Oedipus the King

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

Background

B. Oedipus Family Tree

Plot – unity of action

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

II. Major Themes

A Psychological (continued)

2. child pays for the sins of the father

3. Pride

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

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?)

Fate or Free Will

• 4. Fate and Free Will –

– They interact: one creates

the other

– Greeks had no trouble with

the paradox

Fate or Free Will

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.

III. CharactersA. Oedipus: he thinks he knows

who he is

B. Jocasta

C. Creon

III. Characters

D. Tieresius

E. Chorus

F. Messenger

G. Shepherd/Soldier

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!

IV. Style

C. Eyes—sight—blindness symbolism

D. Use of Irony

1. symmetrical—

2. structural--

(see list)

IV. Style

E. Symbolism mountain1. Setting –

Thebes Corinth

2. Crossroads

3. Sphynx

4. Tiresias

5. Swollen feet

Conclusion: The Big Why

What makes Oedipus Rex great?

1. depth of understanding

-- human nature

-- human suffering

-- the universal

questions