Oedipus Plays of Sophocles by Paul Roche

Oedipus Plays of Sophocles by Paul Roche

The latest title to join the acclaimed Greek Tragedy in New Translations series, Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus tells the story of the last day in the life of Oedipus. It was written at the end of the fifth century BCE in Athens, in the final years of the Golden Age of Athenian culture, and in the last year of Sophocles' own life. At the center of the play is the mysterious transformation of Oedipus from an old and blind beggar, totally dependent on his daughters, to the man who rises from his seat and, without help, leads everyone to the place where he is destined to die. In the background of this transformation stands the grove of the Furies, the sacred place of the implacable goddesses who pursue the violators of blood relationships. Although Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother, is an obvious target of the Furies' vengeance, he enters their grove at the beginning of the play, sure that it is the resting place Apollo has predicted for him. The reversals and paradoxes in the play speak to the struggle that Oedipus' life and the action of the play bring vividly before us: how do we as humans, subject to constant change, find stable ground on which to stand and define our moral lives? Sophocles offers his play as a witness to the remarkable human capacity to persevere in this struggle.

Sophocles is one of just three ancient Greek tragedians whose works have survived to this day. Only seven of Sophocles' plays have been preserved in their entirety: Ajax, Antigone, Women of Trachis, Oedipus Rex, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780451628473
ISBN 10	0451628470
Title	Oedipus Plays of Sophocles
Author	Paul Roche
Series	Signet
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Signet
Year published	1992-10-29
Number of pages	224
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.