Greek Tragedy in Oedipus Rex

Tragedy is thought to have developed from the ancient “Dithyramb” (An ancient Bacchusia) or the choral lyric which was sung by a male chorus in the honor of Dionysus at the annual festivals.   These performances also included group dancing and probably some brief dialogues between the leader and the chorus. At first the Dithyramb was crude (rough) improvisation based on the myths about Dionysus, and may have taken the form of rough burlesque or satire from which the satire play of classical drama was derived.

In time, it came to have a more formal artistic structure and its content was expanded to include stories from the whole legendary tradition. At some point, a radical transformation took place and a serious philosophical attitude replaced the older boisterousness. The addition of an actor to the chorus allowed more complicated and lengthy stories to be used. The father of drama was, said by Greeks to have been, Thespis. He first used an actor in his productions and was responsible for several other innovations.   

In 534 B.C. Thespis put on the lot tragedy at the festival of Dionysus in Athens, although, his new dramatic form may have been in existence, for a short while before this, in the rural areas of Attica. There is some reason to believe however, that it was Aeschylus who first wrote in the sense that the word is used today, with emphasis on content rather than stylistic matters. During the fifth century, tragedy was matured and its technique was improved until it became the sophisticated literary form, seen in the hands of Sophocles.               

Regardless of the changes in style and content, tragic performances remained an important element in the civic worship of Dionysus. Dithyramb also developed along with independent lines as a choral medium and contests continued to be a regular part of the dramatic festival of Athens along with the tragedy for the next few centuries.

From the dramatic point if view the use of plot and character, already familiar to the audience, gave the poet many opportunities for the use of irony and subtle allusions that are not available to the modern playwright. Suspense, as it is known in the present days, theater could not easily be evoked, but the audience’s attention was held by the poet’s freedom to change or interpret the myths as they thought necessary. 

The spectators, already aware of the outline of the story, learned from tragedy what personal motives and outside forces had driven the characters to act as they did. It is thought that the dramatists, re-interpretation and explanation of the ancients’ myths were one of the important factors, considered by Greeks in evaluating their work.     

Oedipus Rex Tragedy (Fat VS Character)

Everyone has his own views and thoughts about the tragedy of t he Oedipus Rex. In the play, it is obvious and clear that the author of this play has made the effort to give the philosophy that man is like a puppet in the hands of God and play things in the hands of fate.

Prediction of Apollo

God Apollo predicted before the birth of Oedipus and told the king Lauis that his son from Jocasta would kill him and marry his wife. The king and his wife did anything to avert the terrible and horrible fate; but the prediction of God Apollo had to be proved the truth; therefore, all the efforts and strives became in vain. When Jocasta gave the birth to a son, the king Lauis chained his child and handed over to a sincere servant with strict and subtle instructions.  But happened that which was predicted by God Apollo.