ENGLISH 1C06 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Polybus Of Corinth, Laius, Oedipus Complex
29 Oct 2017
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Document Summary
Sigmund freud coined the term oedipal complex : a boy"s excessive love for mother and rivalry with father. Characteristics of greek drama: few actors (3) (all male, wear masks, religious festivals (ex. Dionysus) (tragedy = tragos great, ode song): violence takes place off stage, singing, dancing, use of chorus. Oedipus runs away: scared, he gets into a battle with laius (unknowingly) and kills him. In thebes, oedipus is offered the title of king and the hand of the queen: have four children: antigone, ismene, eteocles, and polyneus. Play begins after twenty years and four children: plague over thebes. Everything oedipus says in the plague is filled with irony we know the truth, he doesn"t. Tragedy a terrible beauty terrible = suffering; beauty = facing calamity with dignity and strength. Oedipus opens the play because he is central to the action: setting is the royal house of thebes plea to the gods to help with plagues.
