Students can create and show a storyboard that captures the concept of a Five or Three Act Structure by creating either a three or six-cell storyboard which contains the major parts of the diagram.
Aristotle believed that every piece of poetry or drama must have a beginning, middle and end. These divisions were developed by the Roman, Aelius Donatus, and called protasis, epitasis, and catastrophe. The three act structure has seen a revival in recent years, as cinema blockbusters and hit TV shows have adopted it. The beginning (protasis) consists of setup, the middle (epitasis) contains conflicts, thwarted protagonist, or complications, and the end (catastrophe) is where fortunes are reversed and the protagonist meets their fate.
A terrible plague is upon Thebes and Oedipus sends Creon to oracle at Delphi to get answers. He finds out that they only way to lift the curse is by expelling the former king's murderer.
Wanting to hear the prophecy for himself Oedipus summons the blind prophet, Tiresias, who declares Oedipus himself is the killer. In disbelief, he goes home to question his wife, a messenger, and others to uncover the truth.
In despair Jocasta and Oedipus both realize that the prophecy is true. Jocasta is, in fact, Oedipus's mother, and he has murdered his father, Laius, long ago. After this realization, Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus stabs his own eyes out. He leaves Creon in control of Thebes and exiles himself.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that illustrates the three act structure of Oedipus Rex.
Introduce the Three Act Structure idea first. Describe each act of a play (Protasis, Epitasis, and Catastrophe) and its intended outcome. Tell the students simply that the three-act structure also means the beginning, middle, and end where the plot of the play is carefully structured and well connected with other components.
Ask the students to give their play a topic or prompt that will act as its basis. This could refer to a general idea, a particular situation, or a cast of characters. Before reaching this step, teachers can make a list of general themes influenced by today’s society so students have a deeper connection with the themes.
Before the students start writing the play, ask them to make a diagram or a model of how they will organize the story within the play. Students can take a paper and divide it into three sections for the three structure act. For each section, they can either make a simple structure or segment into further stages to make the story more interesting and detailed.
Encourage the students to analyze the work of other authors. Students can take information from their plays and use similar structures in their own plays. This can also help them understand the connection between historical and cultural context and the themes used by other writers.
Have a class discussion about the experiences of the students with writing plays using the Three Act Structure. Encourage your students to consider what they have discovered about plot and narrative and use it next time wherever applicable.
The sad conclusion of the play results from the play's climax, which is Oedipus' awareness of the truth. Jocasta dies as a result of it, and Oedipus suffers self-inflicted blindness before being banished from Thebes. The climax is the most suspenseful part where the truth starts to dawn on the audience as well as the characters.
The Three Act Structure offers a framework for comprehending the development of the story and characters in "Oedipus Rex." It is useful to consider how the tragic story is driven by the discovery of Oedipus' true identity and the accomplishment of the prophecy. Students can also apply this simple structure to other works of literature and improve their analyzing skills.