Oedipus the King - Hardcover

Sophocles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0812448383 ISBN 13: 9780812448382

Publisher: Perfection Learning, 2010

Synopsis

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 of the Greek in order to evoke the sense of poetry evident in the originals. Under the editorship of Peter Burian and Alan Shaprio, each volume includes a critical introduction, commentary on difficult passages, ample stage directions, and a glossary of the mythical names and geographical references encountered in the dialogue.
Sophocles' Oedipus the King paves the way as the first in the series to appear in paperback. In this highly-acclaimed translation of the greatest of all Greek tragedies, Stephen Berg--the well-known poet--and Diskin Clay--the distinguished classicist--combine their talents to offer the contemporary reader a dazzling version of Sophocles' timeless work. Emphasizing the intensity of the spoken language, they capture the unrelenting power of Sophoclean drama. No other English translation conveys the same terrifying emotional level, especially in the choral odes, the forceful descriptions of Jokasta's death, the blinding of Oedipus, and the final scene of desolation. Berg and Clay's translation--now available for the first time in paperback--both adheres strictly to the original meaning of the play and breathes new life into its language.

About this title

About the Author:

An Athenian dramatist and politician. He is known as the second of the three great Greek tragedians, preceded by Aeschylus and followed by Euripides. He distinguished himself at an early age: At the Athenian celebration of the victory at Salamis (480 BC), the 16-year-old Sophocles was the leader of the chorus of dancing and singing naked boys. A long line of scholars, beginning with Aristotle, considered Sophocles to be the greatest playwright among the ancients. He also won the Festival of Dionysus, an ancient dramatic festival, more times than any other. Records indicate that none of his plays earned anything lower than second place.

From AudioFile:

Aristotle admired OEDIPUS TYRANNOS as the pinnacle of tragic art. Indeed, aside from its fine poetry and Freudian undertones, it is a taut, suspenseful detective story. It is up to King Oedipus to ferret out and purge the town of whoever murdered his predecessor. This British production is a tad too reverential and somewhat pretentious. No accommodation is made to the sightless medium, making the action hard to follow. The choral odes drone on monotonously. There's little life in the production, but there's so much life in the play that it manages to shine brightly through the chinks. Y.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Perfection Learning
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0812448383
• ISBN 13: 9780812448382
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 85