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The Theban Plays
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The Theban Plays
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See morePresents tales such as "King Oedipus", "Oedipus at Colonus", and "Antigone".
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Description
The legends surrounding the royal house of Thebes inspired Sophocles (496-406 BC) to create a powerful trilogy about mankind's struggle against fate.
King Oedipus tells of a man who brings pestilence to Thebes for crimes he does not realise he has committed and who then inflicts a brutal punishment upon himself. With profound insights into the human condition, it is a devastating portrayal of a ruler brought down by his own oath.
Oedipus at Colonus provides a fitting conclusion to the life of the aged and blinded king, while Antigone depicts the fall of the next generation, through the conflict between a young woman ruled by her conscience and a king too confident of his own authority.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Theban Plays, encompassing Sophocles' most famous dramas, is highly praised in the reviewed introduction as a quintessential example of Greek tragedy. Aristotle admired it as an ideal model of tragic structure, while Freud noted its compelling portrayal of self-discovery. The review appreciates how Sophocles orchestrates Oedipus's journey of piecing together his identity and confronting his newfound self-awareness.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780140440034
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 26 April 1973
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Contributors:
- Introduction by E. Watling
- Translated by E. Watling
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 11.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 135g
Pages: 176
About the Author
Sophocles was born in 496 BC. His long life spanned the rise and decline of the Athenian Empire. He wrote over a hundred plays, many of which are published as Penguin Classics, drawing on a wide and varied range of themes. E.F. Watling translated a range of Greek and Roman plays for Penguin, including the seven plays of Sophocles and the tragedies of Seneca.
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