GED117-Week 4
Summary
TLDRIn this lecture, Professor Wilnabantai from the Department of Arts and Letters explores the tragedy of 'Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles. The story, rooted in Greek literature, tells of Oedipus, a man destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Despite efforts to avoid his fate, Oedipus unwittingly fulfills the prophecy. The lecture delves into themes of truth, pride, and the human intellect's limitations, highlighting Oedipus's journey from stubbornness to self-discovery and wisdom. Sophocles masterfully intertwines past and present, creating a powerful narrative that emphasizes the grandeur of the human spirit.
Takeaways
- 📚 The lecture is given by Professor Wilnabantai from the Department of Arts and Letters, focusing on the poetics of Aristotle and the play 'Oedipus Rex'.
- 🎭 'Oedipus Rex' is a Greek tragedy that has evolved through various adaptations and is notably interpreted by the dramatist Sophocles.
- 👑 The story of Oedipus begins with a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother, leading to his abandonment as a child.
- 🦶 The name 'Oedipus', meaning 'swollen foot', is derived from the way his parents exposed him on a mountainside with his feet pinned together.
- 🏰 Oedipus is raised in Corinth, unaware of his true heritage, and later unknowingly fulfills the prophecy by killing his father and solving the riddle of the Sphinx, which leads to him becoming the king of Thebes.
- 🔍 The play 'Oedipus Rex' revolves around the protagonist's relentless pursuit of truth, despite the warnings of the potential tragic consequences.
- 🧠 Oedipus's tragic flaw is his overconfidence in human intellect and his belief that cleverness equates to wisdom, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
- 👁️ The themes of sight and blindness are central to the play, with Oedipus physically blinding himself after discovering his true identity, symbolizing a deeper understanding of truth.
- 💔 Jocasta, Oedipus's mother and wife, represents a character who cannot face the truth and chooses suicide, contrasting with Oedipus's strength to endure and learn from his suffering.
- 🌟 Sophocles' portrayal of Oedipus emphasizes the grandeur of the human spirit, which, despite its flaws, possesses an inherent nobility independent of the gods.
- 📖 The lecture concludes by highlighting the importance of engaging with the material and completing the requirements for the module, with a promise of further exploration in module two.
Q & A
Who is the lecturer in the video script?
-The lecturer is Professor Wilnabantai from the Department of Arts and Letters.
What was the main topic discussed in the previous lecture?
-The main topic discussed in the previous lecture was the poetics of Aristotle, including concepts such as catharsis, the tragic hero, and poetry as imitation.
What is the central theme of the lecture script?
-The central theme of the lecture script is an overview of 'Oedipus Rex,' focusing on the story of Oedipus and its development through Greek literature.
What is the meaning behind the name 'Oedipus'?
-The name 'Oedipus' means 'swollen foot,' given to him because his feet were pinned together when he was exposed on the mountain side as an infant.
Why did Oedipus's parents, Laius and Jocasta, expose him as a child?
-Laius and Jocasta exposed Oedipus due to a prophecy that their son would murder his father and marry his mother, and they wanted to avert this disaster.
How did Oedipus come to rule Thebes?
-Oedipus came to rule Thebes after he solved the riddle of the Sphinx, which was terrorizing the city, and was rewarded with the hand of the widowed Jocasta and the Theban throne.
What event triggered the action of 'Oedipus the King'?
-The action of 'Oedipus the King' was triggered by the arrival of a plague in Thebes, which could only be removed by discovering the murderer of Laius.
What is the tragic flaw of Oedipus according to the script?
-Oedipus's tragic flaw is his belief that the human intellect is sufficient by itself, and his pride in his intellectual superiority, which misleads him into thinking that cleverness is the same as wisdom.
How does Oedipus react to the revelation of his true identity?
-Upon the revelation of his true identity, Oedipus blinds himself, symbolizing his transition from sight to true understanding, and then leaves Thebes to wander in exile.
What is the significance of the opposition of light and darkness, sight and blindness, in the play?
-The opposition of light and darkness, sight and blindness, signifies the journey from ignorance to knowledge, with Oedipus ultimately gaining true insight despite his physical blindness.
How does Sophocles characterize his protagonists in the script?
-Sophocles characterizes his protagonists as superhuman figures, dealing with great issues and purged of triviality, yet still possessing virtues and vices that allow the audience to sympathize and suffer with them.
Outlines
🎭 Introduction to 'Oedipus Rex' and Its Themes
Professor Wilnabantai introduces the module by discussing the continuation from the previous week's topic on Aristotle's poetics, including catharsis and the concept of the tragic hero. The lecture focuses on 'Oedipus Rex', tracing the story's evolution in Greek literature and its adaptation by Sophocles. The narrative involves a prophecy, Oedipus' exposure, adoption, and eventual self-discovery of his true parentage and tragic fate. The summary also touches on the play's exploration of themes such as stubbornness, persistence, and the pursuit of truth, culminating in Oedipus' self-blinding as a symbol of enlightenment through suffering.
🧐 The Tragic Flaw and the Journey to Wisdom in 'Oedipus Rex'
This paragraph delves into the character analysis of Oedipus, highlighting his fatal flaw of overestimating human intellect and his pride in past achievements. The professor discusses how Oedipus' belief in his own cleverness blinds him to true wisdom. As the narrative unfolds, Oedipus learns through his suffering, and his self-blinding is portrayed as an act of strength rather than weakness. The lecture contrasts Oedipus with Jocasta, who cannot face the truth and takes her own life, emphasizing Oedipus' ability to endure and grow from his experiences. The summary concludes with an exploration of the symbolic use of light and darkness in the play, and how Oedipus' blindness paradoxically grants him true sight and understanding, ultimately presenting a hymn to human grandeur despite our limitations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Catharsis
💡Tragic Hero
💡Poetry as Imitation
💡Oedipus Rex
💡Prophecy
💡Sophocles
💡Sphinx
💡Plague
💡Self-Revelation
💡Pride
💡Blindness
💡Antigone
Highlights
Introduction to the poetics of Aristotle and concepts such as catharsis, tragic hero, and poetry as imitation.
Overview of 'Oedipus Rex' and its presence in Greek literature since the time of Homer.
The prophecy about Oedipus' life and the measures taken by Laius and Jocasta to prevent it.
Oedipus' discovery, adoption by Polybus and Merope, and his upbringing in Corinth.
Oedipus' self-imposed exile after learning of the prophecy and his return to Thebes.
The encounter with the Sphinx and Oedipus solving its riddle, leading to his rule in Thebes.
The plague in Thebes and the search for Laius' murderer, revealing Oedipus' true identity.
Oedipus' self-blinding and his exile, leading to the events of 'Oedipus at Colonus'.
The civil war in Thebes between Oedipus' sons, Eteocles and Polynices.
Introduction to 'Antigone' and its themes of burial rites and tragic consequences.
Sophocles' focus on a single character in 'Oedipus the King' for a more powerful tragedy.
The plot mechanics and how they intertwine past and present in Sophocles' work.
Analysis of Oedipus' character traits, including stubbornness and persistence.
Oedipus' belief in the sufficiency of human intellect and its consequences.
The contrast between Oedipus' strength in facing the truth and Jocasta's inability to do so.
Sophocles' exploration of themes of light and darkness, sight and blindness in the play.
The transformation of Oedipus from self-conceit to a deeper understanding through suffering.
The portrayal of characters in Sophocles' plays as superhuman figures dealing with great issues.
Conclusion of the module and a reminder for students to complete their requirements.
Transcripts
[Music]
[Music]
hi everyone i am professor wilnabantai
of the department of arts and letters
last week we talked about the poetics of
aristotel
we learned what catharsis is all about
tragic hero and even poetry as imitation
this week
we shall have an overview of oedipus rex
the story of oedipus appears in greek
literature as early as homer
and soon passed into the poetic heritage
undergoing several modifications
until at last it reached the hands of
the dramatists
the version used by sophocles is as
follows
it was prophesied to layus and jocasta
king and queen of thebus
that the son to be born to them would
murder his father and marry his own
mother
to avert this disaster
they exposed the child with his feet
pinned together
hence the name oedipus which means
swollen foot
to die on the mountain side
he was found by a kindly shepherd and
taken to corinth
where he was adopted by the childless
poly boos and merope
and brought up as a prince of the royal
house
learning of the prophecy uttered at his
birth
he fled his supposed parents in terror
his wanderings brought him back to
thebus
on the way he killed in a roadside brawl
an old man
who
unknown to him was king leaves
service was ravaged by the sphinx
a monster half beast half woman
who killed anyone who could not answer
her riddle eripus solved it
defeated the sphinx
and was rewarded with the hand of the
widowed jocasta and the theban throne
there he ruled in peace and prosperity
until the coming of a plague which could
only be removed by the discovery of
lazist's murderer
here begins the action of oedipus the
king
and the chain of circumstances which
finally reveals to edipus
the secret of his birth
oedipus blinded himself and left thevis
to wander in exile
dying in colonies
febus was ravaged by civil war
in which edipus's
two sons
ethiopus and polyneices
fought and killed each other
crayon jocasta's brother ascended
through the throne
here
antigone begins
telling of krayon's refusal to bury
polyneices
and its tragic consequences
erepus the king
concentrating on a single character is
in many respects a more powerful tragedy
than antigone
sophocles here develops in a tightly
neat plot
themes we have already seen in the
earlier work
the mechanics of the plot are powerful
enough in
themselves sophocles has contrived
while
dealing with immediate action
to keep the background constantly in our
minds
past and present are skillfully
intertwined
until all the threads are tied together
in edipuses
moment of self-revelation
stubbornness is inherent in oedipus's
character
as it was in koreans
in iripus however
this failing is balanced by the
corresponding virtue of persistence
he too can make amy's guided decision
his accusation of thyricious and korean
and cling to it
but his virtue is his ability to go on
questioning to the bitter end
even after the first premonitions of
disaster
edibles is a man who must know the truth
at all costs
tarisius warns him
early in the play
that the truth may be terrible
but he is too impelled to seek it out
his weakness
his
fatal flaw
is his belief that the human intellect
is sufficient to itself
his pride is his past achievements
his acknowledge intellectual superiority
mislead him into thinking that
cleverness is the same thing as wisdom
the events which his investigation sets
in train prove to him that this is not
so
nevertheless he meets his self-inflicted
disaster grandly
his self-blinding is not an act of
weakness but of strength
jocasta superficially the stronger
character is the first to crack
she cannot face the truth
but commits suicide
edibles is strong enough to face the
truth and go on living
his
is its true strength
the strength to learn from suffering
and he ends the play a novel character
then he began it
his self-conceit has been purged
and he has won
through to a deeper understanding
sophocles plays continually on the
opposition of light and darkness
sight and blindness
in the thyricious scene
is revealed as mentally blind to his
real position and the dangers which
surround him
if it is the blind prophet who has true
knowledge
at the end of the play
when odipus has found the truth
he destroys the fallible sense organs
which had led him into error
he is now blind
but sees
truly
the tragedy of oedipus is thus a hymn to
man
who for all his limitations and
propensities to error
still possesses a grandeur
which is all his own
and owes nothing
to the gods
both antigone and oedipus
in spite of all and nobly
sophogles was not concerned with
delineating
every aspect of the human character
there is nothing petty or mean about his
protagonists
they are still superhuman figures
moving in a world of great issues
purge of the triviality of our own
nevertheless
sophocles has created characters
with whom we can suffer and sympathize
in whom we can see the virtues and vices
of humanity
written large
and that concludes our module one
thank you very much for listening
and don't forget to accomplish your
requirements for this module
i will see you again in module two
again i am professor will nevantai of
the department of arts and letters
[Music]
you
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)