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    Greek Tragedy

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    Mahek Patel
    Oedipus Rex follows many conventions of ancient Greek tragedy. It tells the story of the flawed hero Oedipus who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother, fulfilling a prophecy that he had tried to avoid. Much of the violent action occurs off-stage and is described through dialogue or by the chorus. The gods, such as Apollo, intervene in the story and Oedipus' fate is driven by his tragic flaw of pride and his efforts to uncover the mystery of the plague striking Thebes. The play builds to a catastrophe where Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus blinds himself before being exiled, demonstrating the central Greek belief that fate cannot be escaped.

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    Greek Tragedy

    Uploaded by

    Mahek Patel
    31 views2 pages
    Oedipus Rex follows many conventions of ancient Greek tragedy. It tells the story of the flawed hero Oedipus who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother, fulfilling a prophecy that he had tried to avoid. Much of the violent action occurs off-stage and is described through dialogue or by the chorus. The gods, such as Apollo, intervene in the story and Oedipus' fate is driven by his tragic flaw of pride and his efforts to uncover the mystery of the plague striking Thebes. The play builds to a catastrophe where Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus blinds himself before being exiled, demonstrating the central Greek belief that fate cannot be escaped.

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    features of greek tragedy

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    greek tragedy

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    Oedipus Rex follows many conventions of ancient Greek tragedy. It tells the story of the flawed hero Oedipus who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother, fulfilling a prophecy that he had tried to avoid. Much of the violent action occurs off-stage and is described through dialogue or by the chorus. The gods, such as Apollo, intervene in the story and Oedipus' fate is driven by his tragic flaw of pride and his efforts to uncover the mystery of the plague striking Thebes. The play builds to a catastrophe where Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus blinds himself before being exiled, demonstrating the central Greek belief that fate cannot be escaped.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as TXT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as txt, pdf, or txt
    31 views2 pages

    Greek Tragedy

    Uploaded by

    Mahek Patel
    Oedipus Rex follows many conventions of ancient Greek tragedy. It tells the story of the flawed hero Oedipus who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother, fulfilling a prophecy that he had tried to avoid. Much of the violent action occurs off-stage and is described through dialogue or by the chorus. The gods, such as Apollo, intervene in the story and Oedipus' fate is driven by his tragic flaw of pride and his efforts to uncover the mystery of the plague striking Thebes. The play builds to a catastrophe where Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus blinds himself before being exiled, demonstrating the central Greek belief that fate cannot be escaped.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as TXT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as txt, pdf, or txt
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    Oedipus rex as a greek drama

    Greek tragedy is a genre of theatre written down by playwrights like Aeschylus and
    Sophocles have their roots in ritualistic celebration often involving dance and
    choral singing to appeal to the gods. Tragedy performances usually involved a mix
    of song and spoken dialogue to tell a story, with the all-important chorus filling
    both a ritualistic and storytelling role.
    here are some features of greek drama which tell that Oedipus rex is also one :

    1. Off-Stage Violence and Action


    While each play typically took place in a single location like a palace or temple,
    much of the action, particularly the violent scenes, took place off stage and were
    relayed wither by chorus or dialogues. in oedipus rex the entire play takes place
    in the palace of Thebes. violent scenes like oedipus killng king lauis were said in
    dialouges and jocasta hanging herself as well as oedipus blinding himself with
    jocastas pin were relayed by the messenger.

    2. A Mix of Human Characters and Deities


    Most Greek tragedies presented human figures, usually, the flawed hero, grappling
    with his flaws (popular ones were: rage, a desire for revenge, and pridefulness.)
    The plays often featured the intervention of various gods and goddesses, who were
    presented as characters in the story, either helping or hindering the hero's
    journey.
    in oedipus rex the flawed hero oedipus was known to be arrogant and prideful
    rulership. in the play we saw oedipus seeking from apollo knows to be the god of
    truth and prophecy m wimysteryy of the plague that has been spreading around the
    kingdom.

    3. Trilogies and Three Act Structures


    Except for Sophocles, who would later write single-part plays, many were stories
    told over three plays, a trilogy, devoted to the story of a single hero or family.
    Each play, in turn, was divided into three acts. The acts usually took place in a
    single location but involved distinct episodes using either the chorus or actors to
    move the story along.

    Within the trilogy format, each set of plays presented a story involving a tragic
    hero. While they are usually centred around a central hero, we also see parts of
    the story that set up the presentation of the hero in subsequent parts of the
    trilogy. every greek play follows a format with three acts in one part, usually
    involving these key elements:

    Sudden Reversal
    Many Greek tragedies involve a sudden reversal of fortune for the flawed hero, a
    point at which either the deities' involvement or his tragic flaws (sometimes both)
    change his fortune suddenly and propel the plot towards his downfall. Oedipus
    leaves his foster house to stop the intervention of fate which ultimately leads to
    his own downfall. also his

    Resolution
    While the tragic hero usually falls victim to his flaw or fate, there is usually
    some sort of transformation in the final act. This resolution presented in the
    final act allows the hero some sort of forgiveness or transformative knowledge of
    either the world or himself.
    1. Tragic Hero

    A tragic hero is a person of High rank who accepts his or her downfall with
    dignity. For example; Oedipus Rex (Oedipus Rex by Sophocles).
    2. Tragic Flaw

    An error in judgment or a weakness in character such as pride or arrogance (helps


    bring about the hero's downfall). For example; pride, and curiosity of Oedipus,
    were the main causes of his downfall.

    3. Catastrophe

    A tragedy ends with a catastrophe; a disastrous conclusion that usually involves


    multiple deaths. If the tragic hero does not die, then he/she suffers destruction.
    For example; In Oedipus Rex, the queen of Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus stabs
    his eyes pleading to be exiled.

    4. Chorus

    throughout a tragedy, a chorus (a mass group of actors) observes and comments on


    the action through songs. For example; in Oedipus Rex, they provide an environment
    that underscores the tragic action. They also play a role as a character being a
    peacemaker and instil a sense of fear.

    5. Central Belief; Fate

    The ancient Greeks believed in the idea of fate or a destiny preordained by the
    Gods, no matter what action a person takes place in the present. For example; In
    Oedipus Rex; Oedipus, Jocasta, and Laius tried their best to get away from their
    prophecies which were given to them by oracles but fate triumphed and they fail.

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