The Oedipus Rex

by Sophocles, Karl Gottlob August 1780-1813 Erfurdt (Created by), John Brasse

Overview

One of the greatest of the classic Greek tragedies and a masterpiece of dramatic construction. Catastrophe ensues when King Oedipus discovers he has inadvertently killed his father and married his mother. Masterly use of dramatic irony greatly intensifies impact of agonizing events. Sophocles' finest play, Oedipus Rex ranks as a towering landmark of Western drama. Explanatory footnotes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781024449679
Publisher:	Hutson Street Press
Publication date:	05/22/2025
Pages:	138
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.38(d)
Language:	Greek, Ancient (to 1453)

About the Author

David Mulroy is a professor emeritus of classics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His translations of The Complete Poetry of Catullus and of Sophocles' Theban trilogy—Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and Oedipus at Colonus—are all published by the University of Wisconsin Press.

Table of Contents

Preface       

Introduction       

    Historical Background       

    Interpretive Issues       

Sophocles, Oedipus Rex       

Appendix 1. The Riddle of the Sphinx       

Appendix 2. A Synopsis of Sophocles' Theban Trilogy       

Suggestions for Further Reading

Editorial Reviews

A great work of world literature has at last become a great poem in English. Mulroy’s translation is far superior to other available English verse translations.”—Robert J. Rabel, editor of Approaches to Homer, Ancient and Modern

“Introductory notes on such matters as the historical background, fate vs. free will, and (inevitably) the Oedipus Complex are clear and useful.”—Peter Green, The New York Review of Books

From the Publisher