Sophocles was born about 496 BC in Colonus Hippius (Athens). He was the son of a wealthy merchant and did not have to want for anything. Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived.
Oepidus Rex Man
Oedipus Rex was one of the three Theban plays Sophocles wrote. He was a man who becomes a king the king of Thebes and was destined from birth to kill his father Laius and marry his mother Jocasta. Oedipud was a mythical or fictional king in Greek Mythology. He, without knowing, married his mother and killed his father. It is also known as the Oedipus complex, after his story.
Greek Tradgedy
Greek Tragedy is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Asia Minor. It reached its most significant form in Athens in the 5th century BC. The basics of tragic plots was most often myths from the oral traditions of archaic epics. In tragic theatre, these narratives were presented by actors.
Dramatic Irony
Dramatic Irony is the dramatic effect achieved by leading an audience to understand an incongruity between a situation and the accompanying speeches, while the characters in the play remain unaware of thee incongruity. An example of this could be William Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar.
Hubris
Hubris means extreme pride or arrogance. Hubris also indicates a loss of contact with reality and an over estimated of one's own competence. Arrogance is also associated with lack of humility and love towards oneself. Arrogance is usually detrimental and foster a negative-minded culture.
Oedipus Rex Play and myth
The play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is a story based on mythological background. The myth tells the story of a royal family who have a baby boy. They go to the oracle to find out his fate and discover that the baby is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. After they discover this, they send the baby to be killed. The servant sent to kill the baby, has pity upon the child and gives them to a family a few kingdoms over. The parents are grateful and raise him right until a drunkard tells Oedipus that he was adopted, and he asks his parents and they say that he wasn't. Then, he discovers his fate from another oracle and he runs away. On his run, he bumps heads with a man at a fork in the road, and kills the man. He then retreats to the near by city and defeats the man eating sphinx. By this defeat he is now aloud to wed the widowed queen. He later find out how his fate turned out and his wife/mother hangs herself and he sticks pins in his eyes.
Aristotle Man
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who was one of the most important philosophers in the history of the Western civilization. It is said that Aristotle wrote many books, but few survive to this day. Arostotle was the boyhood tutor of Alexander the Great, who later sent him plants and animals from parts of his new empire.
Aristotle His meaning of Tragedy
Aristotle thought the meaning means something different then other what the other Greek philosophers did at the time. Aristotle indicates that the medium of tragedy is drama, not narrative; tragedy “shows” rather than “tells.” According to Aristotle, tragedy is higher and more philosophical than history because history simply relates what has happened while tragedy dramatizes what may happen, “what is possible according to the law of probability or necessity."
Greek Theater
The Greek theatre history began with festivals honoring their gods. A god, Dionysus, was honored with a festival called by "City Dionysia". In Athens, during this festival, men used to perform songs to welcome Dionysus. Plays were only presented at City Dionysia festival. Athens was the main center for these theatrical traditions. Athenians spread these festivals to its numerous allies in order to promote a common identity. At the early Greek festivals, the actors, directors, and dramatists were all the same person. After some time, only three actors were allowed to perform in each play. Later few non-speaking roles were allowed to perform on-stage. Due to limited number of actors allowed on-stage, the chorus evolved into a very active part of Greek theatre. Music was often played during the chorus' delivery of its lines.
Greek Theater Structure
Ancient Greek theaters were very large, open-air structures that took advantage of sloping hillsides for their terraced seating. Because of drama's close connection with religion, theaters were often located in or near sanctuaries. The core of any Greek theater is the orchestra, the “dancing place” of the chorus and the chief performance space. Almost nothing remains from the fifth-century structure of the Theater of Dionysus in Athens, but later theaters suggest that the original orchestras were full circles.
Tiresias
In Greek Mythology, Tiresias was a blind poet famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo. Tiresias was a prophet of Apollo.
Fate
The Fates have the subtle but awesome power of deciding a man's destiny. They assign a man to good or evil. Their most obvious choice is choosing how long a man lives. There are three Fates. Clotho, the spinner, who spins the thread of life. Lachesis, the measurer, who chooses the lot in life one will have and measures off how long it is to be. Atropos, she who cannot be turned, who at death with her shears cuts the thread of life.The Fates are old and predate the gods. It is not entirely clear how far their power extends. It is possible that they determine the fate of the gods as well. In any case, not even the most powerful is willing to trifle with them.
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