SOPHOCLEAN TRAGEDY

Sophocles. The Man.

The Theban Legend

Apollo's Oracle at Delphi

Great Dionysia

Great Dionysia

• Spring time | administered by the city
• modern Greek theatre developed in 5th cent. BCE
• 5 comedies
• 3 Tetralogy (3 tragedies + 1 satyr play)
• "Satyrism"

Great Dionysia

• Preliminary Procession - Satyrism
• Religious ceremonies before each performance
• Performances were a competition
• Clarification on Maenads
• Not what you think they are.

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• Thymele: altar in Orchestra
• Proscenium: raised platform above orchestra
• Skene Bldg: above Orchestra, background
• Parascenium: wings; "green room"
• Parados: aisles used by Chorus

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Structure of a Play

• Prologos
• Parados
• Stasimon (Choral Ode)(Strophe vs Antistrophe)
• Episode | Stasimon (Choral Ode)
• Exodos

PROLOGOS
action before
sets up the play
mythological background

PARADOS
song sung by the chorus as it first enters, dances
comments on PROLOGOS

EPISODE
action takes place
characters and Chorus speak
plot propelled forward

STASIMON
(choral ode)
connects episodes
Chorus sings and dances
comments on action

STASIMON
two parts
Strophe: East to West
Antistrophe: West to East

EXODOS
Chorus sings a song
words of wisdom based on
action of the play
Chorus exits

CHORUS + MASKS

persona | backbone

Characteristics

• ~15 men
• sang lyric poetry and danced to music
• unpaid, a civic duty
• trained and costumed / masked
• wore the dress of the people they rep.

Functions of the Chorus

• linked audience/actors ("ideal spectator")
• provided tension release
• reflected, foreshadowed, asked questions
• advised central characters
• help establish the MOOD

Functions of the Chorus

• reminded audience of chief action
• both "in" and "outside" the play
• separated episodes/action
• interacts with characters through a spokesman

TRAGIC HERO usually has a serious fault (a tragic flaw/HAMARTIA),
or makes a grave decision (dilemma) that leads to CATASTROPHE

This HAMARTIA is often realized as HUBRIS
excessive pride/confidence

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PERIPETEIA

ANAGNORISIS

CATHARSIS: a cleansing or purifying of emotion.
The protagonist, a person of nobility, must make a moral decision, which in turn influences the outcome of the drama.

The terror and pity felt by the audience produces CATHARSIS

Deus ex Machina: a god from a machine
the practice of ending a drama with a god who was lowered to the stage by a mechanical apparatus

by his judgment and commands, solved the problems of the human characters

Deus ex Machina now refers to an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation or causing events to be initiated; in other words, a contrived plot device in a play or novel.

Setting Up Your Script

• Prologos: (25)
• Parados: (30)
• 1st Ep: (31) 1st Stas: (39)
• 2nd Ep: (39) 2nd Stas: (49)
• 3rd Ep: (50) 3rd Stas: (56)
• 4th Ep: (56) 4th Stas: (59)
• 5th Ep: (59)
• Exodos: (68)

Setting Up Antigone

• Prologos: (126)
• Parados: (129)
• 1st Ep: (130) 1st Stas: (135)
• 2nd Ep: (136) 2nd Stas: (142)
• 3rd Ep: (143) 3rd Stas: (147)
• 4th Ep: (148) 4th Stas: (151)
• 5th Ep: (152) 5th Stats: (156)
• 6th Ep: (157) Exodos: (162)

BLUE: Pro-Parados GREEN: 1st Ep/Stas ORANGE: 2nd Ep/Stas
ONYX: 3rd Ep/Stas
PURPLE: 1st Hubris
RED: 2nd SILVER: 3rd

Prologos

• Oedipus questions priest
• Priest introduces plague
• Creon says Laius' killer is in Thebes
• Oedipus will find him!

Parados

• Chorus prays to gods
• Chorus asks gods to vanquish Death
• Thebes is suffering
• Pray to APollo, Athena, Euoe, spec.

1st Episode

• Oedipus calls on Teiresias (33)
• Blind prophet outs Oedipus as killer (35)
• Oedipus suspects Creon is scheming (36)
• Teiresias warns Oedipus (38)
• Oedipus denies his guilt (38)

1st Stasimon

• "Apollo speaks through Teiresias and denounces Oedipus" 
• "We cannot believe, we cannot deny" OXYMORON
• Chorus thinks Oedious is completely good (39)

Hubris in the 1st Episode

• Oed. denies Teiresias (prophet)
• Therefore, denies Apollo's message
• Continues to praise himself
• bring others down

2nd Episode

• Creon denies his guilt (39-40)
• Creon understands the accusation
• Oedipus is still salty
• Creon explains his proof (41)
• Jocasta enters (43), takes Creon's side

2nd Episode

• Jocasta explains where Laius was going (45)
• Killed where three roads meet
• Not by the child with riveted ankles (45)
• Absolve yourself at once!
• Oedipus confesses to retaliation (48)

2nd Stasimon

• "Pride breeds the Tyrant"
• "From casted height Pride tables to the pit" (49)
• Shall he who is hubristic escape punishment? (50)`
• Chorus mentions that Apollo 's name has been denied
• "there is no godliness in all mankind"

Hubris in the 2nd Episode

• continuously confident that he is correct
• Insists that Creon is scheming

3rd Episode

• Jocasta goes to pray to Apollo (50)
• Messenger/Shepherd enters, seeking Oedipus
• "Polybus is dead, Oedipus is now king of Corinth"
• Oedipus didn't kill his "father"; adopted! (51-53)
• "Polybus is no kin of yours" (53)

3rd Episode

• Send for OUR shepherd! (54-55)
• Jocasta ghosts (goes white) (55)
• Jocasta begs Oedipus to stop! (55)
• Oedipus' hubris gets in the way

3rd Stasimon

• We will find out who Oedipus really is
• Is our master of the gods (56)?
• Is he Mt. Cithaeron's son?
• Optimistic tone...hmm...

Hubris in the 3rd Episode

• "nothing to fear. though I be slave-born" (55)
• Oedipus thinks Jocasta is concerned about his being a slave
• Oedipus is blinded by his hubris/confidence

Recognition + Cleansing

• Moment of ANAGNORISIS - recognition?
• Scene of PATHOS - suffering?
• CATHARSIS - cleansing?

Setting Up Antigone

• Prologos: (126)
• Parados: (129)
• 1st Ep: (130) 1st Stas: (135)
• 2nd Ep: (136) 2nd Stas: (142)
• 3rd Ep: (143) 3rd Stas: (147)
• 4th Ep: (148) 4th Stas: (151)
• 5th Ep: (152) 5th Stats: (156)
• 6th Ep: (157) Exodos: (162)

HAMARTIA in ANTIGONE
even through the first episode, what lines deeply characterize Antigone/Creon? hint at hamartia?

CREON v ANTIGONE

2nd Episode (136-142)

• Antigone versus Creon's laws (137-138)
• Creon's reaction to Antigone (139) and the unashamed Antigone (140)
• Death sentence (142)
• Chorus response? (142)

3rd Episode (143-147)

• The DUTIFUL CHILD? (143-144)
• Haemon as VOICE of the city (144-145)
• "It is no weakness" (145/131)
• "Therefore I say..." (145)
• "...listen to wise advice" (145)
• Creon responsible to HIMSELF not the PEOPLE of Thebes?
• A ONE-MAN STATE? What is that? (146)

4th Episode

5th Episode

ANAGNORISIS

EXODOS