Live performances were a large part of Athenian culture andlife. The technologies used in amphitheatres preceded their time. Stages were surrounded by tiered seating for as many as 18,000. Athenians knew the plots to the plays, as they commemorated great events or explained religion. However, audiences delighted in different dramatists twists, interpretations and moral focuses of these similar stories. In Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus" banishment and wandering would be taboo to an Athens citizen. One would understand Oedipus" dire need to not only find a home, but also ensure proper execution of his burial rites. .
II. Characters:.
A.
In Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus is the protagonist. In the story, Oedipus is desperatley seeking peace, a home and burial outside of Thebes. .
B. On the other side of the agon, or problem, is Creon. Creon tries to separate Oedipus from his two loyal daughters, Ismene and Antigone. He even attempts to kidnap Oedipus to take him back to Thebes. Creon believed that the city (Thebes or Athens) which buried Oedipus would win the civil conflict in his own Thebes. Polynices is also a conflicting force. In attempts to regain power of Thebes, he tries to persuade Oedipus to return. His motives are completely selfish and based on power.
III. Point of View:.
Sophocles wrote the story for an Athenian Greek audience. These citizens would relate to the numerous prophecies in the play. However, they would also know the entirety of the plot, but delight in its theme, message, performance and Sophocles" interpretation.
IV. Setting:.
Oedipus at Colonus setting is outside of Athens at Colonus. Colonus is a sacred thicket, possesed by Poseidon and Prometheus. At one particular moment, Oedipus stands on the Brazen Threshold, the Rock of Athens. Sophocles himself was born and grew up in Athens and probably spent time at the very spot on which Oedipus stands.
V. Plot:.