Oedipus Rex - MP3 CD Audiobook CD jacket

by Sophocles

Genres: Classics

MP3 CD

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Sophocles (497/496 BC-406/405 BC), (Greek: Σοφοκλής ; German: Sophokles , Russian: Софокл , French: Sophocle ) was an ancient Greek tragedian, known as one of three from whom at least one play has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those of Aeschylus; and earlier than, or contemporary with, those of Euripides. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays, but only seven have survived in a complete form: Ajax, Antigone, Women of Trachis, Oedipus Rex, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. For almost fifty years, Sophocles was the most celebrated playwright in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens which took place during the religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia. He competed in thirty competitions, won twenty-four, and was never judged lower than second place. Aeschylus won thirteen competitions, and was sometimes defeated by Sophocles; Euripides won four.
The most famous tragedies of Sophocles feature Oedipus and Antigone: they are generally known as the Theban plays, though each was part of a different tetralogy (the other members of which are now lost). Sophocles influenced the development of drama, most importantly by adding a third actor (attributed to Sophocles by Aristotle; to Aeschylus by Themistius), thereby reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of the plot. He also developed his characters to a greater extent than earlier playwrights.

Reviews

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

* ***Actual Star Rating: 2.5 Stars***

The reason I gave this book a .5 less star rating than what I would have altogether is that the book chose to have a forty page Introduction that was less introductory. Instead the author of that particular passage chose to include what can only be called an essay analysis that not only told the reader everything that would be told in the upcoming work but also provided a breakdown on the actions as well as the responses of the characters. By the time I was slogging a quarter of the way through this I just wanted to yell at the man to shut-up and let me get on with the story while thanks for ruining the story even though I already know how the story itself would turn out anyway.

Furthermore this same author chose to include a bunch of Greek terms that didn't translate well at all in the format I was reading and also boxed inserts with whole phrases that couldn't be copied for the same means thus meaning I had a handful of spots that I read in which I had no idea what was being said, which is disappointing.

All of this is followed up by an Introductory Note that gives more information about Sophocles and his works as well as a Dramatis Personae before actually getting into the play itself.

As for the actual work I must say that I quite enjoyed it when I got into it finally. The background sets are minimal and the cast as well but Sophocles provides his own strength in using wonderfully descriptive words that combine the culture along with the actions of man to help build up a story that slowly unravels even as it would have been seen at the time of its writing. There is a bit of a morality conflict, especially the further that Oedipus finds himself struggling to accept that he may not be the hero that everyone thought him to originally be.

All in all it made for a great read and a bit of a brief one once you got past that first report. And now I am left wondering whether I should try to tackle the second in the trilogy since I will have to eventually tackle Antigone, which I read in high school to put it up on record. My only worries is another essay that I wouldn't be able to stand also the fact that I don't like the play format just since characters talking isn't as smooth as in non play-works.