Oedipus Rex
Publication Year: 2011
Oedipus Rex is the greatest of the Greek tragedies, a profound meditation on the human condition. The story of the mythological king, who is doomed to kill his father and marry his mother, has resonated in world culture for almost 2,500 years. But Sophocles’ drama as originally performed was much more than a great story—it was a superb poetic script and exciting theatrical experience. The actors spoke in pulsing rhythms with hypnotic forward momentum, making it hard for audiences to look away. Interspersed among the verbal rants and duels were energetic songs performed by the chorus.
Published by: University of Wisconsin Press
Contents
Preface
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pp. ix-xiv
This volume was designed to answer a need that I have felt in teaching Greek tragedy in translation. In my experience, available translations fail to convey the essential fact that Greek tragedies as originally performed were—in one word—dynamic. The convention of translating choral odes into free verse with ...
Introduction
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pp. xv-xxxviii
Greek myths and legends, such as those concerning Oedipus, were passed along orally by imaginative storytellers for hundreds of years before they were written down. Hence they are mostly fictional. They do, however, have an authentic historical setting: the Mycenaean Period, when Greek-speaking people made ...
Oedipus Rex
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pp. 1-89
Appendix 1. The Riddle of the Sphinx
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pp. 91-92
Appendix 2. A Synopsis of Sophocles’ Theban Trilogy
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pp. 93-103
Suggestions for Further Reading
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pp. 105-109
E-ISBN-13: 9780299282530
Print-ISBN-13: 9780299282547
Page Count: 109
Publication Year: 2011
