Download Sophocles – The Theban Plays

The Theban Plays -By Sophocles
King Oedipus
Sophocles – The Theban Plays
King Oedipus
Sophocles 496 BC-406 BC {approx}
Sophocles – Historical Analysis
Born at Colonus near Athens
Sophocles – Historical Analysis
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The most famous Greek tragedies – The Theban Plays
He wrote over 123 plays in his life, 118 titles are known and only 7 survive
Compared to Shakespeare who wrote 36-39 plays in his lifetime
Was considered to be an extremely good – natured man
Sophocles – Historical Analysis
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Father - Sophillus
Not an aristocrat – but a very wealthy man
Sophocles was given an excellent education
He took part in many competitions and won many
At 16 he was chosen to lead a boys choir
He entered many Athenian play competitions
At 28 he won a competition against the great
Aeschylus
Greek Theatre
Oedipus the King – Background information
• King Oedipus is the end of a dramatically long story
• Myth begins a few generations before Oedipus was born
• The city of Thebes was founded by a man named Cadmus, who slew
a dragon and was instructed to sow the dragon's teeth in order to
give birth to a city. From these teeth sprang a race of giants who
were fully armed and angry; they fought each other until only five
were left, and these five became the fathers of Thebes. Ancient
Greek audiences would already know the background, and in fact
the entirety, of the Oedipus story.
Oedipus
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The name Oedipus will be recognized from Sigmund Freud's famous
"Oedipus Complex”
• His theory that young boys lust after their mothers and see their fathers as
competition for their mothers' favors.
• Sigmund Freud’s theory was heavily derived from the Sophocles play.
However this theory is not helpful to the play. Oedipus is not a child when
Sophocles’ play takes place
• Oedipus is that he is unaware of the identity of his parents when he
respectively murders and sleeps with them.
Oedipus the King
Masks in Theatre
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In 5th Century Athens plays were performed by only 2 or 3 characters. Men would
also play the characters of women.
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Think of examples of modern day plays that use masks in their performances?