Description

Comprised of his three most famous works, Antigone, Oedipus Rex, and Oedipus at Colonnus, Sophocles’s Oedipus Trilogy is a landmark in the history of Western drama. The gripping trilogy of plays about the emotional heights and depths to which even royalty is subject begins with Antigone, the story of a woman who stands up to her oppressors in the name of justice and decency. Next is Oedipus Rex, the searing tragedy of a royal son who unknowingly destroys the family he comes to know only too late. Finally, Oedipus at Colonnus reflects on the tales of both Antigone and Oedipus after many years of strife. As an introduction to Greek drama and as a moving portrait of universal human themes, The Oedipus Trilogy is a powerful collection that offers timeless riches to every reader.

About the Author

Sophocles (ca. 496-406 B.C.) was born in Attica, Greece, to a wealthy family. His stellar education and social prominence perhaps led to his becoming a pillar of his community throughout his life. Sophocles played key roles in many of Athens’s governing bodies, whether political, military, or financial. He made a name for himself as a dramatist in 468 B.C., when he famously won the Dionysia drama competition. This honor was no small accomplishment, as Sophocles beat out Aeschylus, who had for some time been considered Athens’s greatest playwright. Sophocles went on to write many plays in his long lifetime, and several of them survive today. He is best known for his Oedipus cycle, which includes Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonnus, as well as for his other dramas Electra, Philoctetes, and Ajax. Many of Sophocles’s works deal with the painful human dilemmas that even the greatest of leaders must face. To this day, Sophocles is considered one of the founding fathers of Western drama, with his plays enjoying thousands of years on the stage in performances around the world.

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Opening Lines (Experimental)

riddle of the Sphinx and the grateful Thebans made their deliverer king.
So he reigned in the room of Laius, and espoused the widowed queen.
the criminal. Step by step it is brought home to him that he is the man.
blinded by his own act and praying for death or exile.
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