english 221 dr. carsley - wikispacescarsley+-+lecture+on... · dr. carsley unbearable ... oedipus...

15
English 221 Dr. Carsley

Upload: vuthu

Post on 29-May-2018

247 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

English 221 Dr. Carsley

Page 2: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

 Unbearable knowledge  Evil that has no rational explanation  Double determination (fate and free will

at the same time): “The gods arranged my destiny, but the hand that plucked my eyes were mine alone!”

Page 3: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

  Originated about 3000 years ago and had to do with the worship of the god Dionysus (god of wine and male fertility).

  Fifty Greek men (the chorus) would perform hymns to the god in rhythmic poetry.

  End with a ritual sacrifice of a goat (tragos), while (komos) was the word for festival.

  After the performance and sacrifice, there would be an invitation for a “union of the sexes” (gamos) and that’s why our word comedy meant marriage or union, and why most comedies end with a couple and a kiss.

Page 4: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

  Around 600 BC Greek drama changed from the tribal festival to a more civilized contest.

  Gather around the orchestra (circular “dancing place”) and sit on the seats in the theatron (“seeing place”).

  In 535 BC a writer named Thespis won the contest by separating one person from the chorus and having him engage in dialogue with the chorus.

  Invention of drama – live action conveyed by dialogue -- birth of the first “thespian”

Page 5: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm
Page 6: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

 Three great tragic playwrights lived between 500-400 BC ◦ Aeschylus – The Libation Bearers ◦  Sophocles – Oedipus The King / Antigone ◦  Euripides – Electra / Medea

 One great comic playwright ◦  Aristophanes – The Frogs

  First literary critic, Aristotle - Poetics

Page 7: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

 Goal of drama = “mimesis” or imitation of human activity

 Tragedy = “imitation of an action that is serious. . . . arousing fear and pity to accomplish a catharsis of such emotions.”

 Catharsis = “a purging” of emotions or perhaps a transformation of emotions

 Like the sacrificial goal, tragic hero is just a stand in (scapegoat) for our catharsis.

Page 8: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

 Aristotle invented the way we talk about theater. He used the following terms: ◦  Plot (has a beginning, middle and an end)   Reversal (of fortunes for the hero)   Climax (moment of greatest tension)   Recognition (also called discovery)

◦ Character   Protagonist– first speaker + agon = debate   Antagonist – one who speaks against

Page 9: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

 Poet?   Spectators?   Society?  Personality of a dramatic character?

(older male citizens of the city of Thebes)

Page 10: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

  “To miss the mark” – to make an error, initially by hitting the wrong target with an arrow

  Sometimes mis- translated as “tragic flaw”   Does it have a moral valence? Unclear   Does the tragic hero initiates his own downfall

because he is somehow a sinner OR because he is so excellent that he can take on the consequences.

  Johnston “His error is inextricably tied up with his human greatness.”

Ian Johnston http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

Page 11: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

 The Sphinx's riddle  The riddle of who killed Laius  The riddle of his own birth  What characteristics to riddle-solvers

have? Are these helpful?

Page 12: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

 Oedipus == “swollen foot” == cast out at birth because prophesy to kill father

  Sophocles also puns on the Greek form of Oedipus' name, Oidipous. ◦ The verb oida means "I know" or "I see,"

while dipous means "two-footed.” ◦ The themes of knowledge and feet are

brought together in his name – two-footed means “man” and is referencing his solving of the riddle of the Sphinx and, of course, the general human condition.

Page 13: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

  Examples: ◦  Lines 248-261, 266-286: Oedipus' exhortation to

the citizens of Thebes, and oath. ◦  Lines 616-617: Oedipus' reproach of Creon. ◦  Lines 778-800: Jocasta intervenes to calm Oedipus'

consternation over Tiresias' prophecy. (What's her conclusion about Tiresias' prophecy?

  What purpose does dramatic irony serve? ◦  Spurs audience thoughts and feelings ◦  These feelings are articulated by the chorus

(sometimes)

Page 14: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

 You must achieve time and kleos by embracing your destiny (Iliad)

 Time and kleos aren’t all that they are cracked up to be. . . Perhaps your destiny might be achieved in another way (Odyssey)

 Time and kleos are fleeting; ultimate destiny of humanity is grief in an irrational world (Oedipus)

Page 15: English 221 Dr. Carsley - WikispacesCarsley+-+Lecture+on... · Dr. Carsley Unbearable ... Oedipus The King / Antigone Euripides – Electra / Medea ... Ian Johnston johnstoi/introser/oedipus.htm

 What scene in the play don’t we see?  Why does Oedipus keep trying to find

out his parentage, even when he suspects the worst?

 What is the role of the children at the end