Laius, frightened of being killed by his son, orders one of his servants to pin his son's feet together and leave him on the mountain side to die. Doing as he is told, the servant brings the new born child to Mount Cithaeron. But the servant feels guilty and decides he cannot just leave a child to die. The servant knows of a shepherd from Corinth on the other side of the mountain so he gives the child to the shepherd instead of killing him. Jocasta and Laius are not the only ones having trouble having a child. Polybus and Merope, the king and queen of Corinth, are also struggling to have a child. The shepherd, knowing that his king and queen want to have a child and can’t, decides to give the child to Polybus and Merope to raise as their own. They are thrilled and decide to name the child Oedipus, which means "swollen foot," due to his feet having been pinned together. Oedipus grows into manhood believing his adoptive parents, Polybus and Merope, are his biological parents. This changes one night at a dinner when a drunk man informs Oedipus that he is not his father's son. Oedipus asks his parents if this man was telling the truth, but his parents deny it. However, Oedipus is not satisfied, so he decides to visit the Oracle at Delphi for more information. Oedipus asks the Oracle if what was told to him was true. The Oracle does not give him an answer but instead tells Oedipus his fate: Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. Horrified at what he hears from the Oracle, Oedipus decides not to return to Corinth in fear of the prophecy coming true. At the place where the three roads meet, Oedipus runs into a man and his servants. Oedipus and the man cannot not agree on who has the right of way and a fight breaks out leading to Oedipus killing the man and his servants in a fit of rage. Oedipus does not know that the man he killed was Laius, the king of Thebes.

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Oedipus continues on his way and ends up in the city of Thebes. Upon arrival in Thebes, Oedipus is immediately faced with a challenge: save the city from the dreaded Sphinx. The Sphinx is a monster with the face of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of a bird. The Sphinx has been asking a question to everyone it faced. If the person could not answer correctly, the Sphinx would eat the person. There was no running from the Sphinx for that would result in the same outcome. Oedipus answers the riddle correctly, and the Sphinx kills herself, freeing the citizens of Thebes from her wrath. The people of Thebes are so happy that they decide to make Oedipus their new king since they recently lost their king in a murder. Jocasta is also so impressed that she agrees to marry Oedipus and remain queen of Thebes. For 20 years, Oedipus and Jocasta rule Thebes using Jocasta's brother, Creon, as their trusted adviser. After 20 years, the citizens of Thebes come to Oedipus for help again this time to help them get rid of a plague that is killing nearly all of the citizens of Thebes. This is where the play begins. The Riddles of the Sphinx: Now we know that the reason Oedipus is named King of Thebes is that he is the only one who is able to answer her riddle correctly. So…let’s see if you are as smart as Oedipus! Here is the riddle given by the Sphinx: "What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?" And just for fun, here are a few other riddles to try to figure out:

I can run but never walk I have a mouth but never talk I have a bed but never sleep I have a head but never weep.

What am I?

This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And beats high mountain down.

What is this thing?

A cloud was my mother, the wind is my father, my son is the cool stream, and my daughter is the fruit of the land.

A rainbow is my bed, the earth my final resting place, and I'm the torment of man.

What am I?

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Introduction to Greek Theatre Note-Taking Worksheet for Jigsaw Activity

Literature and the Arts

Directions: 1) Use the space provided (and extra sheets if you need it) to take notes on your assigned article on Greek Theatre. Make sure your notes are clear, concise, and complete as you will use them to help teach your peers about the most important details of your topic. 2) Then, fill out the remaining spaces with notes as you listen to your other group members teach you about the other topics in your packet. At the conclusion of this jigsaw activity, this entire worksheet should be completely filled in with the most important information from all (5) articles. Article #1: The Festival of Dionysus and the first plays

Topic Important Facts and Details

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Article #2: The Origins of Theatre as We Know It Today


Article #3: Types of Drama and the Competitive Aspect of Greek Playwriting


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Article #4: Background on Sophocles and Tragedy as a Genre


Article #5: Back Story to Oedipus the King (and a few riddles)


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Modern Greek Tragedy Writing Assignment

Chopped is a popular television show in which contestant chefs compete against each other to see who can cook the most delicious meal with a limited number of ingredients. The participants compete in several rounds to see who is declared the ultimate chef. The chefs are provided with basic ingredients (such as milk, flour, eggs, etc.) and are sometimes supplied with a bag of ingredients from a mystery box. The ingredients from the mystery box, such as unusual types of fish and exotic fruit and vegetables, are often included to challenge the chefs and test their creativity to come up with a masterful meal. In the spirit of competition, you will “cook up” a MODERN Greek tragedy of epic proportions and compete to take home the ultimate prize. I will provide you with the basic ingredients (see below) and then you will choose (2) of the “Mystery Box” ingredients to add into your play. Once all of your ingredients are chosen, you will create a recipe for tragedy. All of the requirements for your recipe are included below. After you turn in your recipe card, I will choose the top (5) recipes to be “cooked” in small groups by members of the class. The (5) groups will compete against each other (just like the Greeks did!) for the ultimate prize!

The Basic Ingredients You MUST include all of the following “ingredients” in your play:

1) Begin by choosing your tragic hero. Please select carefully: for a Greek tragedy you need a hero that is royal, highborn, or generally more important than the common person. Common people may be easy to find, but they are not the stuff of real Greek tragedy. Your hero should have a strong, attractive character that appeals to the audience. 2) Your hero must possess a desire for a greater good, such as the rescue or unification of his city, or convincing everyone at her high school to become vegans. Your hero must be willing to put her/himself at great risk with his own choices to achieve this goal. 3) Add a fatal character flaw. Hubris is a popular choice with many chefs, but feel free to experiment. Jealousy, self-doubt, an inability to see the truth, or trusting the wrong people are also popular fatal flaws. Stir the flaw in well: you must make sure it will result in your tragic hero’s downfall. 4) Next, make sure that your hero has a reversal of fortune by adding a large catastrophic event. Something has to happen to your hero that ruins his/her chances of ever achieving the goal for the greater good she/he started off with. 5) Sprinkle in plenty of suffering and anguish. Mix it in well until your hero can take no more.

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6) When your hero is just about ready to forfeit, mix in a moment of self-awareness. Your hero should suddenly recognize her/his tragic flaw. Time this moment of self-awareness carefully: it should come just a few moments too late to actually do anything to fix it. Ugh, tragedy! 7) To top off your tragedy, the tragic hero must, by the play's end, lose everything she/he has gained. The tragic flaw has caused a complete downfall of your hero by the end. Banish, maim or kill your tragic hero. This will be the icing on the cake. 8) For you final embellishment, make sure that your audience still feels that there is hope for the future. This may seem impossible, but make sure it is clear that it is the tragic flaw that caused this tragedy, and those without that flaw could end better. 9) Remember to keep in mind your total cooking time. In order for your tragedy to set properly and not be over done, the play's timespan should be one full day; the setting must remain in one place. Most importantly, the action needs to follow one inevitable course.

Mystery Box Ingredients

Choose (2) of these ingredients to sprinkle into your script:

*A disability that provides strength of another kind *Inclusion of a fight *An evil twin *Trip to see a fortune teller *Natural disaster of some kind *Character faces a physical crossroad *Object that one character carries at all times *Hero discovers an unknown identity *Confusion caused by language differences *a romance gone wrong

Final Requirements

o Must have a detailed Recipe Card o Create a title for your tragedy o Must be typed (I will share the template on a google doc) o Must include AT LEAST (6) characters (major and minor) o Must be fun, creative, and TRAGIC

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Recipe Card Student Name: _____________________________________________Section_________________________ Title of Play: _____________________________________________________________________________ Your recipe for the Elements of Tragedy: Detailed description of your tragic hero and explanation of their high status: Detailed description of your hero’s desire for the greater good (be as specific as possible here): Description of your hero’s tragic flaw and how it will show itself throughout the play:

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A detailed summary of the plot including your hero’s reversal of fortune (what happens that stops your hero from doing good?), specific events that will happen to bring suffering and anguish to your hero (include at least three), a moment of self-awareness, how your hero will lose everything he/she gained because of the tragic flaw, and an end to the play that still gives the audience hope for a better future.

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Describe the setting of your play: Describe the (2) mystery box ingredients you wove them into your plot: Cast of Characters: (must include 6) Who are they? How old? What rank or status? Major or minor character?

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How To Write A Script

Setting: Provide a brief description of the setting (including place and time) as your play begins. Character 1: Use the character’s name and a colon to show who is speaking. Character 2: Skip a line and give next character’s name to show the next person to speak. Character 1: (put any actions, movements, or other stage directions in parentheses before the speaking begins) End of Scene 1 (indicate when a scene ends clearly; use a chorus or some other device to show how time passes between scenes.)

Example: Setting: the IHS hallway at South High School in Eugene; September 2017 Max: Hey! Are you going to 4th period today or are you skipping out to go grab lunch? Sophia: (looking down at the ground) I don’t know. I should probably go to class. My parents would kill me if they found out I left school. Max: (grabbing her backpack and running down the hall) Well, you can’t go to class if you don’t have your stuff with you! Come on! Sophia: (running after him) Hey! But Lit is my favorite class! I don’t want to miss it—we’re finishing Oedipus today! (Sophia runs after Max and they both disappear around the corner.) End of scene 1.

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Modern Greek Tragedy

Recipe Card Rubric

Name____________________________________ This play has demonstrated competence in the following outcomes: Poor Average Excellent recipe card is typed and has a title 1 2 3 a hero that is royal or highborn 1 2 3 a hero that desires a greater good 1 2 3 a fatal character flaw is present 1 2 3 your hero has a reversal of fortune 1 2 3 plenty of suffering and anguish 1 2 3 mixed in a moment of self-awareness 1 2 3 lost everything gained through tragic flaw 1 2 3 still feels that there is hope for the future 1 2 3 the setting remains in one place 1 2 3 2 mystery box ingredients used 1 2 3 free of grammar/spelling errors 1 2 3 writing is creative and original 1 2 3 recipe card is complete 1 2 3 turned in on due date 1 2 3 Grade________________/45 Comments:

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Modern Greek Tragedy / Performance Rubric

Name____________________________________________ Section____________________ The play performance has demonstrated competence in the following outcomes:

Needs Practice Successful Outstanding Holds attention of audience 1 2 3 Direct eye contact, seldom looks at notes 1 2 3 Movements / gestures help the audience visualize 1 2 3 Student appears relaxed and self-confident 1 2 3 Appropriate emotions conveyed to the audience 1 2 3 Student uses a clear voice and enunciates 1 2 3 All audience members can hear presentation 1 2 3 Student has a purposeful, well intentioned costume 1 2 3

Grade________________/24

Comments:

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Oedipus Rex Guided Reading Questions

Discussion Questions: please write DETAILED answers in complete sentences. Your responses, ideas and analysis will let your instructor the depth of you understanding with this complex play.

1. Why have the priest and other citizens of Thebes come to seek Oedipus’s help at the start of the play?

2. Who is Creon? What news does he bring Oedipus from Delphi?

3. According to Creon, what happened to the former king, Laius?

4. What does Oedipus decide to do about the former king’s death?

5. What is the purpose of the Chorus at this point in the play? What important information do we learn from them?

6. Who is Teiresias? Why does Oedipus send for him?

7. Who does Teiresias say killed Laius? What is Oedipus’s reaction to this news?

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8. “Listen—since you have taunted me with blindness!/ You have your sight, and yet you cannot see/Where, nor

with whom, you live, nore in what/horror.” Analyze the motif of blindness in the play so far.

9. Why doesn’t Creon want to be king?

10. What does Oedipus accuse Creon of? What is Creon’s punishment?

11. According to Jocasta, how did the Oracle tell Laius he was going to die? How did Laius try to prevent this

death?

12. As Jocasta is telling Oedipus about the Oracle’s prediction, what does Oedipus realize about his own past?

13. What is the one detail that would prove to Oedipus that he was not the one who killed Laius?

14. Why is Queen Jocasta happy to hear about King Polybus’s death?

15. How did King Polybus die? How was he supposed to die?

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16. Why is Queen Jocasta upset about the messenger’s story? What has she figured out that Oedipus still doesn’t

understand?

17. What news does the messenger bring of Queen Jocasta?

18. Why does Oedipus punish himself rather than kill himself?

19. Analyze the significance of Oedipus’s self-inflicted punishment. What is symbolic of the way he chose to

mutilate himself?

20. What (3) requests does Oedipus make of Creon? Who is Oedipus most concerned about now?

21. What is the moral of this story? What did Sophocles want his audience to think about fate and free will?

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Major Themes in Oedipus Rex Light and darkness Darkness and light are tightly wound up with the theme of sight and blindness in Sophocles' play. Oedipus - and all the other characters, save for Teiresias - is 'in the dark' about his own origins and the murder of Laius. Teiresias, of course, is literally 'in the dark' with his own blindness - and yet manages to have sight over everything that is to follow. After Oedipus finds out what has happened, he bemoans the way everything has indeed "come to light". Sight and blindness Teiresias holds the key to the link between sight and blindness - for even though he is blind, he can still see and predict the future (if not the present). At the end of the play, moreover, Oedipus blinds himself, because what he has metaphorically seen (i.e. realized) leaves him unable to face his family or his parents in the afterlife). As with the previous theme, sight/blindness operate both literally and metaphorically within the play. Indeed, literal sight is juxtaposed with 'insight' or 'foresight'. Origins and children Oedipus embarks upon a search for his own origins, and - though he does not realize it - for his real parents. As the child of his own wife, and thus father and brother to his children, Sophocles explores various interrelationships between where things began and who fathered who. Similarly, the play itself works backwards towards a revelatory start: the story has, in effect, already happened - and Oedipus is forced to discover his own history. The One and the Many (also Doubles/Twos) Throughout the play, a central inconsistency dominates - namely the herdsman and Jocasta both believe Laius to have been killed by several people at the crossroads. The story, however, reveals that Oedipus himself alone killed Laius. How can Laius have been supposedly killed by one person – and also by many people? Oedipus is searching for Laius’ murderer: he is the detective seeking the criminal. Yet in the end, these two roles merge into one person – Oedipus himself. The Oedipus we are left with at the end of the play is similarly both father and brother. Sophocles’ play, in fact, abounds with twos and doubles: there are two herdsmen, two daughters and two sons, two opposed pairs of king and queen (Laius and Jocasta, and Polybus and Merope), and two cities (Thebes and Corinth). In so many of these cases, Oedipus’ realization is that he is either between – or, more confusingly, some combination of – two things. Thus the conflict between “the one and the many” is central to Sophocles’ play. “What is this news of double meaning?” Jocasta asks. Throughout Oedipus, then, it remains a pertinent question. Plague and health Thebes at the start of the play is suffering from terrible blight which renders the fields and the women barren. The oracle tells Oedipus at the start of the play that the source of this plague is Laius' murderer (Oedipus himself). Health then, only comes with the end of the play and Oedipus' blindness. Again, 'plague' is both literal and metaphorical. There is a genuine plague, but also, to quote Hamlet, there might be "something rotten" in the moral state of Thebes. Prophecy, oracles, and predestination The origins of this play in the Oedipus myth (see 'Oedipus and Myth') create an compelling question about foreknowledge and expectation. The audience who knew the myth would know from the start far more than Oedipus himself - hence a strong example of dramatic irony. Moreover, one of the themes the play considers as a corollary is whether or not you can escape your fate. In trying to murder her son, Jocasta finds him reborn as her husband. Running from Corinth, from his parents, Oedipus murders his father on the way. It seems that running away from one's fate ultimately ensures that one is only running towards it. Youth and age 'Man' is the answer to the Sphinx's question, and the aging of man is given key significance in the course of the play. Oedipus himself goes from childlike innocence to a blinded man who needs to be led by his children. Oedipus, it might be said, ages with the discovery of his own shortcomings as a man. In learning of his own weaknesses and frailties, he loses his innocence immediately.

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Final Group Discussion on Oedipus Rex

Look closely at the topics below. Some of the questions will ask you to reread lines of text from your plays. Please make sure to do so. Then as a group, discuss the answers to the questions.

Humans and Gods

1. Read the chorus Strophe and Antistrophe lines after Oedipus and Creon leave (exeunt) pgs 6 and 7, looking for the description of the blight that forsakes the city of Thebes. How does the chorus describe the pain of the citizens, and the destruction that is unfolding before them? What sentences, phrases or lines from the play offer the most vivid imagery of the tragedy unfolding? 2. Read the chorus Strophe and Antistrophe lines after Oedipus and Teiresias leave (exeunt) pgs 14-‐15, looking for the relationship that these lines of text show to exist between humans and their gods at this moment in the play. How would you describe this relationship? What sentence, phrase or line from the play best shows the relationship that you see in these lines? 3. Read the chorus Strophe and Antistrophe lines after Oedipus leaves (exeunt) pgs 34-‐35. Examine the diction choices that the Chorus makes. List the words and lines that compel the audience to feel empathy, pride, shame, horror, and/or compassion for Oedipus. 4. There are several ways to interpret the role of the chorus in this play. At times, the chorus seems to calm the main characters at times of extreme distress. At other times, the chorus seems to represent the gods. And sometimes the chorus seems to represent the inner conscious of the characters and the citizens. Analyze the role of the chorus as you see it. What dramatic flair did the chorus add to the Athenian tragedy? Why might modern theatre have dropped the element of a chorus from their plays?

the Athenian Audience and the Politics of Today

5. What is Creon’s role in this play? Is he some type of hero? Does he symbolize a larger idea that Oedipus must come to understand? Do Creon’s reactions to problems highlight how kings should act? In what way might these ideas be relevant to you and I, today in the US?

Oedipus as an examination of Self

6. If denial is the act of not knowing information about ourselves that is, frankly, obvious, then what sentence or phrase from the play most epitomizes Oedipus’s denial to you? In other words, in what moment do you think he shows the greatest sense of not knowing what seems obvious to you, the reader?

Why? Explain how the above quote from the play shows Oedipus’s denial.

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7. If Dramatic Irony is when the Audience knows what the characters do not, creating a mismatch in emotion between the characters and the audience, then at what other point in the play do you feel the strongest sense of mismatch between what you, the audience, feels, and what Oedipus, the character feels? Please include the quote from the play and how he seems to feel as well as how you, the audience feels. 8. If Catharsis is an outpouring of emotion as knowing sets in, then what quote from the ending seem to show Oedipus most in this experience of Catharsis? Why? Explain the above response: 9. Review the 10 belief statements that we discussed in the beginning of the unit.

• Your fate has already been determined by a higher power. • Children should be loyal to their parents no matter what the cost. • You have complete control over your own life because you have free will over your own actions. • If knowing the truth leads to pain, then it’s better not knowing it. • You cannot be blamed for something you did in ignorance. • The past will always come back to haunt. • It is better to keep a dark secret to yourself than to expose the ugly truth. • Sometimes living with the guilt and knowledge of what you’ve done wrong is worth than death. • All types of pride are wrong. • The history and actions of your family determine your fate and success in life.

What have you learned from our study of Oedipus Rex?

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Letter Two

IHS Global Literature and the Arts / Lisa Joye Homework Due Date:________________________________________________________________________

What is our relationship to our past? To choices we have already made, and cannot undo? In literature and art, the motif (repeating form) of the crossroads often evokes a sense of having made a pivotal, past – decision that can not be undone, whether because of sacred forces present at the crossroads, or because the past quite simply cannot be unlived. In the Greek Tragedy Oedipus the King, our tragic hero did not know that he was sealing his fate when he killed a man “in a place where the three roads meet.” Only later did he realize whom he had killed and how that decision had made his horrible fate come true. We aren’t all tragic heroes, and not all fates are horrible (thank goodness), but most of us have made decisions that have changed our lives, whether we knew it at the time or not. I would like for you to use the motif of the crossroads to explore a decision that you made in your past and that changed your life. Directions: You will write a series of letters throughout our literature course. The audience will change, each prompt will be different, but the intention will always be consistent. These letters will be a record of your thoughts, feelings, perspective and growth throughout your sophomore year. Each letter is a safe place to let your unique voice be heard. Your letter must be hand written. Please label your letter as such: Your Name Date (Month, Day, Year) Dear Future Self, Please include five paragraphs in your letter.

• In paragraph one, explain what was the decision that you made in your past that changed your life? What happened?

• In the second paragraph explain, did you have awareness that the decision that you made

mattered at the time? Did you know enough to predict how the decision would affect your future?

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• In the third paragraph explain whether or not you had a sense of agency, or of power, over the

choice that you made. If you did not have the power, who did? Did you feel powerless, but in hindsight realize you truly did have all the control? Or did the opposite occur. Did you think you the decision was yours alone to make, but in reality other forces were guiding your choices?

• For the fourth paragraph, explain why the decision matters to you now. Did you learn

something about yourself or another? Did you gain anything, for example a new insight or freedom, or a new adventure from this decision? Did you lose anything as a result of this decision? Why is this decision important for you to reflect on?

• In the concluding paragraph, give your future-self advice about what to do the next time there

is a difficult decision to make. For example, the next time you are faced with a “cross road”, how should you approach deciding which path to take. What mistakes should you avoid, who should ask for advice, and how will you know if you have made the right decision?

End your letter with some sort of salutation...(yours truly, sincerely, be well, with great respect, etc.) and then sign your name.

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Literature and the Arts Oedipus Unit

Final Grade Sheet Self Reflection / Parent Feedback Name________________________________________________________________________________ Date___________________________________Section________________________________________ Final Scores ______/10 points for Jig-Saw individual notes

______/20 points for Jig-Saw group notes (5 points per article)

______/10 points for Recipe Card (rough draft)

______/45 points for Recipe Card (final draft)

______/28 points for Modern Greek Tragedy performance

______/42 points for Oedipus Guided Reading questions (2 points per question)

______/10 points for Assessment of Group Participation in the Greek Tragedy

______/10 points for Letter Two

______/10 points for Self-Reflection and Parent Feedback

______/185 Final Score

Student Self Reflection: (5 points)

List 3 activities that you enjoyed from this unit and explain why you enjoyed each one.

1.

2.

3.

Which activity was the most challenging for you in a positive way? What was the positive result of this challenge?

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Which activity did you put the most effort into? How did you feel about the end result?

Which activity was the most challenging for you in a negative way? What was negative about this challenge?

What are some new things that you learned about yourself in this unit? (think about time management, organization, speaking in front of your peers, reading out loud, writing skills, meeting deadlines, trying something new, learning about Greek Literature and the Greek Theatre, your comfort level with competition etc.)

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Parent / Guardian Feedback: (5 points)

1. Looking over your child’s Oedipus Unit packet and self-reflection feedback. What has surprised you about your child’s journey in Unit One of Sophomore Literature?

2. Looking over the activities that your child completed, what about your child’s work has impressed you the most?

3. If you were to give your child any advice about how to be successful in this Literature course, what would you say?

4. Did your child share their learning about this unit with you? If so, what was their feedback? If not, then take the time to ask your child how they enjoyed the Oedipus Rex unit and write their response here:

Parent / Guardian Signature________________________________________________________________Date_____________ Parent / Guardian printed name_______________________________________________________________

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