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ENG 202: DRAMA
The Tragedy of Oedipus Rex by
Sophocles
Drama
•
drama The general term for performances in which actors impersonate the
actions and speech of fictional or historical characters (or non-human
entities) for the entertainment of an audience, either on a stage or by means
of a broadcast; or a particular example of this art, i.e. a play. Drama is
usually expected to represent stories showing situations of conflict between
characters, although the monodrama is a special case in which only one
performer speaks. Drama is a major genre of literature, but includes nonliterary forms (in mime ), and has several dimensions that lie beyond the
domain of the literary dramatist or playwright (see mise en scène ). The
major dramatic genres in the West are comedy and tragedy , but several
other kinds of dramatic work fall outside these categories (see drame ,
history play, masque, melodrama, morality play, mystery play,
tragicomedy ). Dramatic poetry is a category of verse composition for
theatrical performance; the term is now commonly extended, however, to
non-theatrical poems that involve a similar kind of impersonation, as in the
closet drama and the dramatic monologue . For introductory accounts,
consult Simon Shepherd and Mick Wallis , Drama/Theatre/Performance (
2004 ) and John Lennard and Mary Luckhurst , The Drama Handbook ( 2002
).
Tragedy
•
tragedy (i.e. tragic drama), from Greek trag idia, ‘goat song’. There is no
satisfactory explanation of this name. It may have arisen because, it has
been suggested, the chorus in tragedy originally wore goat-skins, or in
connection with a goat-sacrifice, or even because there was a competition
with a goat as prize.
The Monk in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales defines the essence of tragedy as
he knew it, and as it is in most surviving Greek tragedies:
•
Tragedie is to seyn a certeyn storie,
As olde bookes maken us memorie,
Of hym that stood in greet prosperitee,
And is yfallen out of heigh degree
Into myserie, and endeth wrecchedly.
And they ben versified communely,
Of six feet, which men clepen exametron.
•
(Tragedy is, as old books inform us, a kind of story concerning someone
who has enjoyed great prosperity but has fallen from his high position into
misfortune and ends in wretchedness. Tragedies are commonly written in
verse with six feet, called hexameters.)
Origins of Tragedy
• Earliest record in 5th century b.c. from Athens
• Thought to develop from earlier Greek choral
performances
• The Greek word for actor translates to
“answerer;” thus it is thought that actors began
by answering questions the chorus asked
• Stories from Greek tragedy were almost always
from mythology and were well know in their time.
Performance of Greek Tragedy
• Held as part of religious celebrations in particular, those
to the god Dionysus
• Performed outside in amphitheaters
• Audience would watch 5 plays a day
• Written at the prompting of the government and were
held as competitions—the winner was given a crown of
ivy
• The performers were male Athenian citizens.
• Usually only 3 actors in one play who would perform
several different roles.
• The Poet would also perform in his play.
• Actors wore masks and ceremonial robes.
Characteristics
• 2 parts: chorus sung in lyric meters with music
and dialogue between characters
• In general the chorus plays the part of
spectators of the action, humble in rank, taking a
limited part in but rarely initiating action,
sympathizing with one or other of the chief
characters, and commenting on or interpreting
the dramatic situation. (typically 15 members of
chorus) dance and singing
Structure
1. Prologue-before the chorus, establishes
the subject and situation
2. Parodos-chorus enters singing
3. Episodes-scenes with 2 or more actors
and the chorus
4. Stasima-chorus songs between episodes
5. Exodos-final episode
Sophocles
• 496-406 b.c.
• 7 surviving plays
• Known for complex plot
and characters
• Typically explores the
relationship between
people and the gods.
• Won numerous dramatic
competitions
• Was a citizen and welleducated
Oedipus
• Part of a trilogy: Oedipus
Tyrannus, Oedipus at Colonus,
and Antigone.
• Name actually translates to
“swollen foot”
• Oedipus is King of Thebes,
husband of Jocasta
• Story was told by Homer in
The Odyssey and Iliad
• Also a play by Aeschylus and
Eruipides
• Declared by Aristotle who
literally wrote the book on
Greek drama the greatest
tragedy
Themes
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Gods’ roles in human life
the Hero
Mortality
Fate vs. free will
Fatal/Tragic flaw
Fertility-plague on land and people
Morality
Truth-a major source of conflict
Pride
Incest
Characters
• Oedipus-strong ruler, decisive, man of action,
but rash, confident but proud,
• Creon-voice of reason, stable, is sent by
Oedipus to the Oracle so trustworthy, but quick
to banish Oedipus at the end
• The Chorus-voice of status quo, has the last
word
• Jocasta-wife of Oedipus, wife of Laius, mother of
Oedipus
• Prophet-