Sophocles, who lived between 496 and 406 BC, was motivated to write a dramatic trilogy about the battle of men against fate over the myths surrounding the royal house of Thebes.
King Oedipus tells the story of a man who brings illnesses to Thebes as punishment for crimes he doesn’t know he has committed and then inflicts severe punishment on himself.
It is a heartbreaking portrait of a tyrant brought down by his oath and contains important insights into the human condition.
Antigone describes the downfall of the next generation through the conflict between a young woman ruled by her conscience and a king who trusts his authority too much.
Oedipus at Colonus provides a fitting conclusion to the life of the old, blinded king, while Oedipus at Colonus provides a fitting conclusion to the life of the old, blinded king.
Included with EF Watling’s translation is a brilliant introduction exploring the key ideas of the plays, the role of the chorus, and the customs and staging of Greek tragedy.
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