1. Greek Drama
Background for Oedipus
rex and Antigone
A greek play by Sophocles

2. Why does Ms. List love Ancient Greece
so much? Because she studied the
classics in college and they Rule!!

3. The Basics
 Greek drama occurred during the “Golden Age” of
Greece: 500 to 300 B.C.
 Tragedies were produced as part of a religious
festival for Dionysus (god of wine and fertility)
every year in Athens.
 Awards were given to the playwright who
presented the best series of three dramas (we still
have festivals like this! Sundance Film Festival, for
example)

4. Greek Tragedy
 Involves intense
emotion, a horrible
truth that leads to
catharsis – the
cleansing or getting
rid of bad emtions
 In a tragic play, the
hero is brought to his
downfall by a flaw in
his character – the
tragic Flaw!
 The tragic flaw is also
called hamartia, the
error in judgement or
the critical mistake
 Hubris=excessive pride
(sound familiar?)

5. Greek comedy
 Always involves
a happy ending
where things
are resolved
 In contrast,
tragedies
always have a
very sad ending

6. The tragic Hero
 Oedipus and Antigone
are our tragic heroes
– we feel sorry for
them because they
suffer and fear
because what
happened to him is
part of the human
condition
 The tragic hero
usually ends in death
or destruction

7. Dramatic irony
 One of the most  (Irony is a
important elements
in this play is contrast
dramatic irony – between what
where the audience is expected,
knows something
that the and what
characters don’t actually
 Watch for this as happens)
we read!

8. So Who is this
Sophocles guy?
 Sophocles was one
of 3 great Greek
tragic playwrights
(b. 496 B.C.)
 Wrote over 100
plays
 Awarded first prize
about 20 times…
never lower than
second place
 First to add a third
actor to cast

9. Quick notes on oedipus rex
 First in a series of
three plays
(Antigone &
Oedipus at
colonus)
 Takes place in
Thebes (greece)
 depict the curse of
Oedipus
 Sophocles did not
come up with the
story on his own, it
was an ancient
greek myth

10. Oedipus Cast
 Oedipus (King)
 Jocasta (wife)
 Tiresias (prophet)
Creon (brother)
 Senators
 Messenger
 Old man

11. Structure of
Greek Tragedy
and the Role of
the Chorus
What you need to know
when reading Oedipus Rex

12. The awesome amphitheater

13.  Plays were performed in HUGE outdoor
amphitheatres that could seat 40,000
people (Yankee Stadium seats 52, 325)
 No microphones! But you can hear a penny
drop from all the way at the top!

14. Cast And action
 All actors were men. They wore masks to
depict which characters they were.
 There were no scene changes (no
backstage!)
 The audience knew the story ahead of time.
The emotion of the characters was what
they came to see.
 Violent action took place offstage (I.e.
audience had to imagine it). Messengers
then told the audience what happened.

15. Unity of Time, Place, and
Action
 Greek plays were much different
from the films we are used to:
 The unity of action: Play follows one
main storyline with no or few subplots.
 The unity of place: play occurs in a
single place and does not change
setting (the stage represents one place)
 The unity of time: the action in a play
should take place over no more than 24
hours.

16. So what is the chorus?
 The chorus was a group of 12-15 men who
sang and danced during the plays.
 They often represent the community’s
thoughts but not necessarily the poet’s
thoughts.
 In Oedipus Rex, the chorus is made of
senators – wise old guys!

17. Chorus

18. Chorus

19. The Role of the Chorus
 To set the mood of the play and tell us the
themes
 To interpret the action in relation to the
law of the state and the law of the Olympian
gods
 To divide the action and offer reflection on
events
 To give background information
 (Think of it like you have all your
grandparents, aunts, and uncles sitting
around commenting on your life)

20. Structure of Tragedy
 A Greek Tragedy alternates between
odes and episodes
 It goes: Ode-->Episode-->Ode-->Episode--
>Ode….you get it
 Odes are songs sung by the chorus
to comment on the action
 Episodes are when characters talk
together (Dialogue)

21. In more detail…
 Prologue: The first part of the play that give
background information.
 Strophe: Chorus sings while walking Right to Left
 Antistrophe: Chorus sings while walking Left to
Right
 Choral Ode: At the end of each episode, the
other characters leave the stage and the chorus
sings!

22. The End
 Exodos: At the end of play, the chorus exits
singing a processional song which usually
offers words of wisdom related to the actions
and outcome of the play.
 This is the “moral” of the story where the chorus
tells us what we were have supposed to learn
from the characters

23. Oedipus Rex = Tragic Hero
 “ Man of high
standard
who falls
from that
high because
of a flaw
that has
affected
many ” -

24. The Tragic Hero
 A dynamic
(round)
character
others respect
and admire
 Nearly perfect

25. Tragic FlawWho has she
been sleeping
The hero is nearly with?
perfect-
 Has one flaw or
weakness
 Tragic flaw
 Hubris
 Flaw brings
hero down
 Reversal of
fortune

26. Catharsis
 Audience’s
purging of
emotions
through pity and
fear.
 The spectator
is purged as a
result of
watching the
hero fall.

27. Before you read
 Prologue – pg 158  2nd episode – pg 188
 1st ode – pg 168  Choral Dialogue –
pg 197
 1st Episode – pg 171
 3rd Ode – pg 209
 2nd ode – pg 186

30. Riddle:
 What walks
on four
legs in the
morning,
two legs at
noon, and
three legs
in the
evening?

31. Oedipus Rex
 King of thebes, Prophecy
 Plague on the city: whoever
killed last king Laius has to
leave or die
 Oedipus accused by tiresias
 Oedipus suspicious of creon
 Jocasta says prophecies are
stupid

32. Oedipus Continued
 Messenger comes to say
Polybus is dead
 Polybus = Not the father
 Jocasta realizes the prophecy is
true!
 How will it all turn out when
your mom is your wife and you’ve
killed your dad?

33. The Oedipus
Family Tree
More Like the
Family Stick!

34. King Oedipus married
Queen Jocasta (his mother-
ewww!)
They had 4 children (Eww):
-Eteocles -Antigone
-Polynices -Ismene
/ /
Sons Daughters
(O’s brothers?) (O’s sisters?)
Fight for Thebes Go back to Thebes
Cursed by dying father
Kill each other

35. King Creon of Thebes married
Queen Eurydice
Creon is Oedipus’ uncle, Jocasta’s
brother (also Oedipus’ brother-
in-law)
They have two sons:
Megareus Haemon
/ /
dies during betrothed to Antigone,
siege of Thebes his cousin

37. Antigone

39. Exit Slip!
 How is a tragedy different from a comedy?
 What is dramatic irony?
 Who is our tragic hero? Why is he tragic?
 Where does our story take place?
 Challenge: what is catharsis?

40. Enduring Understanding
 To what degree will you go to
preserve self-interest versus
acting on behalf of the
common good?

41. Do Now
 Answer Journal questions 5
and 6 in your packet

42. Objective
 Swbat define theme
 SWBAT analyze the themes of
antigone by discussing enduring
questions
 Product: A written statement of
at least one theme in Antigone

43. Agenda
 Do Now
 Group Reading
 New material – Theme
 Gallery Walk – The me s o f A o ne
ntig
 Independent Practice – Write yo ur
o wn the me o f A o ne
ntig

44. Theme - Definition
 - A truth about human nature
 Expressed in 1 sentence
 Derived From (pulled from) the
literature

45. Definition Ex: Music Ex: Politics

46. How to find your
subjects and themes
Subject Single word, idea in the story
Question 1: Does a character state the theme?
Question 2: Look at the title
Theme Question 3: Use the subjects and symbols as a starting
point: What is the author trying to say about this subject?
What does the symbol represent?
Question 4: Look at the main conflict. What forces are
pitted against one another? Why? How is the conflict
resolved? What can we learn from that?
Question 5: What happens to the main character? How
do his decisions and actions affect his life? What can we
learn from that?

47. Prove it!
 You must check yourself:
 Can you prove that the theme applies
to the whole text?
 Can you find specific examples in the
text that help prove your theme?
 Prove it = 2-3 sentences that give
evidence for your theme!

48. Lil’ Wayne: “Tie My Hands”
They try to tell me keep my eyes open
My whole city under water, some people still floatin’…
Take away the football team, the basketball team,
Now all we got is me to represent New Orleans
No governor, no help from the mayor
Just a steady beatin’ heart, a wish, and a prayer
Music

49. Katy Perry: “Hot N
Cold”
Cause you’re hot then you’re cold, you’re yes then
you’re no. You’re in then you’re out, you’re up and
you’re down.You’re wrong when it’s right, you’re
black when it’s white. We fight, we break up. We kiss,
we make up.
Roller-coaster
relationships and
Theme:
fickle partners are
frustrating
Music

50. Neyo: “Miss Independent”
She got her own thing, that’s why I love her
Miss Independent, oooh the way we shine
Miss Independent
Oh there’s somethin’ about
kinda woman that can do for herself
I look at her and it makes me proud
There’s somethin’ about her
Independent women
Theme: deserve love and
respect
Music

51. F. Scott Fitzgerald
“The Great Gatsby”
"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--they smashed
up things and creatures and then retreated back into their
money of their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that
kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess
they had made."
Tom and Daisy Wealth makes people
Subject: Theme:
leaving town careless and selfish
Politics

52. Your Turn
Gallery Walk (10 min):
On the back table, there are pages with the
essential questions of Antigone. As you walk, jot down
your thoughts about how we see this in the play, and
any beginning thoughts of themes that may be
connected to it.
Noise level = silence
Let everyone concentrate!
Literature

53. Essential Question
#1
Is it more important to
be right than to be
happy?

54. Essential Question
#2
Is it our responsibility
to rebel against and
break an unjust law?

55. Essential Question
#3
What price should a
person be willing to
pay if he/she breaks
an unjust law?
What would you have done if
you were antigone?

56. Essential Question
#4
Can a leader show
uncertainty and
maintain leadership?
What would you have done if
you were Creon?

57. Essential Question
#5
What point is Sophocles
trying to make about
pride? How does
Hubris affect both
creon and antigone?

58. Essential Question
#6
Who decides which “laws”
are to be obeyed? What
are the differences
between the laws of the
gods and the laws of man?