Polis: Political Ideas And Ideals

Question 1

What is improtant to understand about Athens ?

Answer 1

It’s democratic and a spectre agaisnt tyranny

Question 2

What does tryant evoke in an audiance ?

Answer 2

Prejudices against tyranny

Question 3

What is the difference between a king and a tyrant

Answer 3

King: born or inherited into power

Tyrant: gain power through coup or seizing it
It was illegitimate
ambivalent
Also likely to fall out with family members
- these are all general features of the Greek tyrant

Question 4

What was the Greek perception of a tyrant ?

Answer 4

Irritable and suspicious of those around them
Worried about loosing power

Oedipus literally embodies every single Greek convention of the Tyrant

Question 5

How is Oedipus a tyrant ?

Answer 5

Embodies being embivolant caring for the polis but also kills a stranger and it’s angry at Creon

Suspisocus of Creon

It’s a deep political element

Question 6

What do the chorus say about tyranny/ hubris ?

Answer 6

Hubris get the tyrant and if filled with too many things it will fall into the abyss of doom
‘ pride breeds the tyrant’ line 958

Implies that there is tyranny and hubris resulting in his fall from king to a miserable exile later in the play
- can also be applied to Jocasta

Greek culture is limited: society limits wealth and unlimited is bad which is built into politics and religion
- here is an example of a tyrant accumulating unlimited wealth