Greek tragediestragic heroprotagonisthamartiaantagonist

are serious dramas that relate a debilitating reversal of fortune for the main character. This main character, also called the , or , is usually well known and prosperous but experiences his or her reversal of fortune due to an error in judgment, a character weakness, or ignorance. This error is called . In his or her fight, the protagonist may face an , an adversarial character or opposing force.

When Greek tragedies were first performed, their events came as no surprise to most audience members, since most people in ancient Greece knew the myths on which the tragedy was based. The result was dramatic irony, a contradiction between what the audience knows to be true and what a character thinks.

Directions: Answer the questions below about Oedipus the King.

1. In what way was Oedipus prosperous and renown?

2. How did Oedipus's position help make him a tragic character?

3. What is Oedipus's overriding hamartia or error in judgment?

4. How does Oedipus's ignorance of his true identity create dramatic irony?

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