Important elements/concepts of Ancient Greek Tragedy

  1. Dionysos, Apollo
  2. masks
  3. chorus/choral song and dance: stasima (choral odes), kommoi (antiphonal dirges or songs of mourning, as might be performed at funerals)
  4. agon (contest, struggle, from which we get agony)
  5. tragic hero/protagonist
  6. myth (mythos, story)
  7. tragic error or mistake, "flaw" (hamartia)
  8. hubris (pride, arrogant self-assertion)
  9. pollution (miasma)
  10. reversal (peripeteia)
  11. recognition, insight (anagnoresis)
  12. suffering (pathos)
  13. purging, cleansing, purification (katharsis)
  14. theater (thea = look upon, view drama enacted, drama from dran = act)

Structure of Oedipus the King 

PROLOGUE 1-182 (Oedipus, Priest, Kreon)

PARODOS 183-285 (Chorus)

1st EPISODE /agon with Tireseias 286-635 (Leader, Oedipus, Tireseias)

    1st Stasimon 636-690 (Chorus)

2nd EPISODE /agon with Kreon 691-1104 (Kreon, Leader, Oedipus, Jocasta), first Kommos (antiphonal dirge) 835-912

    2nd Stasimon 1105-1158 (Chorus)

3rd EPISODE /agon with Messenger 1159-1375 (Oedipus, Messenger, Jocasta, Leader)

    3rd Stasimon 1376-1405 (Chorus)

4th EPISODE /agon with Shepherd 1406-1501 (Oedipus, Messenger, Shepherd) including Scene of Recognition

    4th Stasimon 1502-1572 (Chorus)

EXODOS 1573-1988 (Servant, Leader, Oedipus, Kreon, daughters Antigone and Ismene), second Kommos 1679-1776, including Scenes of Suffering

(could also be 4th Episode, with 3rd and 4th = 3rd Episode)

 

"Modern Structure" of Oedipus the King 

ACT 1 Prologue (1-407): Oedipus sets the story in motion    [pages 23-36]

Problem 1-285

Oedipus' First Actions 285-407

ACT 2 Agon with seer Teiresias (408-690): 1st revelation     [pages 36-46]

ACT 3 Agon with Kreon, Jocasta (690-1150): 2nd revelation    [pages 46-63]

Agon with Kreon 691-900

Revelation through Jocasta 900-1158

ACT 4 Final reversals and revelations (1159-1572)        [pages 63-79]

Messenger from Corinth1159-1405

Agon with Shepherd  1406-1572 including Final Scene of Recognition

ACT 5 Scenes of suffering (1573-1988)                  [pages 80-94]

Servant reports pathos of Jocasta, Oedipus  1573-1679

Oedipus appears, self-blinded  1680-1846

Oedipus and Creon, Oedipus with his daughters  1846-1988