Background notes on the society, religion, and culture of the era in which Oedipus Rex was performed for the first time.

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Melvyn Hector McKinney
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1 Greek Tragedy Background notes on the society, religion, and culture of the era in which Oedipus Rex was performed for the first time. Oedipus Rex was performed for the first time in Athens, Greece in 460 BCE.

2 Dionysus The Greek god of wine, winemaking, religious ecstasy, fertility, & theater

3 Dionysus is the Greek god of: Wine & winemaking Ritual madness & religious ecstasy Fertility The theater

4 Dionysus is related to theater because in Ancient Greece, the citizens would honor the god by performing dramatic plays. Plays were often performed at festivals. The plays were often accompanied by other ritualistic offerings to the god.

5 In addition to performing plays Greeks worshiped Dionysus during grape harvesting festivals by: Drinking wine Offering animal sacrifices Pouring out libations Performing poetry and songs (in addition to dramatic performances) Participating in parades

6 Ancient Athens A time of cultural and political prosperity

7 Ancient Greece: The Classical Age Also known as the Hellenic Period Most of the 5th and 4th centuries BCE 510 BCE 323 BCE (From the fall of the last Athenian tyrant to the death of Alexander the Great)

8 The Classical Age: A Golden Time We are focusing on Ancient Athens Democracy Hegemony The Arts Science Public Works Logic & Mathematics

Athenian Democracy A governing system for the Polis and its surrounding land of Attica Direct democracy: every eligible voter casts a vote on bills and

9 Athenian Democracy A governing system for the Polis and its surrounding land of Attica Direct democracy: every eligible voter casts a vote on bills and legislation Only adult, male citizens can vote: 30,000-50,000 citizens out of a total 300,000 people Drama often impacted popular opinion and therefore the way men voted.

10 The Dionysian Festival How the Greeks honored Dionysus

11 The City Dionysia Held in March of each year in Athens to celebrate Dionysus The Pompe: A parade of citizens, visitors from colonies, and statues The Proagon: The pre-contest during which judges were chosen, benefactors were honored Sacrifice & purification of the theater: A bull was slaughtered The dramatic performances!

12 Purposes of the Festival Because of an outbreak of syphilis, the Greeks thought Dionysus was angry at them. The festival was a way to show respect toward the god. 1) To please Dionysus 2) To commune with people from other regions 3) To sway political preferences via dramatic performance

13 Who Attended? Athenian citizens Travelers from the surrounding area (Attica) Warriors & dignitaries Men & women

14 The Tragedians The men who wrote the plays

15 Aeschylus BCE The oldest of the three tragedians Wrote the story of Agamemnon He introduced a second actor! He is considered the father of modern drama

16 Sophocles ~ The Important One! BCE He won more competitions than any other playwright He wrote 123 plays, 7 of which we have in their entirety He introduced a third actor! He wrote Oedipus Rex

17 Euripides BCE Younger, but a contemporary of Sophocles He rarely won, with only 4 total wins He did not fundamentally change the structure of plays, but he was the first to treat heroes as ordinary people

18 What do they have in common? They all wrote tragedies They all won competitions We still read their plays today!

19 What made them unique? Aeschylus only used two actors Sophocles introduced a third actor Euripides told the stories of ordinary men

20 Components of a Greek Tragedy 6 acts long A choral ode is sung between acts. The ode reflects how the audience should be reacting to the play s events. The tragic hero is the center of the action. The characters are usually already known to the audience from Greek mythology.

21 The Physical Theater Where the dramatic festivals took place

22 The Theater of Dionysus The theater could seat about 17,000.

23 Props Invented for the Theater The mechane was invented to lower a god or goddess into a scene. This prop was used to create a deus ex machina, which is when a god descends on a scene to solve a character s problems.

24 Props Invented for the Theater The ekkyklema was invented to roll dead bodies onto the stage. Kill scenes never took place in front of the audience. They always happened off stage and then the evidence would be brought back into view on this rolling bed.

25 Masks were worn to: Act as megaphones To allow one actor to play multiple parts Create exaggerated expressions that could be seen from far away.

26 The Tragic Hero

27 Aristotle says a tragedy has to: 1. Imitate a serious and complete action 2. That action has to be of a certain magnitude (important) 3. Use language that is over the top 4. Deal with R-rated topics without being crass 5. Arouse pity and fear in the audience

28 Aristotle defines a tragic hero as: 1. A man of great importance (like a king or a prince) 2. Someone with excessive pride (hubris) 3. Someone who experiences an error of judgment (hamartia) 4. Someone who causes his own reversal of fortune 5. Someone who receives a punishment that is greater than what he deserves

29 Catharsis: (n.) the release of, and thereby the relief from, strong or repressed emotions Crying Screaming Exercising Laughing

Background Information for Antigone

Background Information for Antigone Political Climate in Athens! Intellectual Inquiry! radical ideas! democracy! philosophy! arts & sciences! Religious Tradition! dictated thinking! controlled behavior