Sophocles, The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone

Book Description

English versions of Sophocles’ three great tragedies based on the myth of Oedipus, translated for a modern audience by two gifted poets. Index.

Customer Reviews:

Not the best, but very, very good.......2007-03-10

This version of Sophocles's Oedipus trilogy--Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone--is a great edition for students and seasoned classicists alike. The translations by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald are modern while still being poetic, and complete while still being very, very fast-paced. For instance, I read Antigone in about forty minutes, and I'm a slow reader.

Fitts and Fitzgerald have sacrificed some accuracy and literalness to achieve their extraordinary pacing and readability, but while their translations are not always true to the original text, they more than make up for it with the sheer power which which they grab the reader. I had read Oedipus Rex before, but I had never felt it like this. The plays come alive for the reader. The tragic end of Oedipus Rex was particularly moving.

This edition includes some notes and commentary, but the works stand well on their own, without the comments of a later generation. Overall, though, the briskness and modern sound of these plays make this one of the best translations available to students today.

Highly recommended.

Founding fathers.......2006-04-10

There is sickness in the kingdom. Oedipus learns that it is necessary to take revenge upon the murderer of Laios. Teiresias does not want to tell what he knows. He is then goaded into telling Oedipus that he is the cause of the pollution. Oedipus suspects that his brother-in-law Creon wishes to drive him from Thebes.

Oedipus grew up in Corinth where a drunken man at a feast called out he was not his father's son. Oedipus consulted the oracle at Delphi. He was told he would murder his father and marry his mother. He fled Corinth. He wanted to escape his fate. Oedipus is concerned to learn that Laios was killed at a crossroads. An eye witness to the crime is sought. In the meantime it is learned that the King of Corinth has died of old age. A messenger explains, though, that Polybos of Corinth was not Oedipus's father.

The messenger, a shepherd, had saved Oedipus when he was a baby from death by exposure. Another shepherd had a larger role in Oedipus's survival. The second man, the slave of Laios, affirmed that he gave the man a child from the house of Laios. It is determined that Oedipus was the child. He has now killed his father and married his mother. A messenger brings news that Iocaste has killed herself. Oedipus takes out his eyes and orders that he be led into self-exile. Oedipus leaves his daughters in the care of Creon.

In OEDIPUS AT COLONUS Oedipus and Antigone end up in an inviolate thicket near Athens. They are joined by Ismene. It is learned Oedipus's sons are vying for the throne at Thebes. The ruler of Athens, Theseus, addresses Oedipus. He is inclined to be hospitable. Ismene is taken and Creon has Antigone dragged away by his soldiers. The purpose of taking the children is to induce Oedipus to return to Thebes to die. Theseus seizes Creon and demands the release of the girls. Oedipus is then reunited with his daughters. His death does not take place in Thebes.

A powerful and moving piece!.......2002-10-17

~I had to read OEDIPUS REX for my pre-IB sophomore English class, feeling not too happy with another dull, lengthy Greek play (we had to read THE ODYSSEY last year, and it got really redundant). But Sophocles' play...wow, it's totally different! The characters are so much more real and the speeches are deep and engrossing. Thebes is fascinating, substantial - and the issues grip you unknowingly. ...When you finally resurface, you feel touched and bewildered at the same time!

Throughout~~ THE OEDIPUS CYCLE run themes of fate and visions of free will amid reality. These elements reveal the universal truth: of human blindness to fate and truth; their blind resolutions that, in reality, lead them to their fate. Tragedy is forged between a character~{!/~}s personality and the inevitable events connected to it. Although the doctrine of predestination rejects independent will, OEDIPUS REX succeeds in explaining the coexistence, in which action is subordinate to destiny through~~ ignorance. ~{!0~}I was blind and now I can tell why: asleep for you had given ease of breath to Thebes while the false years went by."

THE OEDIPUS CYCLE beautifully fits Aristotle's definition of tragedies, being~{!0~}a casual, inevitable sequence of events connected intimately with the personality of the tragic character." Even if your English class doesn't require you to pick up this title, I highly recommend that you do. Being a translation, the language is very clear and reading~~ is direct. But the subject is still full - and full of revelation! It is so amazing, you have to experience it for yourself! I ended up reading all 3 plays of the cycle and they are all very different but I would think that OEDIPUS REX is the strongest one. It catches the reader the best, being more action-filled than the rest. OEDIPUS AT COLONUS is a more of character reflections and analyzing, which are heartfelt for both character and reader. ANTIGONE concludes the story with a good~~ feminist view of the affair by Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus. Her play is a mix of physical and mental action and reaction.~

Great Plays - Great Translations.......2002-09-22

First of all, I must say that this is the only translation of the Oedipus cycle that I have read. However, I have read translations of other Greek epics and plays in popular editions, and have found this to be the most readable of them by far.

The plays of the Oedipus cycle have been central to western literature ever since Aristotle based his theory of poetics upon Oedipus Tyrannus. The plots of the plays are quite well structured. Of course, if you don't like tragedy, you probably won't like this book either.

A Must Read: the Fitts-Fitzgerald Translation of "Antigone".......2002-09-04

Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald first published their excellent translation of "Antigone" in 1939. Having well stood the test of time, it is reprinted in their paperback, "The Oedipus Cycle." My reasons for liking this version better than recent translations by Don Taylor and Paul Roche appear in my Amazon review of the Taylor translation. Here I want to comment on the moral and human issues raised by the play itself, which make it superbly worth reading. ...

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Interesting Epic
Reviewing Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex
Has lasted 1000s of years for a reason...
Greek Tragedy

Oedipus Rex (Dover Thrift Editions)
Sophocles
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486268772

Book Description

One of the greatest of the classic Greek tragedies and a masterpiece of dramatic construction. Catastrophe ensues when King Oedipus discovers he has inadvertently killed his father and married his mother. Masterly use of dramatic irony greatly intensifies impact of agonizing events. Sophocles' finest play, Oedipus Rex ranks as a towering landmark of Western drama. Explanatory footnotes.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Epic.......2007-01-09

This Epic was referred by my professor. Although some parts of the epic confused me I really enjoyed it. Very interesting.

Reviewing Oedipus Rex.......2006-02-21

This was an excellent play, entertaining and easy to read. You understand how Oedipus came to power in the manner in which he did, and what became of his kin. I would recommend it to anyone who has been a bit intimidated by the "old classics." I can hardly wait to see a play about Oedipus Rex!

Oedipus Rex.......2005-10-04

Although it wasn't exactly what I needed(my fault) it was in excellent condition and shipped promtly

Has lasted 1000s of years for a reason..........2005-06-28

This was a great book. I never liked reading plays before I read Oedipus Rex. It's a really interesting plot with a really cool (disgusting) ending. Read this book. You won't regret it.

Greek Tragedy.......2005-03-08

I remember my humanities class well enough; I can say that Greek tragedies are what operas intended to give a picture of. This is of course the world famous play that we in the semi-aficionados regard as: "The play that inspired Sigmund Freud to document a complex." (How rogue of me.)
Oedipus Rex illustrates a western European pagan world. Mystical with its oracles and soothsayers as Merlin from King Arthur's Court. Feverishly Bloody as Shakespeare's Othello. Incest, irony and revenge like, but more graphic and less poetics than Hamlet. On the other hand, I do remember rhyming words. But, this is a slim book with strong words. I give it 5 stars because has influenced many generations and messages of the human condition do come across clear as a bell. Too spiritually mundane for my tastes, though.

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Oedipus Trilogy (Cliffs Notes)
Charles Higgins , and Regina Higgins
Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
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ASIN: 0764585819

Book Description

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

CliffsNotes on The Oedipus Trilogy is your ticket to a greater understanding of three tragic dramas from Sophocles. Meet the subject of these plays: Oedipus, the banished king of Greek mythology who killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus The King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone are timeless works that continue to captivate audiences even today.

This study guide covers all three plays with critical commentaries, summaries, and character analyses — tools designed to open your eyes to the richness of Sophocles' work. Other features that help you study include

Life and background of the playwright, Sophocles
An introduction to Greek theatre
A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
Critical essays on fate and ritual and transcendence in the Oedipus Trilogy
A review section that tests your knowledge
A Resource Center full of books, films, and Internet sites

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

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Oedipus, the banished king of Greek mythology who killed his father and married his mother, is the subject of Sophocles's Oedipus Trilogy, a series of three tragedies that tell a connected story.

Despite their antiquity, these timeless works bring up questions that remain relevant in our society, and their exciting, colorful stories have a universal appeal that still captivates readers.

Customer Reviews:

poet.......2004-08-16

This is one of the most memorable plays I have read in my life. It has love, drama, incest and so on. It's so good that I hope to read it again and again.

very good.......2002-10-17

contains everything i needed for the book in english class, a must read if you are having trouble with the book

Oedipus Unbound: Selected Writings on Rivalry and Desire

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Oedipus Unbound: Selected Writings on Rivalry and Desire
Rene Girard
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
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ASIN: 0804747806
Release Date: 2004-02-04

Book Description

Did Oedipus really kill his father and marry his mother? Or is he nothing but a scapegoat, set up to take the blame for a crisis afflicting Thebes? For René Girard, the mythic accusations of patricide and incest are symptomatic of a plague-stricken community’s hunt for a culprit to punish, and Girard succeeds in making us see an age-old myth in a wholly new light.

The hard-to-find writings assembled here include three major early essays, never before available in English, which afford a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the emergence of Girard’s scapegoat theory from his pioneering analysis of rivalry and desire. Girard unbinds the Oedipal triangle from its Freudian moorings, replacing desire for the mother with desire for anyone—or anything—a rival desires. In a wide-ranging and provocative introduction, Mark R. Anspach presents fresh evidence for Girard’s hypotheses from classical studies, literature, anthropology, and the life of Freud himself.

Oedipus at Thebes: Sophocles' Tragic Hero and His Time

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This is a true tour de force.
A VERY GOOD OEDIPAL READ, for what it is...
The primary source on Oedipus and Greek Tragedy!

Oedipus at Thebes: Sophocles' Tragic Hero and His Time
Bernard Knox
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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ASIN: 0300074239

Book Description

In this widely praised book, an eminent classicist examines Sophocles` Oedipus Tyrannus in the context of fifth-century B.C. Athens. In attempting to discover what the play meant to Sophocles` contemporaries--and in particular in disentangling Sophocles` ideas from Freud`s psychoanalytical interpretations--Bernard Knox casts fresh light on its timeless and universal nature. For this edition, Knox has provided a new preface and a list of suggested readings.

Customer Reviews:

This is a true tour de force........2002-12-07

The superlative reviews from publications as disparate as the New York Times, the New Yorker and Hellenic World (!)should be sufficient inducement to convince anyone with the least interest in Sophocles and "Oedipus Tyrannus" to buy this book.

Bernard Knox is perhaps the greatest living classicist and he may just be one of the greatest of all time. He writes with an ease and lucidity that renders the most difficult subject available to the lay reader. He has an uncanny facility to sum up in a paragraph a subject that has occupied him for twenty or thirty pages. Indeed one of the delights of this book is that at the end of each section there appears a wonderfully pithy summation.

When this book was first published it (surprisingly) received immediate and positive reviews from the New York Times and the New Yorker. But it was almost universally ignored by the classical community who were perhaps annoyed at the twitting they received in Knox's introduction. Dismayed by the appearance of an article entitled "The Carrot in Classical Antiquity", Knox had lashed out at the "excessive technicality" of his colleagues. This will remind many of us of Victor Davis Hanson's brilliantly polemical attack on the classical establishment in "Who Killed Homer".

Time, however, was on Knox' side and he went, on, as I said, to become a giant in his field. In 1998, "Oedipus at Thebes" was republished for a new and grateful generation of students.

This is a true tour de force. Knox took as his starting point a statement made by Walter Headlam. Headlam had claimed that "when embarking on the elucidation of a Greek text, the scholar should first learn the text by heart and the read the whole of Greek literature looking for parallel passages." Sounds almost preposterous. Right? Well Knox actually did this. The result is a reading of "Oedipus Tyrannus" that is not only breath-taking in its magisterial sweep, but which, as far as I am concerned offers the first coherent explanation of what the play is about (but see also Charles Segal's sensitive reading - "Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge"). Knox has lovingly burnished Sophocles somewhat tarnished reputation and has ensured that Oedipus Tyrannus takes its place in the pantheon of the greatest works of literature.

But Knox is also careful to point out the relevance of the play for modern readers -- yet another reminder (and it is despairing that we need them) that the classics should be taught in our schools and read by all of us. Here is Knox on the subject: "A play, however, which suggests that, for all its great achievements, human ingenuity may be fatally flawed, does not seem irrelevant for an age that lives in dread of atomic and biological warfare, not to mention the nightmare possibilities offered by the latest developments in genetics."

The reason I read this little book is that I had started to read Sophocles' plays in the Chicago collection, "The Complete Greek Tragedies", edited by Grene and Lattimore. I became immediately bogged down in "Oedipus Tyrannus" and I began to suspect he had more to do with the translation than anything else.

The dust jacket of this collection contains superlatives about Grene's translations. We are gushingly told at one point that the Greekless reader needs "no other translation." Well allow me to politely differ. As I read Knox's book, using it as a tool to annotate Grene's translation, I came to see that time and again Grene had, for what could only be poetic purposes, obscured the true meaning of the text. In so doing he presents a version of the play that is VERY far from what Sophocles must have intended.

So, for those of you about to embark at University (or at home) on a study of Sophocles let me suggest two things. 1. Buy Knox and read him FIRST. 2. Buy Fagles' translation of Sophocles and not Grene (it is anything but unpoetic as has been suggested elsewhere). You won't be disappointed. I think you will emerge with far more respect for Sophocles and Greek society in general.

A VERY GOOD OEDIPAL READ, for what it is..........1999-02-04

This is a very good book on the subject of Oedipus, but not quite the best book on Sophocles or Oedipus. I liked both Bates' "Sophocles-poet and dramatist" and Weinstock's "Sophokles" a wee bit better, but that may be just my personal taste. Knox has a very bad habit of insisting that, by playing with the translations of tense and the shifting of meaning, and the redistributing of stress in a given sentence, that whole new meanings of the text can be 'discovered'. This is a very lazy, haphazard way to engage in critiquing, for it is not research. And Fagle's translation is plodding. Takes the poetry right out of the text.

The primary source on Oedipus and Greek Tragedy!.......1998-03-20

This is by far the best (critical) text ever written on Sophocles and Greek tragedy. This book delves into the Oedipus myth and covers many themes in the Oedipus, particularly the primary theme between fate and free will, which is a direct refutation to Freud and his conception of the myth: in "The Interpretation of Dreams," Freud labels the Oedipus a "tragedy of fate." His claim is certainly controversial and Knox deals with it in a very thorough manner. Oedipus at Thebes not only displays an apt critical analysis, but also displays a very unique writing style: very elequoent, yet easy to understand. This text is useful for research as well as for pleasure purposes. Bernard Knox also delivers a wonderful analysis of the Oedipus in the Introduction/Notes to Fagles' translation of "The Three Theban Plays."

The Theban Plays: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone (Thrift Edition)

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The Theban Plays: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone (Thrift Edition)
Sophocles
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 048645049X

Book Description

The stirring tale of a legendary royal family's fall and ultimate redemption, the Theban trilogy endures as the crowning achievement of Greek drama. Sophocles' 3-play cycle, chronicling Oedipus's search for the truth and its tragic results, remains essential reading for English and classical studies majors as well as for all students of Western civilization.

Oedipus Rex - Literary Touchstone Edition

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A student friendly edition of the paradigmatic Greek tragedy

Oedipus Rex - Literary Touchstone Edition
Sophocles
Manufacturer: Prestwick House, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1580495931
Release Date: 2005-06-01

Product Description

To make Oedipus more accessible for the modern reader, our Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition includes a glossary of the more difficult words, as well as convenient sidebar notes to enlighten the reader on aspects that may be confusing or overlooked. We hope that the reader may, through this edition, more fully enjoy the beauty of the verse, the wisdom of the insights, and the impact of the drama. Sophocles Oedipus Rex has never been surpassed for the raw and terrible power with which its hero struggles to answer the eternal question, "Who am I?" The play, a story of a king whoacting entirely in ignorancekills his father and marries his mother, unfolds with shattering power; we are helplessly carried along with Oedipus towards the final, horrific truth. This vibrant, new translation invites its readers to lose themselves in the unfolding of this tragic taleas suspenseful as a detective mystery, yet with an outcome long ago determined by Fate.

Customer Reviews:

Satisfaction.......2007-01-05

This product is extremely helpful when reading Oedipus. It is a fantastic version of the play.

A student friendly edition of the paradigmatic Greek tragedy.......2005-12-06

"Oedipus Rex" is not only the most read Greek tragedy, it is also the most misread. The play's reputation exists in part because it is presented as the paradigmatic example of the Greek tragedy by no less an authority than Aristotle in his "Poetics." No doubt this reputation played a part it making it one of the relatively few plays by Sophocles that has been preserved from ancient times. Whenever I have taught the Greek tragedies in various classes my students almost always find in the play the best examples of Aristotle's key concepts of harmartia ("tragic error of judgment"), anagnorisis ("recognition"), peripeteia ("reversal"), catharsis, etc. Still, there is the fact that because even those who do not know the play know the story about the man who killed his father and married his mother, "Oedipus Rex" is usually misread by students. Because they know the curse they miss something very important: the curse that the oracle at Delphi tells Oedipus (ln. 752-57) is not the same curse that was told to his parents (ln. 676-78).

The only reference to Oedipus by name in Homer appears in the "Iliad" (Book 23, ln 756) where it says that the king of Thebes died in battle, which suggests he was not blind. At some point in between the time of Homer and when Sophocles wrote this play, the tradition became that Oedipus blinded himself (Ismene refers to it in "Antigone," ln 37-39, which was written 15 years earlier but may have been edited later to conform with the more famous work). Sophocles could be playing with the legend again by having the prophecy change because this way there is an explanation for the sin of incest being part of the prophecy: it is added when Jocasta tries to thwart destiny and she herself gives the baby Oedipus over to the huntsman to be killed. Consequently, in the view of Sophocles at least, the incest is a punishment for the actions of Jocasta and not something that the innocent babe Oedipus faced from the moment of his birth.

Anyhow, there is no need for me to convince you that "Oedipus Rex" (a.k.a. "Oedipus the King" and "Oedipus Tyrannos") is a great play and the epitome of the Greek tragedy. So let me instead recommend this Literary Touchstone Edition with it use of sidebar notes to explain terms, concepts and mythological references. Once upon a time it seemed like only Shakespeare got this treatment, so it is nice to see Sophocles being treated the same. Before you read the play there are some Reading Points for Sharper Interest, which give readers some key things to consider whether they are reading the play for the first time or the twentieth. A list of Dramatis Personae is provided before the play and a look at the Mythological Background follows, although reading that latter one first as well could be quite useful.

Actually, a lot of what is included in this book would be useful reading before rather than after. The rest of this volume is devoted to brief considerations of the Origins of Greek Drama, Tragedy and the City (looking at the importance of these dramas to the Athenians), Conventions of Greek Drama, and Aristotle's Influence on Our Understanding of Tragedy. If anything, depending on how much you already know about such things, these sections may be too brief. But they do provide some key concepts for better understanding "Oedipus Rex." Even teachers who cannot get classroom sets of this edition to give their students to read can take advantage of what they find here to benefit their students.

The Theatre of Apollo: Divine Justice and Sophocles' Oedipus the King

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The Theatre of Apollo: Divine Justice and Sophocles' Oedipus the King
R. Drew Griffith
Manufacturer: McGill-Queen's University Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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High Quality, Low Price
Do Not Order This Version
missing text

Oedipus the King ( Oedipus Rex )
E, A Sophocles
Manufacturer: Filiquarian Publishing, LLC.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1599869519

Book Description

To Laius, King of Thebes, an oracle foretold that the child born to him by his queen Jocasta would slay his father and wed his mother. So when in time a son was born the infant's feet were riveted together and he was left to die on Mount Cithaeron. But a shepherd found the babe and tended him, and delivered him to another shepherd who took him to his master, the King of Corinth. Polybus being childless adopted the boy, who grew up believing that he was indeed the King's son. Afterwards doubting his parentage he inquired of the Delphic god and heard himself the word declared before to Laius. Wherefore he fled from what he deemed his father's house and in his flight he encountered and unwillingly slew his father Laius. Arriving at Thebes he answered the riddle of the Sphinx and the grateful Thebans made their deliverer king. So he reigned in the room of Laius, and espoused the widowed queen. Children were born to them and Thebes prospered under his rule, but again a grievous plague fell upon the city. Again the oracle was consulted and it bade them purge themselves of blood-guiltiness. Oedipus denounces the crime of which he is unaware, and undertakes to track out the criminal. Step by step it is brought home to him that he is the man. The closing scene reveals Jocasta slain by her own hand and Oedipus blinded by his own act and praying for death or exile.

Customer Reviews:

High Quality, Low Price.......2007-09-24

I purchased this title because the cost of the book was low and I have read it before. Although I didn't notice the other reviews of this book, saying there were errors, I got this book and it it didn't have any missing pages or paragraphs. I would recommend this title because of the high quality and low price.

Do Not Order This Version.......2007-08-27

I had already ordered a copy of this before I saw the other reviewer's comments, and hoped that maybe that person had just gotten a bad copy. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and as they said, this book is incomplete. Someone really should contact the publisher about this and get this book off the "shelves."

missing text.......2007-08-04

This version is missing at least 14 pages to the end. It cuts off mid-sentence, in the middle of a word! I bought it for my son's English summer reading, and he got one from the library to compare. If he had not read this before, he would not have realized that at least an entire scene was missing. I will have to order a different version as well.

Sophocles: Oedipus Rex (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics)

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Sophocles: Oedipus Rex (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics)
Sophocles
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521617359

Book Description

'Sophocles … created a masterpiece that in the eyes of posterity has overshadowed every other achievement in the field of ancient drama …' With these words Dr Dawe sets out the importance of Oedipus Rex. He investigates why it has for so long fascinated the human mind, devoting his introduction to an examination of the story and to the technique employed by Sophocles to unfold the plot. In this revised edition he also argues for the spurious nature of the play's ending. As with the first edition, the commentary deals authoritatively with problems of language and expression, but is enhanced by reflections on the text developed in the twenty years since the publication of that first edition. Written for classical scholars and students, this is a welcome revised edition of a bestselling text.

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