Oedipus the King (Enriched Classics) (L.A. Theatre Works Audio Theatre Collections) (Plays for Performance)

by Sophocles

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

A great masterpiece on which Aristotle based his aesthetic theory of drama in the Poetics and from which Freud derived the Oedipus complex, King Oedipus puts out a sentence on the unknown murderer of his father Laius. By a gradual unfolding of incidents, Oedipus learns that he was the assassin and that Jocasta, his wife, is also his mother.

This Enriched Classic Edition includes:
-A concise introduction that gives readers important background information
-Timelines of significant events in Greek history and theater that provide the book’s historical context
-An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations
-Detailed explanatory notes
-Critical analysis and modern perspectives on the work
-Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction
-A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader’s experience

Enriched Classics offers readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

Series edited by Cynthia Brantley Johnson

• ISBN10: 1451686048
• ISBN13: 9781451686043
• Publish Date: 18 December 2012 (first published 24 October 1972)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 176
• Language: English

Reviews

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: Robert Bagg's translation is excellent. The language is accessible while, while retaining the lyricism, in particular for the chorus. There are extensive notes on the linguistic choices and deeper meanings at the back at well, but I found that even without them, the clarity was great. It's been years since I last read a classical Greek play but with a familiar story such as Oedipus Rex, I felt right at home, imagining the staging and actors before my very eyes.