Oedipus Journal Two

How does the background on Greek Theater and History inform your reading of Oedipus? Use specific examples to explore the connection between context and content.

There are a great many connections between Oedipus and the cultural context it was written and performed in. Sophocles, the writer of Oedipus, was the most innovative of the early Greek poets. Tragedies began with only a chorus of 50 men and boys singing the story. Gradually, they progressed to an actor and then to two actors. Sophocles was the first to use 3 actors. Those three actors are the only ones seen throughout the whole play. This is why in Oedipus there are only ever 3 actors depicted in a scene at a time. If a new character is to enter the scene, one of the actors either has to die and come back as a new character or the actor must leave the scene and re-enter as a new character. This is a very distinct style.

Ancient Greek tragedies were based off of epics and narrative lyrical poetry. This is why the lines of the tragedy are written with such flow. Also, the plot of the story is written in the same kind of dramatic tone as an epic, filled with heroes then villains and triumphs then tragedies. Such as in Oedipus. Within two readings there has already been a man banished (Creon), a murder uncovered, and past drama unfolded. This makes for a thrilling story.

The tragedies were written for a religious festival for the Greek god, Dionysus. This preoccupation with religion presents itself within the story. The characters in the story focus much of their lives on pleasing and consulting the gods and their prophets. Gods such as Zeus and Apollo are regularly referred to as leaders in Thebes. Prophets such as the Delphi are used to speak the wills of the gods. The gods are used as a reasoning point for almost everything. Oedipus says, "I command you, for my sake, for Apollo's, for this country," (Line 289, page 173). All problems are caused and can be solved by the gods. Also, priests are present throughout the tragedy to further emphasize the importance of the gods and religion.

Also, there is a significant amount of love for one's city in Oedipus. This is very similar to the way ancient Athenians felt about their city. There was a pride, a desire to protect the city. For the Greeks, the city did not only represent a place, but also the people who lived there and the principles by which they live their lives. This attitude translated to a desire to do almost anything for the city. This is seen in both the real world and fictional Thebes.