Oedipus Rex

Aristotle developed a series of six elements that he thought every production should have. Within his six elements, there are: plot, characters, theme, diction, music, and spectacle. Each element is different in its own way and provides a new way of direction in each production than before the poetics were developed. The first element is plot. Aristotle describes plot as why things happen, not just that they do. In his view, there is a reason for why each action in a movie or play happens and the reason is not “just because.” Many people, myself included, believes that plot is what happens in the story including exposition, conflict, rising actions, climax, falling actions, and resolution. In Oedipus Rex, what each character does and why they do it is within the plot. When Oedipus vows to find the murderer and curses him for causing the plague, he did because the plague is deadly and he wants to know who is responsible for causing …show more content…
He describes diction as the literary character of a play’s text, including its tone, imagery, cadence, and articulation. Many people think or have been taught that diction is the pronunciation of spoken words. The characters in Oedipus Rex present their diction in such a way that if you watched the play one time through then only listened to it the next time, you would be able to tell what part of the play they are in. The actors in this play do a really good job presenting their diction. The fifth element is the music. Music is described as being sang or chanted, not simply spoken. Instead of the actors just talking while just instruments play in the background, this type of music that Aristotle refers to is singing or chanting while the instruments, if any, play. The oldest people in the chorus of the play are supposed to act as a representation of the men of Thebes, who honor and respect the king. Their songs show their knowledge of the religious culture while they stay loyal to their