CLAS 1P91 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Polybus Of Corinth, Irony, Satyr Play
Document Summary
Playwrights in 5th c. bc: aeschylus: (525-455bc) 7 of 90 plays. Grand old master ; added 2nd actor: sophocles: (495-405bc) 7 of c. 120 plays. Greatest of the 5th century; added 3rd actor. Plays steeped in human emotion and big themes: euripides: (480-406bc) 18 of 92 plays. More shocking, often focused psychological motivations of characters. What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening? -man: brother in law creon goes to delphi to find out why apollo sent the plague: lines 95-101. Oedipus swears he will root out the killer (line. 140) Sophocles is a master of use of dramatic irony to manipulate audience emotions. He appears to be the saviour of thebes - but is actually their greatest nightmare. 246-251: damns himself because he is the killer in the play. Tiresias is blind = ironic again; although blind he sees the truth & understands.