ANCIENT ROME - SENECA THE YOUNGER - OEDIPUS

Seneca - Roman scholar and early tutor of Nero. Killed by him in

terrors
Seneca ( 4 BC AD 65) was
a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman,dramatist, and in one
work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. he was trained
in rhetoric and Stoic and neo-Pythagorean philosophy. Roman
philosopher, statesman, orator, and tragedian . Oedipus is a
tragedy by the Roman playwright Seneca the Younger, written
around 55 CE. Seneca wrote the play in around 50 AD about 480
years after Sophocles production. It is a retelling of the story of
the unlucky King Oedipus, who finds out that he has unknowingly
killed his father and married his own mother, a story better known
through the play Oedipus the King by the ancient Greek
playwright, Sophocles. Seneca's other plays, Oedipus in
particular was regarded as a model of classical drama in
Elizabethan England,.
ANCIENT GREECE - SOPHOCLES - OEDIPUS THE KING
Oedipus the King (Gr: Oidipous Tyrannos; Lat: Oedipus Rex)
is a tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles, first
performed in about 429 BCE. It was the second of Sophocles'
three Theban plays to be produced, but it comes first in the
internal chronology (followed by Oedipus at Colonus and
then Antigone). It follows the story of King Oedipus of Thebes as
he discovers that he has unwittingly killed his own father, Laius,
and married his own mother, Jocasta. Over the centuries, it has
come to be regarded by many as the Greek tragedy par
excellence and certainly as the summit of Sophocles
achievements. The first ode in Sophocles' "Antigone" contains
analogies that represent the paradoxical relationship between
fate and free-will. Oedipuss flaws resulted on having him end the
play as a blinded beggar. Even though Oedipus is a victim of fate,
his arrogance, attention to Thebes people and his search of
certainty will be flaws leading to his tragic ending

The basis of the myth is recounted to some extent

in Homers The Odyssey, and more detailed accounts would
have appeared in the chronicles of Thebes known as the Theban
Cycle, although these have since been lost to us.
Oedipus the King is structured as a prologue and five episodes,
each introduced by a choral ode.,investigation of the past,
The main themes of the play are: fate and free will ; the conflict
between the individual and the state (similar to that
in Sophocles Antigone); painful truths
(both Oedipusand Jocasta avoiding facing up to the inceasingly
apparent truth Oedipus, who is in reality blind to the truth about
his origins and his inadvertent crimes).
Sophocles makes good use of dramatic irony in Oedipus the
King. For example: the people of Thebes come to Oedipus at the
start of the play, asking him to rid the city of the plague, when in
reality, it is he who is the cause; Oedipus curses the murderer of
Laius out of a deep anger at not being able to find him, actually
cursing himself in he process; he insults Tiresius blindness when
he is the one who actually lacks vision, and will soon himself be
blind; and he rejoices in the news of the death of King Polybus of
Corinth, when this new information is what actually brings the
tragic prophecy to light
Oedipus Rex, many ironic situations unfold along with many
oracles that prove to come true during the climax of the playThe
story of Oedipus is the reaction of the imagination to these typical
dreams. And just as the dreams, when dreamt by adults, are
accompanied by feelings of repulsion, so too the legend must
include horror and self-punishment Oedipus Rex is what is known
as a tragedy of destiny. Its the contrast between the supreme will
of the gods and the vain attempts of mankind to escape the evil
that threatens them.

Oedipus' Struggle with Fate and Free Will - In our world

today, fate and free will remains the biggest mystery of all; is
everything we do controlled or do we have the freedom of choice.
In the story "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, the author uses the
idea of fate and free will to explain the struggle of Oedipus's life.
Fate and free will is explained as; fate is controlled by an outside
supernatural force, and there is no way of controlling it. Free will
is when each of us is responsible and controls all aspects of our
own life. The author of "Oedipus the King" uses ironic devices to
convey a tragic attitude toward the struggle of fate and free will...
Difference Between Tragedy and Comedy
.......A Greek tragedy focuses on a great and noble character--such
as Oedipus, a king--but a Greek comedy usually does not. Also, in
a comedy, the author usually pokes fun at the characters. Finally,
a comedy does not end tragically. An example of a classic Greek
comedy is Lysistrata, by Aristophanes

Sophoclean Tragedy
.......A tragedy of Sophocles, as well as another Greek playwright,
is a verse drama written in elevated language in which a
nobleprotagonist falls to ruin during a struggle caused by a flaw
(hamartia) in his character, such as pride (hubris), or an error in
his rulings or judgments. A Greek tragedy has the following
characteristics:
It is based on events that already took place. The audience is
familiar with these events.
The protagonist (main character) is a person of noble birth
and stature.
The protagonist has a weakness and, because of it, becomes
isolated and suffers a downfall.

 Because the protagonist's fall is not entirely his or her own

fault, the audience may end up pitying him or her.
The fallen protagonist gains self-knowledge. He has a deeper
insight into himself and understands his weakness.
The audience undergoes catharsis, a purging of emotions,
after experiencing pity, fear, shock and other strong feelings.
The people go away feeling better.
The drama usually unfolds in one place in a short period of
time, generally about one day.
44. List six major characteristics of his dramas seneca.
1. He divided his plays into five acts with choral interludes.
The interludes were not part of the play's action.
2. He used elaborate rhetorical speeches. His characters
debated, they didn't converse.
3. He was a moral philosopher. He believed that drama
should preach a moral lesson.
4. His tragedies involved much violent action. They were
filled with murder, torture, dismemberment...
5. His tragedies respected the unity of time (plays action
unfolds within 24 hours) and place (the plays actions unfolds
at one location).
6. Each of his characters was dominated by one
passion (love, revenge, ambition, etc.) which brought about
their downfall.

1 :Two well-known playwrights, Seneca and Sophocles, recreate their

own version of the myth of Oedipus, Oedipus and Oedipus the King,
respectively. In each of these plays, a different version of the

character of Oedipus is portrayed. Senecas' Oedipus is fearful,

humanistic, and in the end, stoic,
while Sophocles' Oedipus is haughty, proud, and blind to his own
evil deeds. There are many reasons why each of these playwrights
chose to portray such different men, mainly; each version of Oedipus
helps to reiterate the authors' theme.
2: This confession of fear creates a more humanistic tragic hero for
Senecas' audience to identify with. By getting his audience to
identify with Oedipus more, he also creates a great sense of empathy
for Oedipus. This empathy and compassion is what makes Seneca'
tale so tragic. Our hero's fall from glory and grace is that much
harder and steeper a fall. Why would Seneca be so concerned with
creating an identifiable character only to crush him in the end?
Seneca, a philosopher, in early Greek times, is also greatly known for
his belief in stoicism, or the idea that mans emotions will only lead to
his downfall. In Oedipus' fall, we see that this is true. Oedipus lets his
emotions take control of his life. His fear and pride eventually lead to
his demise.
Sophocles, on the other hand, is more interested in preaching the
fatal flaw of pride. His Oedipus is a proud man, and this pride is
expressed through angry words, often directed at those loyal to him
who wish to shield him from the truth. Such is the case when
Oedipus is questioning Teiresias. Teiresias knows the truth but
wishes to spare Oedipus the pain but Oedipus, in anger, threatens hi
3:Oedipus'

anger here is clear but it is pride that is causing such

raging anger. Sophocles, a scholar and teacher of Nero, might
possibly have been teaching his young pupil a lesson in humility as
well as teaching his people that pride is a tragic flaw
Senecas' Oedipus is also presented as prideful. However, in this
pride there is also a hint of fear, which distinguishes this humanistic
Oedipus with the simply cocky character of Sophocles.
This pride is quickly dispersed when Oedipus at last learns the truth
of his past. In pain from what he has done, Oedipus gouges out his
own eyes and submits to his humility stating,

Sophocles' Oedipus, remains proud even after he learns the truth of

things. He continues to try and order people around and even after
his blindness
.
Finally, the endings of each of these plays provide great insight into
the different characters of Oedipus and each of the playwright's
motives for these differences. Seneca's version of Oedipus has
Oedipus accept his fate full force. Like the true stoic, Oedipus
embraces his fate saying,

It is clear that he has finally accepted responsibility for his actions, a

thing that was important to Seneca. Sophocles also sums up his play
well, restating a major theme of his play, that is acceptance of one's
fate.
"You that live in my ancestral Thebes, behold this Oedipushim who knew the famous riddles and was a man most masterful;
not a citizen who did not look with envy on his lotsee him now and see the breakers of misfortune swallow him!
Look upon that last day as always. Count no mortal happy till
he has passed the final limit of his life secure from pain."
(Soph O.T. 1535-1530)

It is clear that the two characters of Oedipus are very different.

Seneca portrays a humanistic, fearful man who becomes a stoic
after his trials are complete. Sophocles portrays a proud, angry
man who must fall from grace to learn a lesson on fate. Both
authors use these different heroes to masterfully state their
themes. Seneca preaches stoicism while Sophocles notes the
importance tragic flaws in mankind. They each have their own
interpretation of the measure of a man
Senecas Oedipus follows both Aristotle's and Horace's dicta on
tragic style, with complete unity of action, time and place, and a

Chorus separating each of the five acts. It also follows Aristotles

belief that on-stage violence is cathartic, and Seneca gives free
reign to the bloody acts of mutilation and sacrifice. There is,
however, a longstanding (and ongoing) debate as to
whetherSeneca's plays were ever actually performed or were
merely written for recitation among select groups. Some critics
have concluded that they were intended to comment obliquely on
the outrages of Emperor Nero's court, and some that they were
used as part of the young Neros education.
Although based in general terms on Sophocles much earlier
play, Oedipus the King, there are several differences between
the two plays.
4: Senecas play has a considerably more violent tone. For
example, the sacrifice carried out by Tiresias is described in a
graphic and gory detail which would have been considered quite
improper in Sophocles day. In fact, the whole of the long scene
involving Tiresias and his augury does not have an equivalent
inSophocles at all, and the scene actually has the unfortunate
effect of reducing the dramatic impact of Oedipus' discovery of
his true identity, a fact that surely must have been all too clear
to Senecahimself, and the reason for its insertion is not clear.
Unlike the proud and imperious king of Sophocles' play, the
character of Oedipus in Senecas version is fearful and guiltridden, and he worries all along that he may be responsible in
some way for the great Theban plague.
In Sophocles play, Oedipus blinds himself after seeing the corpse
of the hanged Jocasta, using golden broaches from her dress to
stab out his eyes;
in Senecas play,Oedipus blinds himself before the death
of Jocasta by pulling out his eyeballs, and thus is a much more
direct cause of Jocastas death.

5: For Sophocles, tragedy is the result of a tragic flaw in the

character of the protagonist,
while forSeneca, fate is inexorable and man is helpless against
destiny. For catharsis, the audience must experience pity and
fear, and Sophocles accomplishes this with a suspenseful plot,
but Senecagoes one better by adding a pervasive and
claustrophobic mood which seems to hover over the characters,
all but choking them with the pain of recognition. Oedipus himself
is treated as quite a complex psychological case in the play.
6:For Seneca, fate is inexorable and man is helpless against
destiny:
[Chorus]
Of all the fortuitous ornaments that surround us -our children,
positions of honor,
wealth,
a noble name,
a beautiful wife,
a multitude of friends -Each is dependent on the uncertain and capricious
whims of Chance and Fate.
while for Sophocles, tragedy is the result of a tragic flaw.
7: While both heroes suffer from hubris, Seneca's hero is guiltridden and open from the beginning to the notion that he may be
implicated in the great Theban plague; whereas Sophocles'
Oedipus is proud and imperious, practically having to be hit over
the head with the truth before he'll admit his involvement.
Comparison with Sophocles Oedipus the King[edit]
8: The character of Oedipus in Senecas play is fearful, "guiltridden and open from the beginning to the notion that he may be

implicated in the great Theban plague; whereas Sophocles'

Oedipus is proud and imperious."[2]
9: Senecas play has a considerably more violent tone. The
sacrifice carried out by Tiresias for example is given in graphic
and gory detail.
10: Sophocles play does not contain the character of Manto.

11: In Senecas play, Oedipus blinds himself before the death

of Jocasta by pulling out his eyeballs. In Sophocles play,
Oedipus blinds himself after seeing the corpse of Jocasta and
uses golden brooches from her dress to stab out his eyes.

12: In Senecas play Oedipus is, at best, an aid to the death

of Jocasta, and from the ambiguous lines may even have taken
her life. In Sophocles play, Jocasta hangs herself, and a little
later Oedipus comes across her body.

13:Laius names his killer in Senecas play, but in Sophocles

Oedipus guilt emerges as the play continues.

14:In Senecas play there is no mention of Oedipus feelings

towards his children, whereas in Sophocles play he leaves
them to Creons guardianship and wants to hold them again.
15: Senecas play ends with Oedipus leaving Thebes, whereas in Sophocles Oedipus is told
by Creon that his rule is ended

. 16: Seneca in rewriting the original Oedipus tragedy, removes

any indication of fear, completely concentrating on the emotion of
pity. While Sophocles Oedipus can be called Greek tragedy,
Senecas Oedipus exaggerates pity and disgust and must be
classified as melodrama. Instead of arousing pity and fear from
the audience, Seneca uses plot and style changes and simply
appeals to the emotion of pity to adhere to his Roman audience.
conclusion

perhaps suggesting thereby that there are serious limitations in

any poet who specializes only in tragedy or only in comedy. Are
comic poets urged thereby to be more sober, while tragic poets
are urged to lighten up? And what does lightening up do to
the curiously engaging stories in which Fate, Oracles, and a
sometimes Grim Necessity dominate founding stories that
somehow encourage gifted poets to experiment with again and
again?