Oedipus Rex and Lysistrata

Oedipus Rex and Lysistrata are both fifth-century Greek theater pieces with their minds firmly fixed upon that which we so often consider stereo typically Greek: sex. It is the overall approach–which includes elements such as structure, theme and style–that provides each work with its uniqueness. Oedipus is tragedy at its most debauchery-filled and disturbing. Lysistrata, on the other hand, is sharply satirical, bawdier even than much of what we today c

The structure of these plays most certainly plays a significant role in the audience’s reactions to the action that takes place in the plots. Oedipus Rex’s most critical structural element is the fact that it begins in medias res, or in the middle. This ups the ante on the suspense and makes the tragedy that much more wrenching. It allows for something very key for the audience. We walk alongside our title character, in him even, discovering and uncovering as he does the same. His startling realizations, his deep regrets, his crippling remorse–all of these become our own. And so it becomes seemingly impossible not to allow for that most important of all human emotions to well up our hearts. I’m talking about the grand thing known as empathy. By starting us in the middle of the action, and allowing us to discover the past along with Oedipus, the playwright, Sophocles, has made all of this possible. What would we think of this man otherwise? Imagine for a moment that we knew of his past deeds before he himself knew. Just imagine us knowing that he had killed his father out of

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