My daughter had to read Oedipus for her English class this year. To help her get into it, we started to do a dramatic reading of it together. Once we started, she was hooked pretty fast. Obviously, I already knew the “twist” that faced Oedipus but she didn’t so it was to see her figure out the mystery from the hints Oedipus gets along the way. It such a classic tale of fate, it’s consequences, and abuse of power. I decided to read the other two plays in this selection: Antigone and Electra. Both plays are perfect companions to Oedipus as they deal with many of the same themes in addition to betrayal and fighting for what believes is right. Sophocles could really tell a fantastic tragedy.

I love, love, love passionate, stubborn, virtuous Electra.

tOedipus The King is an Ancient Greek play written in 430 B.C by Sophocles. Sophocles is well known for his tragedy plays and is one of the most celebrated writers of Ancient Greece. Oedipus the King one of his most famous pieces and it tells a great story about a curse that has been placed on the City of Thebes. The king of Thebes is a man named Oedipus. He is one of the most peerless and arrogant kings with a great amount of hubris. At the Palace of Thebes, Oedipus hears people outside of the palace, and goes out to listen to his people’s cries. The people tell him that pregnant women are unable to have babies, that the land is barren, and cattle and livestock are dying. A priest tells him that “the God of Plague has swooped upon our city.” He doesn't feel any pity or sorrow for them. He replies with “You are in pain, but my agony is greater.” He tells the people that he feels for all of them and that he cares about them and will do everything he can with the power the gods gave him. They all end up finding out that the plague was set on them by the gods because they didn’t avenge the death of the previous king. They whole plot of the story is to find out who killed the king before Oedipus, King Laius. They encounter and face several problems in their path and there is a lot of drama and emotion. The way the play is written really captures you and makes you feel like you are witnessing the events in person.

Oedipus The King is a very well written play that incorporates many really inspiring themes. In the play one of the biggest themes was the theme of blindness. Throughout the whole play, you can see that motif being incorporated in the story. It was shown literally when a blind man named Teiresias came and told Oedipus the things he knew. Teiresias couldn’t see, but he could see the future and he could predict what was going to happen. Another example of blindness found in the play is Oedipus’ actions. He was blind because of his arrogance and hubris towards others. He couldn’t see the bigger picture of things and was always stubborn, and he denied most things. This theme is really important to how we live in the real life because sometimes we tend to be blind to things, whether we ignore friends and family, or we blow off really something really important. The theme helps us understand that you can still be blind with your sight but also with your mind. The theme that somethings are meant to be kept private happens quite often. During the play everything that is being told to Oedipus is being told to him in front of the palace where everyone is standing. There is one instance where Creon gives Oedipus a choice on choosing whether he wants to discuss matters in public or in private and Oedipus says “Speak your news in front of everyone. Anything that I have to fear is more for these, my subjects, more than myself.” Some of the things that were being said to Oedipus maybe should have been discussed in private because it ended up making him a tragic hero. This theme is very important because in life there are some things that you shouldn’t discuss with people. They are very personal and if they do get out it could hurt you. The themes in the play were very important and they helped structure the plot of the play very well.


The characterization of the play was very well represented because Sophocles did a good job of making the characters each unique with their own personalities. The main character of the story is Oedipus. As mentioned in the last paragraph he is one of the most peerless and arrogant kings with a lot of hubris. His personality makes him very disliked because he refuses to be humble and listen. For instance, in Oedipus’ discussion with Teiresias he wants to learn who killed Laius but in that discussion he gets upset and becomes impudent towards Teiresias. His character is one of the reasons why he is a tragic hero. Some of the other characters that were also important are Creon, Teiresias, and Jocasta. Creon is Oedipus’ step brother and he is an honest and responsible. Teiresias is the old wise blind man. He is one of the most mysterious characters and reveals many secrets that were foreshadowed in the play. Jocasta is Oedipus’ wife and she isn’t important but she does play a significant role at the end. The characters were very developed and helped make the story believable and realistic.

tOverall I enjoyed the play because the story was very captivating. Sophocles writing is very clean and easy to comprehend. The grammar wasn’t too complicated although there were some words that I wasn't sure of. Sophocles writing style made the play very enjoyable and entertaining. There was always suspense and every moment of the play was exhilarating.

King Oedipus' sons Eteocles and Polynices agree to share the throne of Thebes after their father's death. Initially, the brothers plan to alternate years, but after Eteocles' first year in power, he refuses to give up the throne. This causes a civil war.
When Act I begins, the civil war is already over. Both brothers are dead, and their sisters, Antigone and Ismene, are in mourning. Their uncle Creon has assumed control of Thebes.
While Antigone is awaiting execution, the blind prophet Tiresias informs Creon that he has angered the gods. Creon decides to release Antigone, only to discover that she has committed suicide.

Three classic works that invite lots of questions and thinking.

Antigone reread 2021

very fun, love Antigone forever and always <3

book 2 for my drama & transgression: from prometheus to faust module

Antigone

plot-wise there’s not a lot going on, but it was easy to get through. had some quite interesting moral conundrums going on.

book 2 for my explorations in literature class

Not writing a review on these plays because I enjoyed them so much more while reading them without having to write an essay on them and a review would simply ruin that

justice for my man Oedipus

Griekse Mythologie slayt altijd

Oedipus the king is a really good book that I read. I say this because it had a lot of dramatic irony which made the book interesting. The king Oedipus had basically lived his life with full of lies, that was never told to him till the end. The lies came out till the end which caused some terrible things to happen. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book.

So glad to have finally read this cover to cover!

Antigone: (a reread) Easily my favourite. It's so layered and the relationships and themes so complex! (5 stars)

Oedipus the King: This feels almost a little clumsy in the COPIOUS amounts of irony, but I do agree that it is a great work and a story that I'm glad I have finally read. (4 stars)

Electra: This was my east favourite of the three but I still really enjoyed it and agree it's complex/clever. It was just hard for me because since reading Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes. I have so much respect for Clytemnestra. Hoping to read the Oresteia soon to further my knowledge/opinions. (3-4 stars)

Antigone - 4.5/5
Oedipus the King - 2/5
Electra - 2/5