Oedipus Journal #2

I have previously not known anything about the origins of Greek theater or the way in which actors were introduced. I learned that at first plays started off with 50 men or boys that sang in a chorus. These members of the chorus talked to certain gods about their problems and asked for their assistance. The people in the chorus represented nature spirits. I learned the three main actors in plays who were: Thespis, Aeschylus, and Sophocles. Thespis was the first actor followed by Aeschylus. Aeschylus designed the costumes and settings and he wrote trilogies. Sophocles being the third and last actor who usually won the competition, he downsized the number of chorus members from 50 to 15, and had an idea of the ideal man. All of this information ties into the story of Oedipus because the chorus members in the beginning asked for Oedipus' help because he was seen as a hero. The chorus says, "I'd be insane, you know it, senseless, ever to turn my back on you" (199). In this passage the chorus is telling Oedipus of their loyalty and it would be a huge mistake it they were to betray him in any way.
Today i also learned that Sophocles was accused of mental incapacity, to be able to get his property taken away from him. This relates to the story of Oedipus as well because Oedipus is suspected of killing the King and as Oedipus denies it, he starts to question whether or not he really had killed the King. "You said thieves-he told you a whole band of them murdered Laius. So, if he still holds to the same number, I cannot be the killer" (208). In this quote Oedipus is talking to Jocasta about the said claims and says that since the prophet has told Creon that multiple men had killed the King that he himself was an innocent man. As I do not know now of what happens to Oedipus I do know that Sophocles was acquitted and it will be very interesting to see if Oedipus will be dropped with all charges of convicted.