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Three Theban Plays, by Sophocles, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:
All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.
The pinnacle of classical drama in Greece, the three-part, 2,500 year-old Oedipus cycle remains a touchstone of Western culture. Nearly perfect technically, the plays feature headstrong heroes, intense plots, and breathtaking imagery that have influenced generations of artists, philosophers, and statesmen. These fresh, historically faithful renditions by renowned translator Peter Constantine bring new life to civilization’s most meaningful dramas. Rich in sex and violence, the plays follow the tragic downfall of King Oedipus, a man who mistakenly believes he can control his own destiny. In Oedipus the King, we watch as the hero learns the truth about his past, including his murder of his father, Laius, and marriage to his mother, Jocasta. Written just before the death of Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus features a more subdued tone as the blind, exiled king reflects on his passing from this world. Antigone, the earliest written of the three, presents the powerful story of the iron-willed daughter of Oedipus as she takes a fatal stand against her uncle Creon, the new ruler of Thebes. Favoring her own moral code to the dictates of an unjust ruler, Antigone becomes the first heroine in Western literature and a model of civil disobedience. Pedro de Blas holds degrees in law and classics and has taught Greek at Columbia University and the CUNY Latin/Greek Institute. He has acted in several productions of Greek tragedy in the original and he is the author of the introduction and notes to Essential Dialogues of Plato, also published by Barnes & Noble Classics.
Three Theban Plays / 978-1-411-43330-4 This superb translation of the three dramas of Sophocles are a wonderful introduction to the phenomena of Greek drama. So much of the Greek spirit is delved into here. The problem of predestination is dealt with here, as in many plays, in the form of a question: Would Oedipus really have killed his parents if they hadn't tried to thwart the Oracle's prediction by abandoning him? And yet, if they just accepted their fate and raised him as their own (instead of making themselves strangers to him), would the Oracle's prediction have failed? Or did the Oracle *know* that the question would be asked and responded to in a certain way, and merely predicted the final outcome of this cycle? Yet does that mean that the Oracle actively determines future rather than merely passively observing it? And around we go. These plays deal deeply with unforgivable sin and forgiveness. Oedipus himself mistakenly kills the father he never knew and marries the mother he never met. No matter how innocently done, the crime is still there, clinging to him. His sons fail to govern responsibly and fairly and take arms against each other. They both fall in battle, but the one favored by the people is lionized, while the one out of favor is demonized. Against the laws of Zeus, he is denied burial rites and entrance into the afterlife, but own brave sister defies these laws and gives her life to secure afterlife for both her brothers. Sophocles asks us, Is there any fault so grievous that forgiveness cannot be offered? ~ Ana Mardoll
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 7, 2010
The Three Theban Plays are Greek tragedies that have remained in English literature for centuries after they were published. What is the reason for this everlasting existence of these pieces? The way that Sophocles presents his prose is beautiful, just like Shakespeare's stunning style of writing. No one in the 21st century will ever write like these literary geniuses. However, many people will not disagree on the fact that Sophocles' writing is abstract. Despite Sophocles' conceptual writing style, the Robert Fagles version of Antigone is a modern English edition that can be understood by 9th graders and above. This tragedy should be a must-read for everyone in high school because Antigone highlights important themes such as civil disobedience, hubris, atë, conscience versus law, etc.
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Posted June 23, 2008
Just like all Greek plays, these three are all excellent. I especially like Oedipus the King, but all are great. These plays bring you back to a time that is probably difficult for people of today to understand, but it is still intriguing.
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Posted July 13, 2005
If you like Greek literature this is a good choice for you. Robert Fagles again does a great job of translating an ancient tale. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested.
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Posted June 7, 2004
The Oedipus cycle is a greek tragedy, with elements of love, death, and it has comic relief. Probably the most entertaining Greek play, and it adresses many themes, and motifs. note that the chorus is used to tell what the average citizen is thinking, adn to provide historical significance
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Posted July 31, 2000
I read this book for a classic myth class, I learned that excessive pride can make you try to defeat your destiny and that there is a higher power that is always looking after you. Your destiny good or bad will happen.
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Overview
Three Theban Plays, by Sophocles, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics: