theater arts

2 parts 

1st part 

Assignment/Peer Review – Is Oedipus Complex?

Overview

We can certainly believe that theatre was always a part of our human existence and a part of every culture. The mimetic response, ritual, and masks (whether physically or emotionally present) are necessary for entertainment, tradition, and, in some cases, survival. 

In 5th Century B.C. in Athens Greece, Theatre was a part of the culture and many of these stories and styles have been well-preserved. Even William Shakespeare (much, much later and of a different region altogether) dramatized known stories and legends.

A great example of a playwright who was prominent among the Dionysian festivals was Sophocles. He is known for the play, Oedipus Rex (or Oedipus The King), the first part of a trilogy. This play, is one of the oldest plays that has survived from the origins of theatre and well-structured, it is worth knowing.  Plays of this time (as many even now do) were performed essentially to teach a lesson. Call if a parable, or sermon of sorts, we can relate, or may even judge, Oedipus for his behavior. The Greeks often credited fate (in this case the God – Apollo) to determine the outcome of human destiny. 

But, in this play, it was not without a character flaw (hamartia) in Oedipus known as hubris, or excessive pride. 

You may have heard of the “Oedipus Complex” or have heard about this play though other courses. If you haven’t yet become familiar with Oedipus, you are in for a terrific story. 

Instructions

Read and Watch the Play Oedipus Rex. 

View the video commentary

Analyze what was compelling in the story and explain those in a paragraph.

Interact with other students, sharing your throughs through a Peer Review

Prompt

• Summarize in a paragraph the following, including 2 specific examples from the content:
• What were the two most-compelling aspects of the play Oedipus Rex for you? Why? 
• Do you think it connects to the current social and political climate? If so, how?
• Respond and adjudicate the paragraph of two other persons in the class, providing feedback.

Submission

To submit your assignment, click on “SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT” on the top right corner of the page and provide your response. You may type your response in a word document first and then copy-paste it into the text box. For more information on submitting discussions and other assignments, follow this link: How to Submit AssignmentsLinks to an external site.Links to an external site.

Late assignments are accepted with a penalty. 

Peer Review

• Review the paragraphs of two persons, assigned to you, after you submit your assignment. 
• Give feedback, positive reinforcement, or add something for them to consider in 2-3 complete sentences.

Here is a help page on Peer Reviews: How Do I Submit a Peer Review to an Assignment?Links to an external site.