Oedipus Rex

By Sophocles
 Oedipus Rex
(Oedipus the King)
This was written by the
Greek playwright Sophocles
and first performed in 429
BCE. This was his dramatic
rendition of the already
famous story of Oedipus.
 Oedipus Rex

He was a tragic hero from Greek

mythology. Homer wrote about
Oedipus, as did many storytellers of
Greek mythology.
 Tragedy
This is a genre of story in which
a hero is brought down by his/her own
flaws, usually by ordinary human flaws
– flaws like greed, over-ambition, or
even an excess of love, honor, or loyalty.
 Elements of Tragedy
1. Anagnorisis: The moment
when the hero makes an
important discovery.
 Elements of Tragedy

2. Catharsis: The
audience’s feelings of
pity and fear.
 Elements of Tragedy

3. Hamartia: The
hero’s flaw that leads
to his tragic downfall.
 Elements of Tragedy
4. Hubris: A hero’s extreme
pride and disrespect for the
natural order of the world.
 Elements of Tragedy
5. Nemesis: The unavoidable
fate of the hero, usually
caused by his own hubris.
 Elements of Tragedy

6. Peripeteia: The hero’s

experience of a reversal
of fate or fortune.
 Plot
The chain of events that
make up a story, or the
combination of plot points.
 Plot
1. Exposition: This is the story’s
introduction, where the author
introduce his/her characters, establish
the setting, and begin to introduce the
primary conflict of the story.
 Plot
2. Rising Action: This begins
with an inciting incident, or a
moment that sets the story
into action.
 Plot
3. Climax: This is the peak of tension,
plot, and character in the story. This is
the point in the story that everything
changes, or where the main character is
forced to make a life-altering decision.
 Plot
4. Falling Action: This is
the time when conflicts are
starting to be resolved.
 Plot
5. Resolution/Denouement: This is the
end of the story where the author ties
up the final loose ends and bring the
story to its happy or tragic ending.
 Conflict in Literature
Conflict is a struggle
between two opposing
forces.
 Conflict in Literature
1. External Conflict: This
takes place outside the body;
it’s between the character and
an outside force.
 Conflict in Literature
2. Internal Conflict: This takes
place inside the character; it’s
a struggle within the
character.
Types of External Conflict
1. Character versus Character: This
occurs when one character has a
problem with another character in the
story. This could also between many
characters.
Types of External Conflict
2. Character versus Nature: This
pits the character against a natural
force, like a blizzard, a predatory
animal or a contagious disease.
Types of External Conflict
3. Character versus Society: This
happens when the character has a
problem with the society in which they
live, including laws, or the beliefs of
groups.
 Internal Conflict
Character versus Self: This happens
within the character’s mind. The
character struggles with a decision,
or with his/her own identity.