Then, working in small groups, you will do further research and prepare an annotated bibliography of 58 credible sources pertaining to your topic. You would do well to divide your reading of knoxs introduction here into two phases. Sophocles oedipus tyrannus or oedipus the king the incest and the patricide are viewed morally, and thus the tragedy becomes a sort of ancient morality tale. Apollo, who, in prophesying many ills for me, also declared that in times fullness this very place would be a place of peace for me, an exiles end where refuge is beside the altars of the awesome deities. Questions on bernard knox s introduction to robert fagles translation of oedipus the king. In many translations, the impression is given that oedipus commits a sin by sleeping with his mother and killing his father, and is punished because of it. Through the revelation of the character of oedipus, bernard knox is able to present the play as a kind of detective story that deals with the old religion of greece and the new ideas that were challenging it. Preliminary background information 1 before undertaking the play, be sure to read bernard knoxs illuminating essay greece and the theater the general introduction to the penguin classics edition of robert fagles translation sophocles, the three theban plays. Acclaimed for over 2,000 years for its ingeniously constructed plot and extraordinary insight into the drama of human experience, sophocles masterpiece is revealed in all its riveting intensity in this translation by bernard knox. There is a brief set of questions on this essay, designed. The altar at sl is dedicated to apollo jocasta will make use of this and that on sr to zeus used by the chorus.
I have also availed myself of the excellent commentaries by jebb and kammerbeek. Oedipus the king, also called oedipus tyrannos or oedipus rex, written around 420 bc, has long been. Oedipus, king of thebes jocasta, his wife creon, his brotherinlaw teiresias, an old blind prophet apriest first messenger second messenger. The priests of the city seek help from oedipus, their king.
At the root of the plays popularity lies its humanity. Oedipus rex oedipus the king by sophocles on free audio. Oedipus rex unabridged pdf lord oedipus, these innocent children and i, the priest of zeus, we come to. The book begins with an introduction to sophocles and greek theatre, and after the play are copious notes, critical excerpts and questions for discussion. Just in time for the persian new year, theres a new english translation of the shahnameh the epic persian book of kings written over the course of 35 years in the 11th century ad by the. The palace stands three or four steps above the rest of the stage and on either side of it there is a small but obvious altar. Bernard knox makes an excellent case for his prose translation of sophocles classic. Sophocles, robert fagles translator, bernard knox introduction published by penguin classics 1984 isbn 10. Knox is the author of the norton anthology of world masterpieces 3. As you read, look for details that help you form impressions of oedipus as a leader. Oedipus, king, we bend to you, your power 50 we implore you, all of us on our knees. From the loeb library edition, originally published by harvard university press, cambridge, ma and william heinemann ltd, london. Dramatizes the story of oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother.
Study guide to bernard knoxs introductions to oedipus. Through the revelation of the character of oedipus, bernard knox is able to present the play as a kind of detective story that deals with the old religion of. Robert fagless authoritative and acclaimed translation. The play asserts that man, no matter how great his ability, is subordinate to god. In this highlyacclaimed translation of the greatest of all greek tragedies, stephen bergthe wellknown poetand diskin claythe distinguished classicistcombine their talents to offer the. The heroic greek dramas that have moved theatergoers and readers since the fifth century b. Characters oedipus king of thebes a priest of zeus creon brother of jocasta a chorus of theban citizens and their leader.
Mar 11, 2020 this penguin classics edition is translated by robert fagles with introductions and notes by bernard knox. If anyone has this in an esword, or other format, that would be great. Antigone oedipus the king oedipus at colonus sophocles pdf download. Oedipus the king or oedipus rex is the worlds first great tragedy. He used his translation of sophocles, oedipus the king, to write a. Translated into an acting version by professor bernard m.
Oedipus the king an abridged and adapted version of sophocles play by nick bartel, 1999 intended for use as readers theater in the junior senior high school classroom characters. Bernard macgregor walker knox november 24, 1914 july 22, 2010 was an. Oedipus the king text fagles translation to print or download this file, click the link below. It was the second of sophocless three theban plays to be produced, but it comes first in the internal chronology, followed by oedipus at colonus and then antigone. Notes the oedipus rex, without argument one of the greatest plays ever written in any language, is also one of the most complex. Study guide to bernard knoxs introductions to oedipus the king. Originally, to the ancient greeks, the title was simply oedipus, as it is referred to by aristotle in the poetics. The only question is, which translation do you read. Preliminary background information 1 before undertaking the play, be sure to read bernard knox s illuminating essay greece and the theater the general introduction to the penguin classics edition of robert fagles translation sophocles, the three theban plays. Oedipus the king text fagles translation hcc learning web. I need a modern day, simplified translation of oedipus. One of the greatest of all the greek tragedies, oedipus the king reveals the awesome impact on the ruler of thebes of the discovery that he has been the victim of a terrible prophecy. Oedipus the king enriched classics kindle edition by sophocles, bernard knox, bernard knox.
The three theban pays are the absolute pillar stone of ancient greek drama, and in my opinion they contain two of the best plays ever written. Oedipus the kingbecause sometimes lifes a real bitch. Ive found a series of educational tapes massachusetts council for the humanities, in 1958 or 1959 that use excerpts of the knox version, but not an entire production. You would do well to divide your reading of knox s introduction here into two phases. Oedipus the king sophocles translated by robert fagles focus a terrible plague has struck the city of thebes. Oedipus, king of thebes annotated ebook by sophocles. Towering over the rest of greek tragedy, the three plays that tell the story of the fated theban royal familyantigone, oedipus the king and oedipus at colonusare among the most enduring and timeless dramas ever written. Oedipus the king sophocles national library of australia. Oedipus rex, also known by its greek title, oedipus tyrannus ancient greek. It includes a selection of critical excerpts, suggestions for further reading, and a unique visual essay of drawings and photographs. In preparing this translation from the greek, i have used the oxford text of lloydjones and wilson. Priest yea, oedipus, my sovereign lord and king, thou seest how both extremes of age besiege thy palace altarsfledglings hardly winged, and greybeards bowed with years, priests, as am i of zeus, and these the flower of our youth. Almost everyone knows the tale of the man who murdered his father and married his own mother. Collected here are antigone, oedipus the king and oedipus at colonus, in a translation by robert fagles which retains all of sophocles lucidity and power.
Oedipus the king because sometimes lifes a real bitch. Plot summaries and analysis of sophocles play oedipus rex. Louis bouwmeester as oedipus in a dutch production of oedipus the king c. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Sophocles bilingual anthology studies sophocles in print. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading oedipus the king enriched classics. In attempting to discover what the play meant to sophocles contemporariesand in particular in disentangling sophocles ideas from freuds psychoanalytical interpretations bernard knox casts fresh light on its timeless and universal nature. Isbn 0671888048 1 copy separate sophokles tragodien. Sophocles 495 bc405 bc was a famous and successful athenian writer of tragedies in his own lifetime. Questions on bernard knoxs introduction to robert fagles translation of oedipus the king.
It was the second of sophocless three theban plays to be produced, but it comes first in the internal chronology. Oedipus, greek mythological figure oedipus, greek mythological figure drama. That killed the king may readily wish obstetrics and gynecology lecture notes pdf to kill me with his murderous hand. I think on one of the editions, it was called the baptist bible on its spine. Oedipus the king enriched classics kindle edition by. Sophocles oedipus the king paves the way as the first in the series to appear in paperback. Film of oedipus the king, bernard knox translation. Storr, ba formerly scholar of trinity college, cambridge from the loeb library edition originally published by harvard university press, cambridge, ma and william heinemann ltd, london first published in 1912 argument to laius, king of thebes, an oracle foretold that the child born to him by his queen jocasta.
The manuscripts for the oedipus rex, although generally coherent, do contain several gaps and troublesome passages. 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. Here is the provocative tale of a great man hurtling toward his own destructiona story of pride and power, incest and murder, which has never ceased to fire. This penguin classics edition is translated by robert fagles with introductions and notes by bernard knox. Oedipus the king often known by the latin title oedipus rex is an athenian tragedy by sophocles that was first performed c. In attempting to discover what the play meant to sophocles contemporariesand in particular in disentangling sophocles ideas from freuds psychoanalytical interpretationsbernard knox casts fresh light on its timeless and universal nature. Erster band konig odipus sophokles 1 copy separate oedipus king of thebes sophocles 1 copy separate. Oedipus the king, also known by its latin title oedipus rex, is an athenian tragedy by sophocles that was initially performed about 429 bc. It is known by a variety of titles the most common being oedipus rex. Plants, animals, and people are dying in great numbers.
Robert fagless authoritative and acclaimed translation conveys all of sophocless lucidity. King phoebus bids us straitly extirpate afell pollution that infests the land, and no more harbor an inveterate sore. The title of this book is oedipus the king enriched classics and it was written by sophocles, bernard knox translator. This edition of oedipus the king is translated and introduced by bernard knox, director emeritus of harvards center for hellenic studies. London wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. Here is the provocative tale of a great man hurtling toward his own destructiona story of pride and power, incest and murder, which has never ceased to fire debate.
From what ive read there was a bible put out in 1842 by david bernard. In 1959 his translations of oedipus the king were used to produce a series of. This particular edition is in a mass market paperback format. Oedipus, king of thebes jocasta, his wife creon, his brotherinlaw teiresias, an old blind prophet apriest first messenger second messenger a herdsman. Knox, this classic play by sophocles is given added dimension through the clarity of its modernized. It was the second in order of sophocless composition of his three plays dealing with oedipus. Oedipus the king enriched classics by sophocles, bernard.