Oedipus Journal #2

How does your knowledge and background on Greek theater and history help you with understanding the reading of Oedipus?

Understanding that theater began with a chorus, of 50 men or boys, singing or chanting the plays and then eventually progressed to having three separate characters, greatly helped my comprehension when the chorus spoke. Normally I would think of the chorus as being separate from the individual characters, merely addressing the audience, giving them information the characters did not posses, thus creating dramatic irony. However in Oedipus the chorus actually converses with the characters at any time, even if it is not mentioned in the scene. Without knowing that the chorus is always in the background of the scene it wouldn't make sense as to why they suddenly appeared. The stage setup is another major key in understanding why the scenes are presented as they are. Everything is acted out on an open stage, so the chorus is in attendance during every scene and may interrupt at any point. They are addressed as the citizens of King Oedipus, and he speaks to them as such. However they also have great influence because they see the full events of the play and so, in some ways, they are the main characters.
Knowing that a tragedy does not entail many deaths or sufferings, but rather a person in power falling from power, gives a sense that something will happen to Oedipus. It has already been foreshadowed to that he will become blind and banished from his home. So we are not expecting that he will be murdered or executed. However to bring the full scale of a tragedy into light he had to be a great ruler, the ideal man. We see from the people's praise and adoration of him that he is a well loved leader, which means he must be the ideal man. From previous courageous acts Oedipus has won the throne and so the people respect and honor him greatly "my king, I've said it once, I'll say it time and again - I'd be insane, you know it, senseless, ever to turn my back on you" (199). The people will always take the side of the king who saved them, and so this uplifts Oedipus into a greater standing among men which will make his fall that much greater and more of a tradegy. Even if his is a horrid person, he loses his temper and is quick to accuse, as long as the people believe him to be their greatest hope than that is what the king is.
How the Greeks lived and how they perceived their lives is very helpful in understanding why the characters do certain things. The Greeks highest duty was the duty to remain honorable and to keep that honor at all costs. Because of this sense of honor they would gladly exile themselves or kill themselves to keep their names unblemished. After the king accused Creon of plotting to murder he immediately addresses the king to try and clear up his name. "no there's nothing worse: branded a traitor in the city", death does not phase him, nor punishment, however the thought of his honor being slandered is the greatest fear he possesses. "Let me die and be damned if I've done any wrong you've charged me with", he admits that if his honor it truly broken than he will submit to the punishments but this leaves room to suspect that he is innocent with no such stain upon his conscience. Because honor and keeping a good name is so important to the Greek society it only would make sense that the king's reputation be ruined durng his tragic fall. By understanding the Greek culture and how theater was acted out it greatly increases the ability to correctly analyze the setting and the events. The characters true personalities are brought to life due to the archetype they are formed from, and it is easier to guess at the plot than if no foreknowledge was had.