The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles

When Greeks gathered to watch Athenian tragedy they expected nothing less than an `essentially religious experience', in which every emotion would be rung from them and they would be left weeping and wailing. This book presents faithful translations of Sophocles' three Oedipus plays ( Oedipus the King , Oedipus at Kolonos and Antigone ) which made plain the vulnerability of every man to the will of the gods. Each play is introduced with a discussion of Sophocles' tragic themes and devices while the main introduction contrasts the content and style of the tragedies with the lucky life of their dramatist who lived until the age of 91. The notes for each play can be found at the end of the book.