The Three Theban Plays: Antigone - Oedipus the King - Oedipus at Colonus (Theban Plays of Sophocles - Antigone - Oedipus the King - Oedipus at Colonus) Paperback – August 22, 2014

Careful! This is not a Robert Fagles translation even though it is connected by Amazon to the Fagles' hardcover edition. If you want Robert Fagles translation, order the Penguin Classic.

There’s a pattern with many of these Greek tragedies. Through the sad tales of cursed families, they illustrate the evolution of Western civilization. Fifth-century Athens was a light in the dark, a young democracy, and the Athenians used tragedy as a tool to preserve history, learn from it, and document their growth. With The Oresteia, we saw Aeschylus tackle the ideas of law and respect for the state, and Sophocles continues along those lines, but places the focus on another great philosophical problem–free will vs. fate.Though heady, the plays also had an entertainment value. The Spring festival celebrating Dionysus provided an opportunity for playwrights such as Sophocles to compete and put on a performance for thousands of spectators. Tragedies usually ran in the morning and the more lighthearted comedies toward the end of the day.Being tragedies, lighthearted these three Theban plays are not. They adhere to the Greek tradition of dramatizing the lives of a cursed family, but instead of the House of Atreus, we gain a jagged view of humanity’s affliction through the House of Oedipus.The first play, Antigone, is actually the last chronologically. Oedipus is dead, yet the curse continues. Thebes has defeated an onslaught of Argosian warriors, led by Polynices, the exiled son of Oedipus. He was killed, along with his brother, Eteocles. Antigone, daughter of Oedipus and sister of both Polynices and Eteocles, wants to bury the body of Polynices, but her uncle and Theban King, Creon, threatens anyone who does so with death. I think you can see where things are headed…Next comes Oedipus the King, the shining star of the three plays–the painting within the frame. Each piece has its own beauty, but we move back in time to that dreadful moment of discovery. It’s through Oedipus’ actions that we see an evolution in Greek theater. The plot builds perfectly according to Aristotle’s Poetics and is the cornerstone of many a modern story. Oedipus represents the everyman, marching forward, thinking destiny is within his control, only to discover that he is a mere puppet to fate.A plague has struck Thebes and the only solution is to bring the killer of Thebes’ last king, Laius, to justice. Through plot twists and turns, Oedipus dedicates himself to finding the killer, only to discover that he is the killer, and that he has fulfilled a prophecy which he has tried to avoid all of his life. The truth is too much. His wife and mother, Jocasta, kills herself, and Oedipus gouges out his eyes, his one act of defiant free will.Finally, we are presented with Oedipus at Colonus. Many years have passed and Oedipus has become a wanderer, guided by the loyal Antigone. He finds himself in the town of Colonus, just outside of Athens. The oracular prophecy makes its next move: Oedipus has arrived in the place where he must be buried. This play is an ode to Athens, and by being buried just outside the city, it will be protected for all time.Thus ends the Theban trilogy. Similar to my Aeschylus readings, I picked up the Robert Fagles translation. Sophocles’ writing flows easier and is less dense than that of Aeschylus, so if you had a tough time with The Oresteia, you may find Sophocles to be more in your wheelhouse. From Freud to soap operas, you’ll certainly begin to understand the many references to this bit of dramatic history.

This edition gives an introduction before each play. The plays dive into the themes of fate, guilt, civil disobedience and family ties, and other historical Greek motifs. There were text notes afrer the plays and a Greek persons/mythological/geographical glossary to help with the who/what/where questions. I enjoyed rereading these when I originally read them when I was in high school.

These plays are part of the warp and woof of Western civilization. Two of them - "Oedipus the King" and "Antigone" - should be read by anyone who considers herself an educated citizen of the Western world. And once she has read those two, why not go ahead and read the third, "Oedipus at Colonus"?Actually, one of the issues concerning the presentation, or reading, of these three plays is their order. In terms of the chronology of the Oedipus story, "Oedipus the King" is the earliest, followed by "Oedipus at Colonus" and then, lastly, "Antigone" (the events of which take place after the death of Oedipus). But Sophocles did not write the plays in that order. Rather, he wrote "Antigone" first, around 441 B.C.; "Oedipus the King" about twelve years later; and "Oedipus at Colonus", shortly before he died in 406 B.C. Those responsible for this edition chose to place them in the order in which they were written.The plays are popularly called the "Theban plays", because they all concern the city-state of Thebes during and after the reign of Oedipus. In them, Sophocles wrestles with some of the core concerns of human existence - especially, fate versus free will - in as dramatic and wrenching a fashion as any playwright, even Shakespeare. In addition, "Antigone" poses questions concerning the limits (if any) of a citizen's obedience or subservience to the state. "Oedipus the King" is saturated with irony, more so than any other play I can think of. It also presents, compellingly, the question "whether a mere man can know the truth". And "Oedipus at Colonus" deals with matters of death and the possibility of influencing life after death.This translation of THE THREE THEBAN PLAYS is by Robert Fagles, who also is the translator of the most popular renditions of Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey". Fagles favors comprehension and flow over rigorous fidelity to the original ancient Greek. The text is sprinkled with modern English colloquialisms such as "rumor has it", "no napping on the job", and "far be it from me". The result is a more accessible translation, one that certainly has much to commend it to those who are reading these classic plays for the first and in all likelihood only time in their lives. For myself, having refreshed my knowledge of the plays after having first read them about forty years ago, I want to read them yet again in a translation that is closer to the original Greek.What most distinguishes this particular Penguin Classics edition, even more so than the Fagles translation, are the four essays by Bernard Knox. First, there is an eighteen-page essay on "Greece and the Theater", which provides an excellent, not-overly-academic introduction to Sophocles, the Oedipus story, and Greek drama generally. Then, for each of the specific plays, Knox contributes a separate twenty-plus page introduction. These are somewhat more detailed and remind me more of a college text. Nevertheless, they too are worthwhile - EXCEPT, in my opinion, they would be more rewarding if read AFTER reading the play in question rather than BEFORE.

This translation by Robert Fagles is excellent. He manages to convey the poetry of the original Greek into modern English with style and grace. It was easy to identify with the characters and enter into their world. The tragedy which is the foundation of the three plays strike at the heart of the human condition--Fagles choice of language moves us away from stiff literalism to the pain, pettiness and betrayals of life.

Excellent translation, good plays, and the introductions are very helpful.

What’s not to like? Drama, tragedy, and death! Enjoy each twist of fate and eloquent verse. This edition has some excellent commentary as well, so you don’t have to be brilliant to understand this masterpiece.

Required for school. Came in great condition

This review is about the Penguin Classics: Sophocles, the Three Theban Plays, translated by Robert Fagles.I have so far only read Oedipus the King and the introduction to the play by Bernard Knox. Fagles' translation is very readable and engaging. It strikes the right tone and is abolutely my go-to version of this fantastic play. Bernard Knox's introduction was also an incredibly illuminating essay on the play, filled with facts and insights about drama, 5th century BC Athens, and some of the deepest philosphical dilemmas facing humankind. I can't wait to read the other two plays and their introductions. First rate.

First time I read this I was ambivalent towards it, but second time around I loved it. It's a little hard to comprehend but stick with it and do some research too. Should also mention that this is one translation and other translations may suit different people. I think this edition is more literal while others can be more poetic so it's worth checking other editions.

I read this before attending a performance of Antigone. Some passages still very relevant today.Everybody should read some Ancient Greek work, the foundation of our western literature!

This is an amazing version of a classic - with informative introductions to every play, notes on translation and bibliography. I am very happy I got it and love the content of the plays as well! Sophocles was a genius!

The book was a bit battered for its description, but it's fine