Oedipus the King (Enriched Classics) - Softcover

Sophocles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1416500332 ISBN 13: 9781416500339

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2005

Synopsis

Enduring Literature Illuminated by Practical Scholarship
One noble family's descent into madness, mayhem, and murder -- the first play in Sophocles' great Theban trilogy.
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 offer 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

About this title

Book Description:

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.

            David Mulroy’s brilliant verse translation of Oedipus Rex recaptures the aesthetic power of Sophocles’ masterpiece while also achieving a highly accurate translation in clear, contemporary English. Speeches are rendered with the same kind of regular iambic rhythm that gave the Sophoclean originals their drive. The choral parts are translated as fluid rhymed songs. Mulroy also supplies an introduction, notes, and appendixes to provide helpful context for general readers and students.

From the Back Cover:

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 story of King Oedipus and the tragedy that ensues when he discovers he has inadvertently killed his father and married his mother, the play exhibits near-perfect harmony of character and action. Moreover, the masterly use of dramatic irony greatly intensifies the impact of the agonizing events and emotions experienced by Oedipus and the other characters in the play. Now these and many other facets of this towering tragedy may be studied and appreciated in Dover's attractive inexpensive edition of one of the great landmarks of Western drama.
A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1416500332
• ISBN 13: 9781416500339
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 144