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Oedipus the King (Tale Blazers) Review

Title: Oedipus the King by Sophocles (also known as Oedipus Rex) translated by Bernard M. W. Knox

Pages: 110.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: Probably a year or so.

Days spent reading it: One afternoon while getting the oil in my car changed.

Why I read it: I read this play in high school and was interested in reading it again. I enjoy Greek plays. Especially tragedies.

Brief review:
The story of Oedipus is well known to us today. Oedipus unknowingly kills his own father, marries his own mother, and in the process becomes King of Thebes. What I found interesting in the reading the introduction to this play was that all Greek plays would be fairly well known to the audience. The playwright would be honored for skill in telling the tale and in their poetry. And in the case of Oedipus some of the greatest artistry is in the dramatic irony of Oedipus's words.

What I love about Oedipus the King is the constant struggle of Oedipus to reveal the truth of who his father's murder is (and eventually his own history) and his stubborn refusal to accept the truth when it is told plainly. The first major conversation Oedipus has with Tiresias captures this conflict perfectly. Oedipus asks Tiresias to tell what he knows. Tiresias understands who Oedipus is and what he has done. So Tiresias refuses to tell Oedipus. Oedipus promises it will be alright, just tell the truth. Tiresias tells Oedipus that Oedipus is the killer of the previous King, Laius. Oedipus rejects the truth, and rejects Tiresias. Over and over again, Oedipus wants the truth, but rejects it until all the evidence cannot be ignored any longer.

The other element of Greek tragedies that I have long enjoyed is the idea that in attempting to avoid our destiny we fulfill it. For example, Oedipus left his "home country" to avoid killing his father (who he thought was the king of Corinth, Polybus). So he wanders to Thebes and kills a man at a crossroads. Who is, of course, his own father. Classic.
I enjoyed reading Oedipus the King. It was a short read, but it has some profound moments in it. I look forward to reading some more Sophocles once I get through some other books. Oedipus continues his story in Oedipus at Colonus. And we hear about his daughter in Antigone (which I read in High School). If you enjoy tragedy, this is a must read!

Favorite quote:
"Time, which sees all things, has found you out." -Chorus

Stars: 4 of 5.

Final Word: Sobering.

Oedipus the King (Tale Blazers) Overview

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 general editorship of William Arrowsmith, 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.

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Customer Reviews

Confusing Amazon Page! - Theseus - US of A
This book is supposed to be the Heritage Press 1956 semi-luxe binding in slipcase with Greek and English side by side, translated by Storr.

All or most of the reviews are apparently for other editions.

More than a translation - Kurt A. Johnson - North-Central Illinois, USA
Oedipus the King is one of the classic works of Western literature. It was originally written as a play in around 429 BC by Sophocles (~496-406 BC), a Greek philosopher and playwright. It took the Greek world by storm, and has been handed down to future generations who have also been greatly influenced by it. Most notably in modern times, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) took this work as pointing toward a deep-rooted psychosis, the Oedipus Complex.

Oedipus the King (also known as Oedipus Rex or Oedipus Tyrannus) is the story of Oedipus, the king of Thebes, which is suffering under a horrific plague. Finding out that the god Apollo has laid the plague on the city until it should punish the murderer of its previous king, Oedipus pronounces a curse on the murderer and sets out to discover who the murderer was. Sadly for Oedipus, there is fate upon fate wrapped up in this mystery, and doom upon doom.

This book, is not merely a translation of Oedipus the King, instead it is an "acting version," created by the Stratford Shakespearian Festival Company of Canada for High School level students. The book begins with an introduction to Sophocles and Greek theatre, and after the play are copious notes, critical excerpts and questions for discussion. The play itself was written so that a young reader, with no background understanding of Greek theatre or culture will understand it.

Overall, I found this to be a great book. I enjoyed the information about the play a lot, and believe that it will be very helpful to any reader. But, foremost, I enjoyed the play itself. The story is powerful, and quite enthralling. I have never seen this play acted out, but do think that this translation would make it excellent. I loved this book, and highly recommend it!

Misleading - H. Bechor -
Warning to all those who are reading this for a school assignment: you may think that an "enriched classic" is simply the text with commentary also included. Not so, with this book. They shouldn't call it an "enriched classic". They should call it "dumbed down for lazy readers."

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Friday, September 3, 2010