Sophocles and Many More

Sophocles: Sophocles is a writer who lived in ancient Greek at around 400 B.C. He wrote 123 plays in his life time and only about 7 of them have survived. He also competed in about 30 festival competitions and won about 24 of them. He died at about the age of 90 and it is unknown on how he died.


     Oedipus Rex (Play): Oedipus Rex is an Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles and pro formed in 429 B.C. This play was the the second of three Theban plays. The play is a classic tragedy where the characters own fault leads to his downfall instead of having fate being the only cause of his fall.


Oedipus Rex (Man): Oedipus Rex is a man who's fate is to kill his father and marry his mother. Like anyone Oedipus try's to avoid this fate. These actions that Oedipus takes later come back and the prophecy is fulfilled due to those actions. As you can see fate is not the only thing that fulfills this but it is also Oedipus's chooses that help.

Oedipus Rex (Myth): Many variations of this myth are referenced by many ancient Greek poets such as Homer. The most popular version is comes from a set of Theban plays by Sophocles. It shows how a characters own chooses effect his decided fate to fulfill it. As Oedipus try's to run from his fate ultimately he confronts it and fulfills it.

Tragedy: Aristotelian tragedy is a form of Greek tragedy that meets the requirements laid out by poetics. It also follows the concept of tragic hero where the hero's decisions ultimately lead to his downfall. It also includes the idea that every tragedy must have six parts and those parts are, plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, melody.

Hubris: Hubris means extreme pride or arrogance. It also refers to the overestimation of ones capability's or accomplishments. We can see that in Oedipus Rex Oedipus is hubris and believes that if he runs away he will be able to escape his fate. Hubris also relates to other plays with the tragic hero where the hero overestimates his ability to change his fate. 


Greek Theater: Greek theaters are usually built open and outside. Usually they are built by a sanctuary because of dramas close connection to religion. Important aspects of Greek theater are the costumes and masks the performers wear and also the orchestra and what they play. 

Dramatic Irony: Dramatic irony is where the audience knows a important piece of information that the character doesn't. There are three stages of dramatic irony, they are preparation, suspension, and resolution. We can see this irony in Oedipus, Oedipus does not now that he is running to his birth parents and does not know who they are. 


Teiresias: Teiresias is a blind prophet for Apollo from Greek mythology. He is a prophet in Thebes and is famous for being transformed into a women for seven years. He was the son of shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo. He appeared in many Greek tragedy's  including Oedipus Rex. 

Fate: Fate is when your path in life is already decided for you when you are born. This was a big concept in ancient Greek and made a big impact on plays and tragedy's. The Greeks believed that you have a chosen path for you but you can know this path by asking prophets of the gods.