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7th out of 55 books
—
27 voters
Antigone / Oedipus the King / Electra
by
Sophocles,
Edith Hall , H.D.F. Kitto
This volume contains three masterpieces by the Greek playwright Sophocles, widely regarded since antiquity as the greatest of all the tragic poets. The vivid translations, which combine elegance and modernity, are remarkable for their lucidity and accuracy, and are equally suitable for reading for pleasure, study, or theatrical performance. The selection of Antigone, Oedip...more
Paperback, 178 pages
Published
September 17th 1998
by Oxford University Press, USA
(first published -429)
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Don't get me wrong, Sophocles is a great playwright. But could Oedipus have really been that stupid. If someone made the prophesy that you would kill your father and make your mother your wife, don’t you think you would have been a little more cautious. Don't you think at any point he would have said "Hey, that guy is old enough to be my father an he looks a little like me. I probably shouldn’t kill him." Or perhaps he would have said "This lady is hot!...too bad she is old enough to be my mothe...more
Before I begin my review I should say I only read Oedipus the King ark for my AP literature class. For the book being translated, it was a lot easier to read than most other "translated books" because with how they interperated most of Sophocles language it is very readable. When I first began the book, I honestly thought it threw us straight in the middle of the main issue/problem, which was not my favorite thing about the book at all, got a little confusing. On top of being thrown in the middl...more
Oedipus the King was one awesome book. It was a totally different read then I was used too, but in the end it turned out very good. I found that it wasn’t a typical read you would find in highschool, it had a lot of unexpected parts and scandalous sections that were very different from the typical books we used to read.It’s a good fit for almost everyone. There is even a gorey part in there for the typical action packed boy.
Oedipus was written by Sophocles in Athens, Greece around about 441 BCE...more
Oedipus was written by Sophocles in Athens, Greece around about 441 BCE...more
The story of Oedipus the King is about a King named Oedipus who is the ruler of a city called Thebes. A curse has befallen on this city and Oedipus sends someone for Apollo to find out why it's happening. He learns that the curse is due to the fact that their last king, Laius, was murdered and if they find out who the killer is, the curse in Thebes would be lifted. With that, a series of events ends up happening to Oedipus from being accused to being the murderer of Laius to just a whole bunch o...more
The play is great of course, and very fun to teach. Creon is such a bastard and the teenagers love that his teenage son is the only sane character. What I really want to recommend is this version, put out by Cambridge. The translation is excellent and uses modern language well, and the notes on the side do an excellent job of putting all the references the Greeks would have taken for granted in cultural context. Totally changes the way you understand the play.
This is about the ill-fated king who murdered his father and married his mother. Nasty, right? Well, it turns out he didn't plan to do so. It was just another one of those Greek tragedies that end up... like all Greek tragedies. Antigone is about Oedipus' daughter and Oedipus' successor Creon.
Notes: Had to read this for school, and I enjoyed it a bit. Fast read (it's in Play form). Althought it got a bit repetitive, I found it interesting because I had always thought that Oedipus was derranged f...more
Notes: Had to read this for school, and I enjoyed it a bit. Fast read (it's in Play form). Althought it got a bit repetitive, I found it interesting because I had always thought that Oedipus was derranged f...more
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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From my notebook.
On Antigone:
"Antigone is so intransigent, goddamn."
"But I like Ismene... I like her pragmatism, which is not without humanism, which openly confesses her own weakness, her desire to live, and her love for her sister, whom she also fears."
"Noooo please be rational, Antigone."
"
*sob*"
"I don't give a shit about Haemon. Why does Antigone even like him?"
"Creon. You bastard. Welp, at least I know you die in Medea!"
On Oedipus:
"Oh lord. Io...more
On Antigone:
"Antigone is so intransigent, goddamn."
"But I like Ismene... I like her pragmatism, which is not without humanism, which openly confesses her own weakness, her desire to live, and her love for her sister, whom she also fears."
"Noooo please be rational, Antigone."
"
Ismene: "What life is left to me if I lose you?"
*sob*"
"I don't give a shit about Haemon. Why does Antigone even like him?"
"Creon. You bastard. Welp, at least I know you die in Medea!"
On Oedipus:
"Oh lord. Io...more
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It’s no disgrace for a man, even a wise man, to learn many things and not be too rigid. You’ve seen many trees by a raging winter torrent, how many sway with the flood and salvage every twig, but not the stubborn—they’re ripped out, roots and all. Bend or break.
This incredibly powerful and moving play was written well over two thousand years ago, yet it is as relevant and relatable as ever. Antigone's immovable conviction is tragically squared against Creon's regal pride, both as stubborn as oxe...more
This incredibly powerful and moving play was written well over two thousand years ago, yet it is as relevant and relatable as ever. Antigone's immovable conviction is tragically squared against Creon's regal pride, both as stubborn as oxe...more
As a Humanities/ Drama major student at college I read a lot, I mean A LOT,of greek tragedies. Antigone is always been my favorite, and it is actually a great one to play on stage, especially if you try to adapt it for the general masses or to be more relevant to our days. We can get so much from greek tragedies and oddly enough they can teach us a lot too, on a somewhat weird, twisted way; they are tragedies after all.
As massive classical nut, I had to get my hands on Sophocles' Electra after being force fed the dribble that is Euripedes' version. For all Electra enthusiasts, I recommend reading other translations - a favourite being Anne Carsons. And then get yourself onto youtube to watch Strauss' operatic version of Hofmannsthal's. Electra geek FTW!
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I'm fascinated by the story of Oedipus, as tragic as it is. I think one of the major lessons that it teaches is that a) you can't run from your actions, b)sometimes you can't avoid unfortunate situations, and c)family trees are SO important. It's awesome, yet sad.
Feb 16, 2013
Kellyb
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes tragedys, not just the Greek ones
Recommended to Kellyb by:
Lecturer
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I had to read this for college and I'm so glad I did! I absolutely loved it! The themes of blindness, and the sense of foreboding that you get right from the start, really hold your attention. I couldn't put it down and have already re-read it 3 times!
رائعة من روائع المسرح التراجيدى اليونانى....توقفت كثيرا اثناء القراءة لأسأل نفس السؤل.. كم قرن مضت على كتابة هذه الروائع.. وأين نحن الان منها؟؟
i read it because i have to for my drama class but i loved it !! the story is weird yeh but the way the Oedipus suddenly find him self the murder of his father and a husband for his mother !! I'm glad that i read it
There's little that I can say that has not been already. Sophocles uses amazing themes of honor, loyalty, and of course the tragedies of life. Oedipus and Antigone work hand in hand, as Antigone is the daughter or Oedipus. These two plays really show the ramifications of one's life choices and is frightening in some ways. Electra is really great as well, and felt like a version of Shakespeare's play Hamlet. The themes are very, very similar. Overall, I can't recommend Sophocles enough. These pla...more
Have actually only read Antigone out of these three, but this was the book I read it in, so. Read for school, don't know if will ever read Oedipus Rex or Electra.
One of the greatest things I have ever read! Sophocles introduced me to the world of human morality and deep emotions as a teenager. Love his timeless works.
The absolute coolest thing about this book is knowing I'm reading a book that is like 2,400 years old! Amazing! Other than that, it's pretty creepy. lol.
Enthralling. Easy to see why the Greek plays are timeless. This version was very easy to read and understand, and it included informative notes in the back. Loved it!
As always, the greek tragedies teach us something through the use of moral ambiguity in characters and the Chorus' voice of reason. Excellent and easy reads.
what I learned - that I can read plays as books and that they are just as absorbing and not as hard to follow as I thought.
I loved Oedipus, what a tragic nightmare! Antigone is also a really good play too. Looking forward to reading Electra.
Out of the three tragedies Antigone was my definitely my favorite. The story goes that the dead are the dead and should be regarded as such. By this I mean that you can punish someone who is alive, but you should respect them in death for they cannot defend themselves. Antigone goes to great lengths just to make a point about this. The other two plays are also thought-provoking and just as magnificent to read.
Oct 18, 2010
Carrie
added it
Weird Myth. gets you thinking about what would have happen had they never heard the prediction in the first place.
I read Antigone and Oedipus the king both were great and dramatic como una telenovela but in english...
I can't help returning to Greek tragedies every few years for some foundational, formal inspiration. These are good ones.
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Sophocles (Greek: Σοφοκλής; German editions: Sophokles) was an ancient Greek tragedy playwright. Not many things are known about his life other than that he was wealthy, well educated and wrote about one hundred and twenty three plays (of which few are extant). One of his best known plays is 'Oedipus the King' (Oedipus Rex).
More about Sophocles...
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Mar 15, 2013 10:57am
Mar 15, 2013 10:57am