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Oedipus Rex , written by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles , is a timeless classic of tragedy and one of the most well-known works of Western literature. It tells the story of Oedipus, King of Thebes, who unknowingly murders his father and marries his mother, fulfilling... Read Full Overview

Considered by many the greatest of the classic Greek tragedies, Oedipus Rex is Sophocles' finest play and a work of extraordinary power and resonance. Aristotle considered it a masterpiece of dramatic construction and refers to it frequently in the Poetics . In presenting the... Read Full Overview

The famed Athenian tragedy in which Oedipus's own faults contribute to his tragic downfall.

"Oedipus Tyrannos is the first Greek play many readers encounter, and this version is their ideal gateway. Emily Wilson's verse line is effortlessly graceful, whether in taut, tense dialogue exchanges or in the lyrical choral odes." --JAMES ROMM, Bard College

The text is accompanied by a wealth of carefully chosen background materials and essays.

"Passages from Ancient Authors" includes selections from Homer's Odyssey, Thucydides' account of the plague, and Euripedes' Phoenissae.

The best of ancient and modern criticism... Read Full Overview

The second Theban play written by Sophocles, "Oedipus Rex," or "Oedipus the King," is the drama which chronologically begins the Oedipus cycle. After Laius, King of Thebes, learns from an oracle that he is doomed to perish by the hand of his own son, he binds the feet of his... Read Full Overview

Available for the first time as an independent work, David Grene's legendary translation of Oedipus the King renders Sophocles' Greek into cogent, vivid, and poetic English for a new generation to savor. Over the years, Grene and Lattimore's Complete Greek Tragedies have been... Read Full Overview

Peter Meineck and Paul Woodruff's collaboration on this new translation combines the strengths that have recently distinguished both as translators of Greek tragedy: expert knowledge of the Greek and of the needs of the teaching classicist, intimate knowledge of theatre, and... Read Full Overview

Emily Wilson's superb translation of Sophocles' best-known play, accompanied by her engaging introduction, translator's note, and explanatory footnotes. Comparative ancient sources that provide insight into the many different approaches to the Oedipus myth, inviting readers to... Read Full Overview

"Passages from Ancient Authors" includes selections from Homer's Odyssey , Thucydides' account of the plague, and Euripedes' Phoenissae . The best of ancient and modern criticism is represented, encouraging discussion from psychological, religious, anthropological, dramatic,... Read Full Overview

Since it was first performed in Athens in the 420s BC, Oedipus the King has been widely regarded as Sophocles' greatest tragedy and one of the foundation stones of western drama. Taken as a model by Aristotle in his Poetics, it became a yardstick for future generations... Read Full Overview

'Oedipus Rex' unfolds amid a city in the relentless grip of a plague. When an oracle proclaims that only an act of vengeance will lift the curse from Thebes, King Oedipus vows to bring a murderer to justice. His quest engenders a series of keen dramatic ironies, culminating in... Read Full Overview

Among the most celebrated plays of ancient Athens, Oedipus the King is one of seven surviving dramas by the great Greek playwright, Sophocles, now available from Harper Perennial in a vivid and dynamic new translation by award-winning poet Robert Bagg.

Praised... Read Full Overview

Based on the conviction that only translators who write poetry themselves can properly recreate the celebrated and timeless tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the Greek Tragedy in New Translations series offers new translations that go beyond the literal meaning... Read Full Overview

"Oedipus Rex" also known by its Greek title, "Oedipus Tyrannus" is a powerful Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles, first produced sometime around 429 BC. The story picks up with Oedipus, who has become King of Thebes after solving the Riddle of the Sphynx. However, after receiving... Read Full Overview

Presents a new version of the Greek classic drama as adapted for a modern theatrical performance.

Oedipus Rex , also known as Oedipus the King , by Sophocles - the most read masterpiece of Greek tragedy that towers above all others. This work by Sophocles is included on the AP English Reading List for the College Board Advanced Placement program. How dreadful the knowledge... Read Full Overview