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oedipus: Oedipus Trilogy Sophocles, 2021-10-26 Fresh, new translations of Sophocles's three Theban plays by acclaimed theater director Bryan Doerries, which emphasize the contemporary relevance of these classic Greek tragedies. Here are Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone in fresh new versions for contemporary readers and audiences. Each has been the basis for groundbreaking theatrical performances by Theater of War Productions, in which actors present dramatic readings, followed by town hall-style discussions. These forums are designed to confront social issues by evoking raw, personal reactions to themes highlighted in the plays. The Oedipus Project is an innovative digital initiative that presents scenes from Oedipus the King as a catalyst for frank and restorative online conversations about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diverse communities. First performed in 429 BC during the time of a plague that killed one-third of the Athenian population, it is a story of arrogant leadership, ignored prophecy, and a pestilence that ravages the city of Thebes—a story that is as relevant now as it was in its own time. The Oedipus at Colonus Project presents readings of scenes from Sophocles’ final play, Oedipus at Colonus, for powerful, community-driven conversations about homelessness, the immigration and refugee crises, and the challenges of eldercare during and after the pandemic. Antigone in Ferguson is a pioneering project that fuses dramatic readings from Antigone with live choral music, culminating in powerful, healing discussions about race and social justice. Antigone in Ferguson was conceived in the wake of Michael Brown's death in 2014, through a collaboration between Theater of War Productions and community members from Ferguson, Missouri, and premiered at Normandy High School, Michael Brown's alma mater. |
oedipus: Oedipus the King Sophocles, 1988-03-31 Dramatizes the story of Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother. |
oedipus: Oedipus Tyrannus Charles Segal, 2001 Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge, 2/e, is an accessible yet in-depth literary study of Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus (Oedipus Rex)--the most famous Greek tragedy and one of the greatest masterpieces of world literature. This unique volume combines a close, scene-by-scene literary analysis of the text with an account of the play's historical, intellectual, social, and mythical background and also discusses the play's place in the development of the myth and its use of the theatrical conventions of Greek drama. Based on a fresh scrutiny of the Greek text, this book offers a contemporary literary interpretation of the play, including a readable, nontechnical discussion of its underlying moral and philosophical issues; the role of the gods; the interaction of character, fate, and chance; the problem of suffering and meaning; and Sophocles' conception of tragedy and tragic heroism. This lucid guide traces interpretations of the play from antiquity to modern times--from Aristotle to Hegel, Nietzsche, Freud, Lacan, Lévi-Strauss, Girard, and Vernant--and shows its central role in shaping the European conception of tragedy and modern notions of the self. This second edition draws on new approaches to the study of Greek tragedy; discusses the most recent interpretative scholarship on the play; and contains an annotated up-to-date bibliography. Ideal for courses in classical literature in translation, Greek drama, classical civilization, theater, and literature and arts, Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge, 2/e, will also reward general readers interested in literature and especially tragedy. |
oedipus: Oedipus Rex Sophocles, 1991 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. A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative. |
oedipus: Oedipus the King Sophocles, 2005-07 Frequently reprinted with the same ISBN but with slightly varying bibliographical details. |
oedipus: Sophocles I Sophocles, 2013-04-19 Sophocles I contains the plays “Antigone,” translated by Elizabeth Wyckoff; “Oedipus the King,” translated by David Grene; and “Oedipus at Colonus,” translated by Robert Fitzgerald. Sixty years ago, the University of Chicago Press undertook a momentous project: a new translation of the Greek tragedies that would be the ultimate resource for teachers, students, and readers. They succeeded. Under the expert management of eminent classicists David Grene and Richmond Lattimore, those translations combined accuracy, poetic immediacy, and clarity of presentation to render the surviving masterpieces of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides in an English so lively and compelling that they remain the standard translations. Today, Chicago is taking pains to ensure that our Greek tragedies remain the leading English-language versions throughout the twenty-first century. In this highly anticipated third edition, Mark Griffith and Glenn W. Most have carefully updated the translations to bring them even closer to the ancient Greek while retaining the vibrancy for which our English versions are famous. This edition also includes brand-new translations of Euripides’ Medea, The Children of Heracles, Andromache, and Iphigenia among the Taurians, fragments of lost plays by Aeschylus, and the surviving portion of Sophocles’s satyr-drama The Trackers. New introductions for each play offer essential information about its first production, plot, and reception in antiquity and beyond. In addition, each volume includes an introduction to the life and work of its tragedian, as well as notes addressing textual uncertainties and a glossary of names and places mentioned in the plays. In addition to the new content, the volumes have been reorganized both within and between volumes to reflect the most up-to-date scholarship on the order in which the plays were originally written. The result is a set of handsome paperbacks destined to introduce new generations of readers to these foundational works of Western drama, art, and life. |
oedipus: Oedipus King of Thebes Sophocles, 2021-12-24 Oedipus King of Thebes Sophocles - Oedipus Rex, also known by its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus (Ancient Greek: , pronounced [oidípos týrannos]), or Oedipus the King, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Greeks, the title was simply Oedipus (), as it is referred to by Aristotle in the Poetics. It is thought to have been renamed Oedipus Tyrannus to distinguish it from another of Sophocles's plays, Oedipus at Colonus. In antiquity, the term tyrant referred to a ruler with no legitimate claim to rule, but it did not necessarily have a negative connotation |
oedipus: Oedipus Sophocles, 2025-02-13 Vengeance will be taken on the killer, then the land will be clean. The contamination will be washed away. The rains will come and the people will be healed. According to the Oracle, if the murderer of old King Laius is found and punished then all will be well. The people turn to their new ruler, Oedipus, the man who solved the riddle of the Sphinx, to hunt down the perpetrator and bring salvation. He vows to succeed whatever the cost--and so begins an unstoppable pursuit of the truth through a harrowing labyrinth of fear and love. |
oedipus: Oedipus Borealis Lois Bragg, 2004 After examining characters widely disparate from the saga skalds, the model holds: only in the narratives having a Christian purpose do we find the link among disability, deformity, sexual aberrance, wisdom, craft, and power broken. With the would-be Icelandic saint, Gudmund the Good, disability is no longer the mark of a great man, but now appears in its modern interpretation: a character-building setback that the hero must overcome.--BOOK JACKET. |
oedipus: Oedipus Trilogy Sophocles, 2009-01-01 Oedipus the King is Sophocles' legendary rendition of the myth of the great king Oedipus, perhaps the best known of all of the Greek Tragedies. When an oracle foretells that the young prince Oedipus will grow up to murder his father he is cast out of the kingdom by the king who hopes by doing so that he will avoid his fate. Oedipus grows up and many years later, not knowing his own identity, or the identity of his father, meets him at a crossroad where they argue and the king is killed. The rest of the tale pivots around the unraveling of this tangled family history and the appalling discovery of, not only patricide, but Oedipus' subsequent incest in unwittingly marrying his own mother. |
oedipus: Sophocles' Oedipus Rex Harold Bloom, 2006 A critical guide to Oedipus rex, Sophocles' Greek tragedy which addresses questions about the power of fate. |
oedipus: Oedipus at Colonus Sophocles, 2005 The latest title to join the acclaimed Greek Tragedy in New Translations series, Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus tells the story of the last day in the life of Oedipus. It was written at the end of the fifth century BCE in Athens, in the final years of the Golden Age of Athenian culture, and in the last year of Sophocles' own life. At the center of the play is the mysterious transformation of Oedipus from an old and blind beggar, totally dependent on his daughters, to the man who rises from his seat and, without help, leads everyone to the place where he is destined to die. In the background of this transformation stands the grove of the Furies, the sacred place of the implacable goddesses who pursue the violators of blood relationships. Although Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother, is an obvious target of the Furies' vengeance, he enters their grove at the beginning of the play, sure that it is the resting place Apollo has predicted for him. The reversals and paradoxes in the play speak to the struggle that Oedipus' life and the action of the play bring vividly before us: how do we as humans, subject to constant change, find stable ground on which to stand and define our moral lives? Sophocles offers his play as a witness to the remarkable human capacity to persevere in this struggle. |
oedipus: Oedipus, Philosopher Jean-Joseph Goux, 1993 If the logic of the Oedipus myth were subjected to rigorous and thoroughgoing analysis with the tools of anthropology, comparative mythology, and narratology, might it invalidate the approach to the 'Oedipus complex' that Freud derived from his psychoanalytic experience? This book answers 'yes', arguing that instead of the Oedipus complex explaining the myth, the Oedipus myth explains the complex. The author argues that the Oedipus myth is an historical anomaly, a myth of failed royal investiture or of avoided masculine initiation. Does this mean that we must return to the wisdom of tradition and strike out twenty-five centuries of Oedipal history? The author knows very well that such a solution would be fantasy, and he concludes by speculating on how his analysis might contribute to a vision that has eluded Freudian psychoanalysis: how to surpass the Oedipus complex, with all the ethical consequences this would entail. |
oedipus: Oedipus Variations Karl Kerényi, 1991 |
oedipus: Oedipus the King Sophocles, 2017-10-27 Why buy our paperbacks? Expedited shipping High Quality Paper Made in USA Standard Font size of 10 for all books 30 Days Money Back Guarantee BEWARE of Low-quality sellers Don't buy cheap paperbacks just to save a few dollars. Most of them use low-quality papers & binding. Their pages fall off easily. Some of them even use very small font size of 6 or less to increase their profit margin. It makes their books completely unreadable. How is this book unique? Unabridged (100% Original content) Font adjustments & biography included Illustrated Oedipus the King by Sophocles Oedipus the King by Sophocles was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Greeks, the title was simply Oedipus, as it is referred to by Aristotle in the Poetics. It is thought to have been renamed Oedipus Tyrannus to distinguish it from Oedipus at Colonus. In antiquity, the term tyrant referred to a ruler, but it did not necessarily have a negative connotation. Of his three Theban plays that have survived, and that deal with the story of Oedipus, Oedipus Rex was the second to be written. However, in terms of the chronology of events that the plays describe, it comes first, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone. Prior to the start of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus has become the king of Thebes while unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father, Laius (the previous king), and marry his mother, Jocasta (whom Oedipus took as his queen after solving the riddle of the Sphinx). The action of Sophocles' play concerns Oedipus' search for the murderer of Laius in order to end a plague ravaging Thebes, unaware that the killer he is looking for is none other than himself. At the end of the play, after the truth finally comes to light, Jocasta hangs herself while Oedipus, horrified at his patricide and incest, proceeds to gouge out his own eyes in despair. Oedipus Rex is regarded by many scholars as the masterpiece of ancient Greek tragedy. In his Poetics, Aristotle refers several times to the play in order to exemplify aspects of the genre. Many parts or elements of the myth of Oedipus take place before the opening scene of the play. They may be described or referred to in the text. In his youth, Laius was a guest of King Pelops of Elis, and became the tutor of Chrysippus, youngest of the king's sons, in chariot racing. He then violated the sacred laws of hospitality by abducting and raping Chrysippus, who according to some versions, killed himself in shame. This murder cast a doom over Laius, his son Oedipus, and all of his other descendants. However, most scholars are in agreement that the seduction or rape of Chrysippus was a late addition to the Theban myth. A son is born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. After Laius learns from an oracle that he is doomed/To perish by the hand of his own son, he tightly binds the feet of the infant together with a pin and orders Jocasta to kill the infant. Hesitant to do so, she orders a servant to commit the act for her. Instead, the servant takes the baby to a mountain top to die from exposure. A shepherd rescues the infant and names him Oedipus (or swollen feet). (The servant directly hands the infant to the shepherd in most versions.) The shepherd carries the baby with him to Corinth, where Oedipus is taken in and raised in the court of the childless King Polybus of Corinth as if he were his own. |
oedipus: Oedipus Rex Or Oedipus the King: (annotated) (Worldwide Classics) Sophocles, 2019-03-13 Oedipus, King of Thebes, sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to ask advice of the oracle at Delphi, concerning a plague ravaging Thebes. Creon returns to report that the plague is the result of religious pollution, since the murderer of their former king, Laius, has never been caught. Oedipus vows to find the murderer and curses him for causing the plague.Oedipus summons the blind prophet Tiresias for help. When Tiresias arrives he claims to know the answers to Oedipus's questions, but refuses to speak, instead telling him to abandon his search. Oedipus is enraged by Tiresias' refusal, and verbally accuses him of complicity in Laius' murder. Outraged, Tiresias tells the king that Oedipus himself is the murderer (You yourself are the criminal you seek). Oedipus cannot see how this could be, and concludes that the prophet must have been paid off by Creon in an attempt to undermine him. The two argue vehemently, as Oedipus mocks Tiresias' lack of sight, and Tiresias in turn tells Oedipus that he himself is blind. Eventually Tiresias leaves, muttering darkly that when the murderer is discovered he shall be a native citizen of Thebes, brother and father to his own children, and son and husband to his own mother. |
oedipus: Sophocles' 'Oedipus the King' Sean Sheehan, 2012-03-08 Described as the Mona Lisa of literature and the world's first detective story, Sophocles' Oedipus the King is a major text from the ancient Greek world and an iconic work of world literature. Aristotle's favourite play, lauded by him as the exemplary Athenian tragedy, Oedipus the King has retained its power both on and off the stage. Before Freud's famous interpretation of the play - an appropriation, some might say - Hölderlin and Nietzsche recognised its unique qualities. Its literary worth is undiminished, philosophers revel in its probing into issues of freedom and necessity and Lacan has ensured its vital significance for post-Freudian psychoanalysis. This Reader's Guide begins with Oedipus as a figure from Greek mythology before focusing on fifth-century Athenian tragedy and the meaning of the drama as it develops scene by scene on the stage. The book covers the afterlife of the play in depth and provides a comprehensive guide to further reading for students. |
oedipus: Oedipus at Colonus Andreas Markantonatos, 2012-02-14 This book aims to offer a contemporary literary interpretation of the play, including a readable discussion of its underlying historical, religious, moral, social, and mythical issues. Also, it discusses the most recent interpretative scholarship on the play, the main intertextual affiliations with earlier Thebes-related tragedies, especially focusing on Sophocles’ Antigone and Oedipus Tyrannus, and the literature and performance reception of the play; it contains an up-to-date bibliography and detailed indices. The book won the Academy of Athens Great Award for the Best Monograph in Classical Philology for 2008. |
oedipus: King Oedipus Sophocles, 2015-08-24 Widely regarded as one of the greatest Greek tragedies, 'King Oedipus' (or 'Oedipus Rex') is the first play in the Oedipus trilogy (followed by 'Oedipus at Colonus' and then 'Antigone'). After defeating the Sphinx and freeing the kingdom of Thebes from her curse, the flawed hero unwittingly fulfills a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. |
oedipus: Oedipus The King Sophocles, 2022-10-27 This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant. |
oedipus: Oedipus The King Sophocle, 2023-06-15 Oedipus Rex, also known by its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus (Ancient Greek: Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, pronounced [oidípoːs týrannos]), or Oedipus the King, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC.[1] Originally, to the ancient Greeks, the title was simply Oedipus (Οἰδίπους), as it is referred to by Aristotle in the Poetics. It is thought to have been renamed Oedipus Tyrannus to distinguish it from Oedipus at Colonus, a later play by Sophocles. In antiquity, the term tyrant referred to a ruler with no legitimate claim to rule, but it did not necessarily have a negative connotation.[2][3][4] Of Sophocles' three Theban plays that have survived, and that deal with the story of Oedipus, Oedipus Rex was the second to be written, following Antigone by about a dozen years. However, in terms of the chronology of events described by the plays, it comes first, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone. Prior to the start of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus has become the king of Thebes while unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father, Laius (the previous king), and marry his mother, Jocasta (whom Oedipus took as his queen after solving the riddle of the Sphinx). The action of Sophocles's play concerns Oedipus's search for the murderer of Laius in order to end a plague ravaging Thebes, unaware that the killer he is looking for is none other than himself. At the end of the play, after the truth finally comes to light, Jocasta hangs herself while Oedipus, horrified at his patricide and incest, proceeds to gouge out his own eyes in despair. In his Poetics, Aristotle refers several times to the play in order to exemplify aspects of the genre. |
oedipus: Oedipus at Colonus Sophocles, 2017-12-17 Why buy our paperbacks? Expedited shipping High Quality Paper Made in USA Standard Font size of 10 for all books 30 Days Money Back Guarantee BEWARE of Low-quality sellers Don't buy cheap paperbacks just to save a few dollars. Most of them use low-quality papers & binding. Their pages fall off easily. Some of them even use very small font size of 6 or less to increase their profit margin. It makes their books completely unreadable. How is this book unique? Unabridged (100% Original content) Font adjustments & biography included Illustrated Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Greeks, the title was simply Oedipus, as it is referred to by Aristotle in the Poetics. It is thought to have been renamed Oedipus Tyrannus to distinguish it from Oedipus at Colonus. In antiquity, the term tyrant referred to a ruler, but it did not necessarily have a negative connotation. Of his three Theban plays that have survived, and that deal with the story of Oedipus, Oedipus Rex was the second to be written. However, in terms of the chronology of events that the plays describe, it comes first, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone.Prior to the start of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus has become the king of Thebes while unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father, Laius (the previous king), and marry his mother, Jocasta (whom Oedipus took as his queen after solving the riddle of the Sphinx). The action of Sophocles' play concerns Oedipus' search for the murderer of Laius in order to end a plague ravaging Thebes, unaware that the killer he is looking for is none other than himself. At the end of the play, after the truth finally comes to light, Jocasta hangs herself while Oedipus, horrified at his patricide and incest, proceeds to gouge out his own eyes in despair. Oedipus Rex is regarded by many scholars as the masterpiece of ancient Greek tragedy. In his Poetics, Aristotle refers several times to the play in order to exemplify aspects of the genre. Many parts or elements of the myth of Oedipus take place before the opening scene of the play. They may be described or referred to in the text. In his youth, Laius was a guest of King Pelops of Elis, and became the tutor of Chrysippus, youngest of the king's sons, in chariot racing. He then violated the sacred laws of hospitality by abducting and raping Chrysippus, who according to some versions, killed himself in shame. This murder cast a doom over Laius, his son Oedipus, and all of his other descendants. However, most scholars are in agreement that the seduction or rape of Chrysippus was a late addition to the Theban myth. A son is born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. After Laius learns from an oracle that he is doomed/To perish by the hand of his own son, he tightly binds the feet of the infant together with a pin and orders Jocasta to kill the infant. Hesitant to do so, she orders a servant to commit the act for her. Instead, the servant takes the baby to a mountain top to die from exposure. A shepherd rescues the infant and names him Oedipus (or swollen feet). (The servant directly hands the infant to the shepherd in most versions.) The shepherd carries the baby with him to Corinth, where Oedipus is taken in and raised in the court of the childless King Polybus of Corinth as if he were his own. |
oedipus: Oedipus Rex Sophocles, 1982-10-28 Greek text with introduction and full commentary. |
oedipus: Oedipus Juan-David Nasio, 2010-10-01 First English translation of Nasio's groundbreaking work on the Oedipus complex. |
oedipus: , |
oedipus: Oedipus Lowell Edmunds, 2020-02-03 Drawing on more than seventy works that dispersed the Oedipus legend from Greece to Asia, Africa, and the Americas, Edmunds provides a foundation for discussion of the lasting appeal of this legend, for claims of its universality, and for its uses as a vehicle for personal and cultural expression. The power of the Oedipus legend is apparent not only in its interpretations but even more so in its variations. As Edmunds writes, Translations, adaptations, and performances still come forth in a never-ending stream. Again and again, playwrights have tried their hand at new shapings of the Sophoclean Oedipuses and often a country's Oedipus forms a whole chapter in the history of its literature. Drawing on more than seventy works that dispersed the Oedipus legend from Greece to Asia, Africa, and the Americas, Edmunds provides a foundation for discussion of the lasting appeal of this legend, for claims of its universality, and for its uses as a vehicle for personal and cultural expression. |
oedipus: The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles Sophocles, 1996-05-01 A collection that includes the complete texts of Sophocles' Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone—translated by Paul Roche. Revising and updating his classic 1958 translation, Paul Roche captures the dramatic power and intensity, the subtleties of meaning, and the explosive emotions of Sophocles' great Theban trilogy. In vivid, poetic language, he presents the timeless story of a noble family moving toward catastrophe, dragged down from wealth and power by pride, cursed with incest, suicide, and murder. William Carlos Williams called the Roche translation of Antigone “brilliantly successful...as spirited and powerful as the original must have been.” Roche's versions of the Oedipus plays are both stunning and sympathetic, awe-inspiring and intimate, and bring the elemental myths of ancient Greece to life for modern readers. Included in this edition are a glossary of classical names, notes on pronunciation and meter, suggestions for production and acting, and historical material, which offer the reader a greater appreciation of Sophocles' dramatic genius. |
oedipus: Sophocles: Oedipus at Colonus Adrian Kelly, 2013-10-10 In his final play, Sophocles returns to the ever-popular character of Oedipus, the blind outcast of Thebes, the ultimate symbol of human reversal, whose fall he had so memorably treated in the 'Oedipus Tyrannus'. In this play, Sophocles brings the aged Oedipus to Athens, where he seeks succour and finds refuge, despite the threatening arrival of his kinsman Creon, who tries to tempt and then force the old man back under Theban control. Oedipus' resistance shows a fierceness in no way dimmed by incapacity, but he also refuses to aid his repentant son, Polyneices, in his coming attack on Thebes, manifesting once more the passion and harshness which mark his character so thoroughly. His mysterious death at the end of the play, witnessed only by Theseus himself, seems the sole fitting end for such an exceptional and problematic figure, transforming Oedipus into one of the 'powerful dead' whose beneficence towards Athens heralds a positive future for the city. This useful companion provides background, context, a synopsis and detailed analysis of the play. |
oedipus: King Oedipus Sophocles, 1881 |
oedipus: Plays of Sophocles Sophocles, 2016-11-05 The three plays of this book (Oedipus the King (also called Oedipus Tyrannus or by its Latin title Oedipus Rex), Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone), also known as the Theban plays, concern the fate of Thebes during and after the reign of King Oedipus. Each of the plays relates to the tale of the mythological Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother without knowledge that they were his parents. His family is fated to be doomed for three generations. Sophocles wrote the three plays for separate festival competitions, many years apart. Not only are the Theban plays not a true trilogy (three plays presented as a continuous narrative) but they are not even an intentional series and contain some inconsistencies among them. He also wrote other plays having to do with Thebes, such as the Epigoni, of which only fragments have survived. |
oedipus: Oedipus King of Thebes Sophocles Sophocles, 2024-08 Oedipus King of Thebes, commonly known as Oedipus Rex, is a profound Greek tragedy by Sophocles that delves into themes of fate, prophecy, and identity. The play centers on Oedipus, the king of Thebes, whose quest to rid his city of a devastating plague leads him to uncover a series of tragic revelations. Tragedy is the core of the narrative, as Oedipus's determined efforts to save his people from the plague set in motion a chain of events that reveal his own tragic fate. Central to the story is the concept of fate and prophecy, which foretold that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. Despite his efforts to avoid this destiny, the prophecy unfolds with devastating accuracy. Hubris, or excessive pride, plays a crucial role in the story. Oedipus's confidence in his ability to defy the prophecy and his determination to solve the mystery of Laius's murder ultimately lead to his downfall. This irony heightens the emotional impact of the play and underscores the inexorable power of fate. Overall, Oedipus Rex is a powerful exploration of human limitations, the inescapable nature of fate, and the tragic consequences of self-discovery. |
oedipus: The Oedipus Papers George H. Pollock, John Munder Ross, 1988 |
oedipus: Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex Michael John O'Brien, 1968 Twenty-seven essays collected from books and journals for the student presenting varied and opposing reflections of Sophocles' tragedy. |
oedipus: The Oedipus Trilogy Sophocles, 2016-06-18 Comprised of three plays in the Theban saga - Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone - this collection tells of the tragic exploits of Oedipus the king of Thebes, and his daughter Antigone. In Oedipus the King (also known by its Latin title Oedipus Rex) the young Oedipus hears a prophecy from the Oracle at Delphi that he will Mate with [his] own mother, and shed/With [his] own hands the blood of [his] own sire. Terrified of the prediction, he flees whom he thinks to be his biological parents, only to unwittingly encounter - and kill - his biological father, King Laius, setting in motion the events that will see the Delphic prophecy fulfilled. In Oedipus at Colonus we witness Oedipus as an old man, ostracised and distrusted by society at large for his earlier misdeeds. Blind, he Oedipus is led by his daughter/sister Antigone to meet with King Theseus, with whom he wishes to speak prior to dying. The play culminates in Oedipus' death, and eventual judgment by the Gods themselves for his terrible sins of patricide and incest. Antigone sees Oedipus daughter navigate the drama of a Civil War in Thebes, engaging and vying with the present king Creon. Portrayed as a heroine with much faith for her family, Antigone's steels her resolve in a time of upheaval and tragic conflict ensuing between the aristocracy of Thebes. This superb edition of Sophocles' classic Oedipus Trilogy brings out the original spirit and intensity of all three plays, encapsulated by the translation of F. Storr. |
oedipus: Oedipus rex Sophocles, 1807 |
oedipus: Oedipus Rex Sophocles, E. H. Plumptre, 2005-01-01 The first drama in the Oedipus Trilogy, Oedipus Rex, is the tragic tale of Oedipus who has accidentally killed his father and married his mother. One of the most widely read of all Greek tragedies, Oedipus Rex, stands as one of not only the greatest dramas from classical antiquity but as one of the greatest dramas of all time. Its influence on literature and theatre cannot be overstated and it is as compelling today as when it was first performed. |
oedipus: Oedipus the King and Other Tragedies Sophocles, 2015-03-19 Oedipus the King * Aias * Philoctetes * Oedipus at Colonus Sophocles stands as one of the greatest dramatists of all time, and one of the most influential on artists and thinkers over the centuries. In these four tragedies he portrays the extremes of human suffering and emotion, turning the heroic myths into supreme works of poetry and dramatic action. Oedipus the King follows Oedipus, the 'man of sorrow', who has unwittingly chosen to enact his prophesied course by murdering his father and marrying his mother. In Aias, the great warrior confronts the harrowing humiliation inflicted upon him, while Philoctetes sees a once-noble hero nursing his resentment after ten years of marooned isolation. In Oedipus at Colonus the blind Oedipus, who has wandered far and wide as a beggar, finally meets his mysterious death. These original and distinctive verse translations convey the vitality of Sophocles' poetry and the vigour of the plays in performance. Each play is accompanied by an introduction and substantial notes on topographical and mythical references and interpretation. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. |
oedipus: The Oedipus Casebook Mark R. Anspach, 2020-02-01 Who killed Laius? Most readers assume Oedipus did. At the play’s end, he stands convicted of murdering his father, marrying his mother, and triggering a deadly plague. With selections from a stellar assortment of critics including Walter Burkert, Terry Eagleton, Michel Foucault, René Girard, and Jean-Pierre Vernant, this book reopens the Oedipus case and lets readers judge for themselves. The Greek word for tragedy means “goat song.” Is Oedipus the goat? Helene Peet Foley calls him “the kind of leader a democracy would both love and desire to ostracize.” The Oedipus Casebook readings weigh the evidence against Oedipus, place the play in the context of Greek scapegoat rites, and explore the origins of tragedy in the festival of Dionysus. This unique critical edition includes a new translation of the play by distinguished classics scholar Wm. Blake Tyrrell and the authoritative Greek text established by H. Lloyd-Jones and N. G. Wilson. |
oedipus: Oedipus Rex Sophocles, 2024-12-10T18:03:29Z Many years after Oedipus famously solved the riddle of the Sphinx and ascended to the throne, a curse descends upon Thebes in the form of a terrible plague. This persistent blight ravages the land: crops wither in the fields, livestock succumbs to sickness, and families lose women and children. In this dire time, Creon, Oedipus’s brother, returns from the Oracle of Delphi. He brings news of a cure: the plague will lift once the murderer of the late King Laius is identified and banished from the city. To save his people, Oedipus embarks on a quest to uncover the killer’s identity. However, as he delves deeper into his investigation, he begins to unearth shocking revelations about his own origins, and of the prophetic actions that brought the curse. Oedipus Rex was written for a festival competition, and is thought to have been first performed around 467 BC. While it didn’t win the competition, Aristotle considered it to be the play that best followed his outline for how drama should be composed. Today, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest plays—and perhaps stories—ever written. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks. |
oedipus: Oedipus the King Sophocles Attic Bee, 2020-04-06 Oedipus was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family.The story of Oedipus is the subject of Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus Rex, which is followed in the narrative sequence by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone. Together, these plays make up Sophocles' three Theban plays. Oedipus represents two enduring themes of Greek myth and drama: the flawed nature of humanity and an individual's role in the course of destiny in a harsh universe.In the best known version of the myth, Oedipus was born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta. Laius wished to thwart the prophecy, so he sent a shepherd-servant to leave Oedipus to die on a mountainside. However, the shepherd took pity on the baby and passed him to another shepherd who gave Oedipus to King Polybus and Queen Merope to raise as their own. Oedipus learned from the oracle at Delphi of the prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother but, unaware of his true parentage, believed he was fated to murder Polybus and marry Merope, so left for Thebes. On his way he met an older man and killed him in a quarrel. Continuing on to Thebes, he found that the king of the city (Laius) had been recently killed, and that the city was at the mercy of the Sphinx. Oedipus answered the monster's riddle correctly, defeating it and winning the throne of the dead king - and the hand in marriage of the king's widow, who was also (unbeknownst to him) his mother Jocasta.Years later, to end a plague on Thebes, Oedipus searched to find who had killed Laius, and discovered that he himself was responsible. Jocasta, upon realizing that she had married her own son, hanged herself. Oedipus then seized two pins from her dress and blinded himself with them.The legend of Oedipus has been retold in many versions, and was used by Sigmund Freud to name and give mythic precedent to the Oedipus complex. |
Oedipus - Mythopedia
May 15, 2023 · Though Oedipus is perhaps best known through Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus Tyrannus, there were many different sources for his myth circulating in the ancient world. Some …
Sphinx – Mythopedia
Mar 25, 2023 · When the Sphinx posed her riddle, Oedipus reasoned that humans walk on all fours as infants, on two legs as adults, and on three legs—their two legs and a cane—when old. He …
Eteocles – Mythopedia
Oct 2, 2023 · Eteocles was a son of Oedipus, though he and his brother Polynices were both cursed by their father for dishonoring him. When Eteocles failed to respect a prior agreement to share …
Ismene – Mythopedia
Aug 23, 2023 · Ismene was a princess of Thebes, one of the children born from Oedipus’ incestuous marriage to his mother Jocasta. Her siblings were Antigone , Eteocles, and Polynices. In one early …
Antigone – Mythopedia
Feb 15, 2023 · Antigone, at least in most traditions, was one of the children born from Oedipus’ incestuous union with his mother Jocasta. She was a model of filial devotion, helping her ailing …
Tiresias – Mythopedia
Feb 27, 2023 · Soon after, Oedipus realizes that not only did he kill Laius, but Laius was his father. Since he had married Laius’ wife Jocasta after the murder, Oedipus is left to conclude—to his …
Apollo – Mythopedia
Apr 11, 2023 · In Oedipus Tyrannus (ca. 430 BCE), for example, it is Apollo’s oracle who initiates the action of the tragedy. And in Electra (probably 410s BCE), it is Apollo who reportedly tells …
Erinyes (Furies) – Mythopedia
Mar 9, 2023 · Eventually, after the truth was revealed and Oedipus was ruined, he sent the Erinyes against his own sons Eteocles and Polyneices as punishment for dishonoring him. In the end, the …
Cadmus - Mythopedia
Jul 10, 2023 · Cadmus was the founder of the city of Thebes and served as its first king. At the end of his life, he was transformed into a serpent as punishment for failing to honor the gods.
Pentheus – Mythopedia
Jul 21, 2023 · The surviving literature does not name Pentheus’ wife, but there was evidently a tradition in which he had a son named Oclasus. This Oclasus was the father of Menoeceus, who …
Oedipus - Mythopedia
May 15, 2023 · Though Oedipus is perhaps best known through Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus Tyrannus, there were many different sources for his myth circulating in the ancient world. …
Sphinx – Mythopedia
Mar 25, 2023 · When the Sphinx posed her riddle, Oedipus reasoned that humans walk on all fours as infants, on two legs as adults, and on three legs—their two legs and a cane—when …
Eteocles – Mythopedia
Oct 2, 2023 · Eteocles was a son of Oedipus, though he and his brother Polynices were both cursed by their father for dishonoring him. When Eteocles failed to respect a prior agreement …
Ismene – Mythopedia
Aug 23, 2023 · Ismene was a princess of Thebes, one of the children born from Oedipus’ incestuous marriage to his mother Jocasta. Her siblings were Antigone , Eteocles, and …
Antigone – Mythopedia
Feb 15, 2023 · Antigone, at least in most traditions, was one of the children born from Oedipus’ incestuous union with his mother Jocasta. She was a model of filial devotion, helping her ailing …
Tiresias – Mythopedia
Feb 27, 2023 · Soon after, Oedipus realizes that not only did he kill Laius, but Laius was his father. Since he had married Laius’ wife Jocasta after the murder, Oedipus is left to …
Apollo – Mythopedia
Apr 11, 2023 · In Oedipus Tyrannus (ca. 430 BCE), for example, it is Apollo’s oracle who initiates the action of the tragedy. And in Electra (probably 410s BCE), it is Apollo who reportedly tells …
Erinyes (Furies) – Mythopedia
Mar 9, 2023 · Eventually, after the truth was revealed and Oedipus was ruined, he sent the Erinyes against his own sons Eteocles and Polyneices as punishment for dishonoring him. In …
Cadmus - Mythopedia
Jul 10, 2023 · Cadmus was the founder of the city of Thebes and served as its first king. At the end of his life, he was transformed into a serpent as punishment for failing to honor the gods.
Pentheus – Mythopedia
Jul 21, 2023 · The surviving literature does not name Pentheus’ wife, but there was evidently a tradition in which he had a son named Oclasus. This Oclasus was the father of Menoeceus, …