Oedipus Rex (Man): In
Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is the king of Thebes. He is extremely intelligent and has a canny ability to solve riddles, and because of his ego he is blind. He is given the prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his father. What he doesn't know is that the parents he thinks are his aren't actually his birth parents. On his way to Thebes, where he is fleeing from his prophecy to, he kills his biological father (he doesn't know it is him) and ends up marrying his biological mother, following the prophecy.
Oedipus Rex (Play): This very popular play takes place in Thebes with Oedipus as a stranger. The town is under the curse of a sphinx, who will not free the town until her riddle is solved. Oedipus solves the riddle and becomes king and marries the queen. Later, he finds out that he is actually
originally Theban and he has killed his father and married his mother. He ends up blinding himself and leaves Thebes forever.
Oedipus Rex (Myth): The myth of Oedipus is said to have been that Oedipus was saved from being tortured by his mother and father, and so he was adopted into a neighboring kingdom. Later on, he learns of his prophecy stating that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Horrified, he runs away in hopes of never coming to that. Even though he ran away from his adoptive parents (alas, he did not know they were not his real ones) the prophecy came true when he got in a fight with his biological father and killed him, and then married the widow: his mother.
Hubris: Hubris can be a dangerous characteristic to the beholder. To engage in hubris is to tempt fate. For example, hubris caused Icarus to fly too close to the sun. Hubris is arrogance and in Greek mythology it was seen as "presumption towards the gods", as well as being punishable. Hubris reflects complete disregard for forces in the universe that bring the "mighty low".
Sophocles: Sophocles was a very well-regarded playwright from his time (Ancient Greece). Starting from an early age, he was thought of as good-looking and well-rounded, enjoying music, sports, education. He was elected to offices due to his popularity, and since Athens was a democracy, this influenced his thinking and writing. When a playwright, he introduced a third actor to plays, disregarded the three-part play custom, and also introduced painted background sets.
Greek theater: Ancient Greek theater was the beginning of modern western theater. Different forms of tragedy, comedy, and satyr plays originate from the Greek theater. Only men who were citizens of Athens were allowed to be actors, or even attend plays at that. They would wear masks so the audience could know what character they were portraying.
Dramatic irony: Dramatic irony is a literary device used to pull emotion from the audience towards the actors. In Oedipus, the audience knows Oedipus' actions are mistakes long before he figures it out. Another example of extreme dramatic irony would be Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet play. Romeo commits suicide when he thinks his lover, Juliet, is dead. However, the audience (unfortunately, not Romeo) knows she is only sleeping.
Aristotle: Aristotle was an Ancient Greek philosopher. Born in Stagira, Greece, he studied at Plato's Academy. He tutored King Phillip II's son and Alexander the Great. His philosophy stresses biology (unlike Plato, who stressed mathematics), as he wrote several works over animals. Some of his most famous ideas include syllogism (a type of reasoning), the five elements, the four causes of everything that happens, astronomy (he determined the earth was round), and the "mean" (doing everything in moderation).
Tragedy:
Tragedy is defined as the downfall of a hero, usually through some combination of hubris, fate, and the will of gods.
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Fate: Fate is defined as a supposed force, principle, or power that predetermines events. In Greek mythology, the three Fates were the three goddesses who controlled people's fates. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos would measure, spin, and cut pieces of thread that resembled peoples' fates.
Tiresias: In Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet of Thebes. He accidentally came across Athena while she was bathing, so she blinded him. Athena gave him the gift of prophecy to compensate for his blindness because his mother pleaded with the goddess. He gave prophecies to heroes such as Hercules, Odysseus, Oedipus, and Pentheus.
