Oedipus Rex Critical Terms

Flashcards containing critical vocabulary terms from Oedipus Rex with definitions.

Kleos

The Greek word often translated to 'renown' or 'glory', related to the word 'to hear', implying 'what others hear about you.' A Greek hero earns kleos through great deeds, often through death.

Theoi

The belief in the power of the gods.

Dike

Has two connotations: loosely translates to justice in the long-term, and in the short term refers to judgement given by a higher power, usually the gods.

Oikos

Ancient Greek term meaning family, family’s possessions, or the physical house.

Catharsis

The process of releasing and providing relief from strong or repressed emotions.

Hubris

Excessive pride in a hero that often leads to their downfall.

Sophrosyne

A healthy state of mind characterized by self-control, moderation, and deep awareness of one’s true self, resulting in true happiness.

Greek tragedy

A genre of drama significant in 5th century BCE Athens, designed to evoke pity and fear, revolutionized by Sophocles who added a 3rd actor.

Greek chorus

A homogeneous group of actors in a work of drama that speak as a collective voice.

Dramatic Irony

A technique where the full significance of a character’s words or actions is clear to the audience but not to the characters.

Tone

The attitude of the author towards the subject, text, or audience, which can contrast with the mood of the text.

Motif

A literary device defined as an image or concept that repeats throughout a work of literature.