Oedipus Tyrannus, A Tragic Hero. Summary . Context. Oedipus

Oedipus Tyrannus, a Tragic Hero Summary: Context Oedipus Tyrannus is a Greek tragedy that was first performed as a play in 429 BCE. The setting of the play is in Thebes, one of Greece’s city states that is suffering from a tragic plague. King Oedipus’s brother in-law; Creon, reports back from the oracle of Apollo that the plague would only be lifted if the murderer of his predecessor; King Laius, is found and brought to justice. Before the whole city of Thebes, Oedipus vows to apprehend and punish the murder of the late King Laius. To the audience’s dismay, yet unknown to Oedipus, he is the guilty culprit. Oedipus engages a seer named Teiresias to give him information on the death of King Laius. The old seer refuses but becomes resentful†¦show more content†¦Greek tragedies were often influential plays performed throughout Greek society since the late 6th century BCE and are still performed in the present twenty first century on stages all over the world. Early Greek tragedy plays were rarely open to w omen and the actors were all male, women were played my males wearing famine masks. The performances were in open –air theaters that had very good acoustics that echoed the actors’ voices, eventually megaphones were utilized to amplify the actors’ voices in some costumes. Greek tragedies were often linked to religious beliefs mainly inspired by Greek mythology. Acts of violence was not allowed and the death of characters could only be heard and not seen. Greek tragedies always begin in the middle of events. The audience learned the beginning of the play and the expectations for the future events during the play, this is called En Medias Res- Latin for â€Å"in the middle of things†. Actors would sometimes speak to the leader of the chorus. The chorus was normally a group of people who would sing and on some occasions dance. The purpose of the chorus is as follows: a) To give background information b) To advise the protagonist of the play c) To provide the common sense, or the voice of reason The exact origin of the Greek tragedy genre is not known, and is often debated amongst scholars. Some scholars ha e linked it to the earlier form of lyrical performances of poetry and others equate its arrival from rituals