BY: TEMIJUOPELO J. ALUFA, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN
By Classical drama, one refers to ancient Greek Drama, a theatrical culture that existed between 550BC to about 200 BC in the city of Athens. Pre-dominantly, it is believed that drama emerged from the ritualistic practices that paid homage to the Greek god of wine- Dionysus. It is believed that the techniques involved in the rituals gave rise to the elements of drama.
During this time, the principal drama genre was tragedy before comedy and the satyr play came about. Hence, due to tragedy being the first major genre, the playwrights that existed at that time, wrote plays under this category. Therefore, when we speak of the Classical times in drama, I believe that our minds should be averted to Greek tragedy, of which Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is a perfect example.
Contrary to common misconceptions, the story of Oedipus was not invented by Sophocles but was already well known amongst the Greek audience as part of Greek mythology. Sophocles only decided to present us with a variation of the story.
The play tells the story of a man (Oedipus) pre-destined by the gods to kill his father and marry his mother. The play starts with the city of Thebes in mourning due to a plague upon it and the solution proffered was to kill Laius’ murderer. At the end of the play, when he finally discovers that he is the source of anguish to the city of Thebes and his family, he gouges his eyes and begs to be banished from the city. It is against this backdrop, that we can begin to fashion out the elements of Greek tragedy (Classical drama) embedded in the play, thematically and structurally.
Thematically, Greek tragedies are reputable for their strong-held belief in divine will. During the Classical times, the Greeks believed that the gods ruled the destinies of men. They acknowledged the fact that Fate is a reality beyond man that determines his life. Thus, there is little a man can do to change his fate. The tragedies in the Greek times therefore depicted the pain and suffering caused when an individual obstinately refuses to yield to destiny. In Oedipus Rex, the gods warned Laius that he would give birth to a child who would kill him and marry his wife. Oedipus attesting to this, exclaims in lines 818-822:
‘‘but telling me other terrible, awful things—
that I must sleep with my mother, and
that I would bring to light a brood unbearable(820)
for men to see, and that I must be the slayer
of the father who sired me.’’
The gods gave a clear warning that was not successfully obeyed and thus Oedipus became a harbinger of pain and suffering to those around him. It is argued that the gods are to blame concerning the misfortunes that befell the characters. However, I believe that when the gods present one’s destiny, they do so in a blank sheet and watch curiously to see how the individual fills this sheet. Our destinies may be damned, but our actions can become a catalyst that accelerates our lives to the actualisation of our doom. This was evident in Oedipus through his anger, pride and impatience in the play.
Further in the play, we witness events that attest to the amount of power behind the prophecies of the gods and the futility of man to try to change or run from these prophecies. For example, Oedipus commented to Jocasta that he fled from his parents when he heard of his fate (lines 822-825):
‘‘I heard and fled,
henceforth to share with Corinth only the stars,
where I would never see completed
the disgrace of those evil oracles of mine.(825)’’
However, ironically, those he thought were his parents (Polybus and Merope) were not his actual parents. While he thought he was refraining from fulfilling his destiny, he was actually running towards it. Such is the power of the inevitable nature of the gods’ prophecies. This makes us wonder if we truly have control over our lives or maybe we are just pawns in the hands of the Divine.
Structurally, there are certain techniques of Classical drama that are inherent in the play. First, the 3 Unities. According to Aristotle, a true play must succumb to the Unity of Time, Place and Action. The Unity of Time prescribes that the play must not exceed 24 hours. Oedipus Rex opening from the first scene of Oedipus’ sorrow for his city to the concluding scene of sorrow for his plight, all events in the play happened on the same day. Unity of Place requires the setting of the play to cover a single physical space. The play did not exceed the palace. Sometimes actions occurred just outside the palace and sometimes inside.
Hence, we frequently see the stage direction commenting, ‘‘enter Oedipus from the palace’’. Finally, the Unity of Action states that the play should have one main action from which the play follows with no or few sub-plots. The play revolves around the story of this single man and his misfortunes.
Secondly, Classical drama does not allow the presence of blood on stage. Any act of blood spillage is described and not displayed, as an off-stage event. In the play, Oedipus gouges his eyes and one would expect that this would be a blood gory scene. However, quite expertly, Sophocles uses a servant to narrate to us the death of Jocasta and the act of maiming by Oedipus on himself (lines 1306-1309):
‘‘only he raised his hands and struck his eyes. At once
his bloody eyeballs moistened his cheeks.
In torrent together flowed the drops of blood;
all at once a dark storm of blood like hail rained down.’’
By doing this, we are not robbed of the excitement or grief that occurs from witnessing the scene first-hand. This is because through the expert choice of words by Sophocles, we can almost imagine vividly the occurrence of the act. Thus, though it is out of sight, it is still within the emotional reach of the audience. The prohibition of on-stage bloodshed could be as result of the Greeks belief in the impracticability of its re-enactment.
Furthermore, another essential element of Greek drama found in the play is Chorus. The chorus in Classical drama was a group of actors who described and commented on the main action of the play with song, dance and recitation. Greek tragedy started with choral performances and it is quite essential in Greek plays. The relevance lies in their passivity which acted as a contrast to the actions of the actors. For example, while a tragic protagonist acts in defiance to the instructions by the gods, the chorus express the fears, hopes and judgment of the average audience. In Oedipus Rex a simple statement is uttered in lines 424-427 depicting the true nature of the chorus:
‘‘To us it seems that both this man’s words
and your own, Oedipus, were said in anger.(425)
But we must not dwell on such things. Only this:
how best we may fulfil the god’s instructions.’’
They express concern and fear on the situation and seek to look for change, choosing to adhere to the gods. The chorus therefore, could represent the innocent bystanders in our lives put there by the Divine to help us actualise our destiny.
Another vital element is the use of in media Res (in the middle of the action) in the play. The play immediately starts with a plague upon Thebes and the need to solve a murder mystery. However, we see that there are vital events that have occurred before the plague upon Thebes. Before the play begins, Laius and Jocasta have tried to kill Oedipus. Oedipus has learned of his fate and tried to run from it. In trying to avoid his fate, he encounters the city of Thebes which was under the control of a Sphinx and he saves the city by solving a riddle. Oedipus becomes king and marries Jocasta. After all this events have taken place, fifteen years later, the play Oedipus Rex comes to life. It is only through the narration of the characters concerning the events of their past that the audience is given the ability to be aware of the past events.
The presence of in media Res leads to an episodic plot structure in which events do not follow a chronological order. I believe that by using in media Res Sophocles tries to bring action immediately to the audience and the explanation should come later and gradually.
Generally, there are salient features of tragedy of which the play inputs in its make-up, based on the book Poetics by Aristotle. For example, the tragic hero should have an aristocratic background. This allows the audience to emotionally appreciate the fall of the hero from grace to grass. Oedipus is a clear example of a tragic hero with an aristocratic air. He was raised by a king and grew up to be a king. Thus, catharsis is easily achieved when we see the disintegration of such a great character to nothingness. The tragic hero must have a tragic flaw (hamartia).
Whether Oedipus was a victim of fate, does not still dispute the fact that he possessed certain flaws that drew him closer to the brink of his fate. For Oedipus his flaw was anger mixed with impatience. He is quick to consult the Oracle when a drunkard points out the fact that he was a bastard. He unknowingly kills his father in a disagreement at a cross-road. He is quick to insult the old prophet Tiresias on his effectiveness as a prophet. He accuses Creon frequently of conspiracy. He is quick to ensure that the murder mystery be solved even when he was warned to be wary and tread softly. All this actions drew him closer to his doom. Finally, tragedy should be an imitation of action that is serious and of high intensity and magnitude. There is the heavy presence of a tragic atmosphere in the play. It gives no room for a release of the tension. The play begins with a tense atmosphere and ends the same way.
All these features foreground the play as a perfect specimen of the Classical Greek Drama. The play depicts the essential characteristics found in Greek Tragedy that differentiates it from any other form of tragedy. The play Oedipus Rex, allows us in modern times to appreciate the artistic intelligence of the ancient Greek playwrights.