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Oedipus at Colonus - Sophocles, Eamon Grennan, Rachel Kitzinger
Oedipus at Colonus
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3.83 90
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... show more
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.
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Format: paperback
ISBN: 9780195135046 (0195135040)
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Pages no: 144
Edition language: English
Series: The Theban Plays (#2)
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Community Reviews
Philosophical Musings of a Book Nerd
Philosophical Musings of a Book Nerd rated it
3.5 A Theban Addendum
This is a rather unusual play in that while it is connected with the main Theban epic, it does not seem to sit well within the epic cycle. Rather it seems to be an attempt by Sophocles to explore some of the unanswered questions that arose within both the Antigone and Oedipus Tyrannos, particularly ...
Julian Meynell's Books
Julian Meynell's Books rated it
4.0 Oedipus at Colonus
Superior to Oedipus the King. It is more complex and interestingly at times undermines the idea that Oedipus fatal flaw is sufficient to justify the treatment by the Gods. It does not have quite the emotional intensity of Oedipus the King.The language is beautiful and it is both later and more sop...
Level up!
Level up! rated it
I really enjoyed this one but I can't put my finger on why...... it's greek tragedy. literally.Maybe I'm just impressed by Oedipus making a triumphal end to his cursed and whiny life. I don't know....anyway, I really really liked "Antigone" (the 3rd play in this trilogy-- I read that a few years ago...
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