The rise of Greek tragedy : Sophocles : Oedipus the King

Uses an authentic setting (the 5th century B.C. Theatre of Amphiaraion), face masks, and stylized gestures to present an excerpt from Sophocles' "Oedipus the King," in which Oedipus seeks to reassure himself that he has escaped a prophesied fate of killing his father and marrying his mother. Shows how this drama sprang from the primeval ceremony in which winter was ritually killed to make way for spring. Features James Mason as Oedipus, Claire Bloom as Jocasta, and Ian Richardson as Teresias. Narrated by Anthony Quayle.