OEDIPUS THE KING

Introduction to the Greek Theatre

The Theban Legend

This presentation will cover:

ORIGINS:

The communal worship of Dionysus God of wine God of the theatreWHAT’S

MY ROMAN NAME?

Theatre of Dionysus

Projecting side wing of

the skene

Where actors and chorus performed. Between stage platform and the theatron.

A “viewing place” from which the Greeks watched plays.

A corridor for passage of chorus to

the orchestra.

Helped represent typical Athenians

by its commentary and formation, offers

summary of plot.

Stage house providing dressing areas for the players.

Wooden sets attached to the

skene providing background for

the play

Was used to suggest rather than represent reality.

Where processional passed to honor

Dionysus. Greek plays took on deep religious

significance.

Deus ex machina

A mechanical device that

permitted an actor, playing a god, to resolve

complex dramatic situations. The

figure floated out over the skene.

The machine was also useful in

snatching dead bodies from the

stage.

Can YOU name the parts?

Theatre at Epidarus

ORIGINS, cont’d.

Communal singing of odesChoral singingAccompanied by the sacrifice of a

GOAT TRAGEDY from Greek TRAGOIDA, or, “song of the goat”

A major purpose of the theatre in Periclean Athens was

To consider important issues or questions “Man is the measure of all things”

(Protagoras)

Sophocles the Athenian(495 - 406 B.C.)

IS MAN “THE MEASURE OF ALL THINGS”?

Sophocles used the legend of King Oedipus (known to the audience) to examine this question.

Is man the measure of all things, or

Do the gods control man’s destiny?

WHAT IS AN ORACLE?

It is both a revelation of the god’s will,

And that which is revealedThe founding of THEBES was

based on an oracle.

The God Apollo

CADMUS was the founder of THEBES.

He was directed by Apollo’s ORACLE to follow a cow into a field . . .

And where it stopped he was to establish the city of THEBES.

But even before Cadmus could establish the city, his companions were devoured by a fierce dragon.

Cadmus slew the dragon and, as Athena directed,

He sowed the dragon’s teeth in the ground prepared for the city.

From those teeth a race of giant warriors sprang forth.

They engaged in deadly combat until . . .

Only five remained.They swore their allegiance to

Cadmus and became the founders of Thebes.

THE CURSE!

Cadmus had angered Apollo by killing his favorite serpent, and, as punishment

Apollo cursed the descendents of Cadmus.

GENEAOLOGY

CADMUS begat POLYDORUS, and

POLYDORUS begat LAIUS, and

LAIUS married JOCASTA, and she bore a son (later named OEDIPUS).

Apollo’s Curse

The son of Laius and Jocasta would one day kill his father. . .

And marry his mother!Could any mortal device be proof against the god’s oracle?