"Cuadrúpedo en la aurora, alto en el día
y con tres pies errando por en vano
ámbito de la tarde, así veía
la eterna esfinge a su inconstante hermano,

el hombre, y con la tarde un hombre vino
que descifró aterrado en el espejo
de la monstruosa imagen, el reflejo
de su declinación y su destino.

Somos Edipo y de un eterno modo
la larga y triple bestia somos, todo
lo que seremos y lo que hemos sido.

Nos aniquilaría ver la ingente
forma de nuestro ser; piadosamente
Dios nos depara sucesión y olvido."
— n  Jorge Luis Borgesn (Edipo y el enigma)



(Francis Bacon - Sphinx)

I read this in AP English but the situational irony discussions would turn so funny and unserious that it made me love the play. However idk if it's bc of my classmates or the actual story lol

This is an absolute masterpiece of drama that has yet to be surpassed in dramatic tension and sheer perfection of its construction. There is no line wasted here: from start to finish, the drama and tension keeps increasing. It is much shorter than I expected: it delivers all its drama without any filler.

The story of Oedipus, who unkowingly murdered his father and married his mother, was known to audiences who watched the play in ancient Greece and it is known to modern readers as well. (Modern editions would have an introduction explaining it; if yours does not, get another one, or look it up on Wikipedia). This is essential to the high tension in the play: it is Oedipus who must find out and confront the truth, it is his gradual reckoning and full realization of his terrible crime that we witness.

Oedipus’s crime is fascinating to so many authors because of the crime’s true abhorrence is contrasted with the perpetrators complete ignorance of committing it. We have a sinner here who bears no responsibility of knowledge yet the full responsibility of the consequences. We know it is coming and see him going through the stages of realization and grief as the impact hits him. The tragedy is fully felt by the audience as we see both his guilt and also his innocence. The true tragedy comes from that we feel for him yet we know he must suffer the consequences in order for society to survive. Some rules are inviolate: the prohibition for killing a family member and incest are the most sacred among them.

Sophocles, so many centuries ago, was a master psychologist who takes Oedipus through the five stages of grief.
Denial: Oedipus rejects Teiresias’s truth that he is the problem. Tiresias’s blindness is a metaphor, for he can see the truth but Oedipus cannot. We are so often blinded by our own faults but are quick to condemn others.
Anger: Oedipus angrily didmisses Tiresias and proceeds to blame Kreon for his prophecy.
Bargaining: as he is discovering more clues, he keeps hoping that someone might just contradict the terrible reality that is slowly dawning on him.
Acceptance and depression: as he realizes the truth, the full force hits him and he mourns all he lost and effects on his children.

The dialog is in full service of the drama and tension; the chorus adds interpretation and prayer to the gods.

This play remains one of the most studied, a foundation of all Western drama as we know it, and the best example of the Greek drama tradition. It survives because it explores universal themes of grief and the tragedy of having to face oneself as one’s own worst enemy.

"Όταν κάποιος είναι θνητός, περιμένοντας να δούμε την τελευταία μέρα
ας μην τον καλοτυχίζουμε, πριν φτάσει στο τέλος της ζωής του
χωρίς κάτι δυσάρεστο να πάθει."

(εκδ. ΖΗΤΡΟΣ, μετάφραση Θ. ΜΑΥΡΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ)

Pensaba que me iba a costar leerlo por el lenguaje pero para nada ha sido así. Es muy fácil de leer, y aunque es una historia que todos conocemos hay algún momento de sorpresa.
La única pega que le pongo es que es muy corto, podían haber dado algún rodeo en lugar de ir tan al grano, pero aún así he disfrutado mucho leyéndolo.

Kako se kupuje karta za Edipa u JDP? Nakon što par meseci očekuješ da ćeš je nekako dobiti, podesiš alarm na početak prodaje, a onda umesto u 13:00, dođeš u 13:24 - i jedva dobiješ dve karte. Odvojene, jedna u prvom, druga u šestom redu.

Edipa sam ponovo pročitao nakon predstave, i oduševio se još jednom. A oduševila me i predstava. Sofokle i srpska kafana - na prvi pogled recept za tragediju neke vrste u pozorištu. Ali ovo je ispalo sjajno. Time što su zadržali klasični tekst (naravno, donekle ga skratili), a modernizovali likove i scenografiju, Taufer i Stojanović su napravili remek-delo. Edip tako nije više samo jedna od najboljih tragedija koje sam čitao, već i koje sam gledao.

Šta je sledeće? Verovatno Edip na grčkom, u Atini ispod Akropolja, ili na letnjoj pozornici u Epidauru.



Prethodno sam pisao:
----------
U vreme zlatnog doba antičke Atine, drame je u teatru gledalo 17.000 gledalaca (Aristotel kaže 30.000, ali arheolozi su izračunali preciznije). Postojala su dva festivala za vreme kojih su se drame igrale, i to svaka po samo jednom. Zakasnio? Žao nam je, reprize nema.

I sad, evo, novi festival stiže u grad. Nedeljama je već glavna tema u agori to da će se prikazati nove tragedije Euripida i Sofokla. Duel titana. Ovo je nešto za šta se živi, od dana kad se za Ijonovo recitovanje Ilijade tražila karta više, nije bilo ovakvog spektakla. Odlaziš u teatar već ujutro, a dešavanje traje čitav dan. Odgledaš 3 drame i komediju, i tako sutra ponovo. Sav sam se naježio zamišljajući se.

Priča o caru Edipu je Atinjanima bila poznata, kao što je i nama pre nego što krenemo da je čitamo. Ali i kad znaš šta te čeka, ovaj prvi detektivski triler ne ostavlja ravnodušnim. Edip je 'osuđen' i pre početka drame, iako je do neke mere nevin. Zbog svog beskompromisnog traganja za istinom se dovodi u situaciju da kažnjava sam sebe. Ali upravo zbog tog traženja istine, postaje heroj, koji ne želi da živi u neznanju. Čvrsto je rešen da stvari istera na čistac.

On, koji je do tada čitav život posvetio tome da izbegne sudbinu, svojim potezima tu strašnu sudbinu doziva. Ova prastara tema slobodne volje pojedinca obrađena je kratko, veoma melodramatično, ali efektno.

Edipova tragedija se pred našim očima odvija u realnom vremenu. U roku od tih sat vremena (otprilike toliko traje i da je pročitaš), Edipov srećan život se potpuno urušava. Aristotel je rekao da samo mrtav čovek može biti srećan čovek, što možda zvuči glupo, ali je istinito. Evo šta kaže Sofokle o tome:
"Narode Tebe, gledaj moćnog Edipa koji je rešio čuvenu zagonetku i služio na ponos ljudima. Ko mu na blagoslovenoj subdini nije zavideo? A sada su ga crne nesreće sinji vali potopili. Zato ne nazivajte srećnim nijednog od smrtnika pre njegovog sudnjeg dana, pre nego što mu se život okonča, a nikakvo mu se zlo ne dogodi."

Βρε τον Οιδίποδα τον Τυραγνισμένο... Είχε πολύ ψωμί τελικά...

Πέρα από την πλάκα τώρα, τέτοια κείμενα είναι που σε κάνουν να λες ότι αξίζει να νιώθεις περήφανος, έστω που έχεις την τύχη να ζεις στον ίδιο χώρο που έζησαν και αυτοί οι μεγάλοι δημιουργοί, τόσες χιλιάδες χρόνια πριν.

Ένα έργο που δεν θα ξεπεραστεί όσες χιλιετίες κι αν περάσουν.

n  n    Book Reviewn  n
4 out of 5 stars to Oedipus Rex, the first of "The Theban Plays," written by Sophocles around 430 BC. If you are unfamiliar with Greek tragedies, the thing you need to know most is that the authors often played with the concept of fate: not just that some things are meant to be or to come back and haunt you, but that there is always more going on than you realize at the time. This is one of the plays you should absolutely read. Although borderline spoiler, it's important to know 1 fact about the play, as it plays into the mind of so many psychologists today when they speak about an Oedipal Complex, as in all young boys (kids?) fall in love with their mothers at some point. Essentially, Oedipus kills the King and marries the King's wife. Little does he know.... that was his father and she is his mother. Whaaaaattttt? How does that happen? Seriously... well, the plot is intricate, the history is insane... and it's only the first of three in this trilogy. Find a translation and read it. It's a little convoluted, and the language may be a bit metaphorical in too many places, but the characters and the plot is amazing!

n  n    About Men  n
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.

Baseando-se no famoso mito de Édipo muito conhecido na época, o poeta Sófocles  compõe Édipo Rei , uma peça teatral que melhor representou esse mito e que ficou em primeiro lugar entre as três finalistas. Conta a luta de Édipo para descobrir a verdade sobre a morte do antigo rei  Laio da qual é acusado, e também sua luta para descobrir a verdade sobre si mesmo, verdade esta que é horrenda, surpreendente. Conta também sua luta para fugir das sinas profetizadas pelos Oráculos,quando ele  era ainda uma criança , que diziam que Édipo iria matar o seu próprio pai e casar com sua mãe.

Realmente uma tragédia, pois Édipo está num caminho sem saída e sua família não facilitou nem um pouco sua vida..
Às vezes é melhor não saber, é melhor estar cego para a verdade, você vai saber o porquê de eu estar dizendo isso ao ler esse livro maravilhoso.
Abaixo cito um texto de Francisco Daudt que comenta com prioridade a respeito disso:

“Agora eu te pergunto: Édipo merece essa fama maldita? A meu ver, ele foi colocado numa arapuca inescapável, metido num problema que não era dele, era dos pais. Não deixaram Édipo viver sua própria vida. Ele foi atrelado à vida dos pais, aos assuntos dos pais. E mesmo os reis de Corinto, seus pais de adoção, deixaram uma armadilha esperando por ele, ao sonegar-lhe
sua verdadeira história.”

“How dreadful the knowledge of the truth can be. When there’s no help in truth.”

The Oedipus complex gives rise to the theory that children can possess a desire for a parent of the opposite sex while seeing the parent of the same sex as a rival, and of course its origin is to be found in Greek mythology where all great tragedies come.

Prophesied to kill his father and marry his mother. The natural parents of the infant Oedipus, Laius, king of Thebes and Jocasta give the child to a shepherd to leave at the side of the mountain. Taking pity on the baby the shepherd instead gives the young Oedipus to the childless King Polybus of Corinth and his wife.

Having consulted the Oracle, years later, Oedipus learns of the prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother. To break the curse and avoid such tragedy Oedipus flees his home for fear of killing his adopted father Polybus. However, upon entering Thebes he clashes with a man driving a chariot which results in the death of his natural father, thereby fulfilling the first part of the doomed prophecy.

Unknowingly he then solves the riddle and enters Thebes to marry the recently widowed Jocasta, fulfilling the final part of the prophecy he had desperately tried to avoid.

Tragic, intense and dramatic, and the source of much debate about whether we really do possess free will or is our future predetermined and predestined in some way?

A familiar story. A nice opportunity to explore the ancient myths that have provided some wonderful entertainment over the years.

“Alas, alas, what misery to be wise When wisdom profits nothing!”

إنني أريد أن أعرف الحقيقة -»
- ليتك لا تعلمها»
جحيم المعرفة، ونعيم الجهل. هذا هو ما تدور عنه القصة ههنا. تحكي المسرحية عن أوديب البطل الذي يحكم عليه أبوه طفلًا بأن يقتل، أملًا في تجنب المصير الأسود الذي تنبأ به أبولون له ولولده، بأن سيقتل على يديه ويضاجع ابنه زوجته. يبعد الطفل مع راعٍ على أمل أن يتكلف هو بقتله لكنه سرعان ما يهبه لأحد الجوالة فيأخذه ملك كورنت بوليبوس ويعنى به ويتخذه وليًا للعهد من بعده، ينبو إلى سمع أوديب هواجس من حاشية الملك تشكك في بنوته، فيهرب أوديب من عاره، ليلاقي مصيره الذي تنبأ له به أبولون اللعين.
المسرحية تصور أزمة الإنسان الشديدة وتخبطه بين مصير محكوم غليه وبين إرادة بشرية جاهلة طائشة لا يحكمها سوى التخبط والعماء. يسبح أوديب في بحر من النسيان والتيه والتشتت والتشرد حتى، يجهل مصيره ويلعن أبولون والآلهة، يحاكم الإله والآلهة، ويعاتب زيوس - أو ذوس، كما ترجمها طه حسين - لكتابته مثل هذا المثير على عبده الوفي، ويلوم قدره الذي أسلمه لكل هذا الجهل والبعد والأذى، ويلوم نفسه حتى لرغبتها الشديدة في معرفة الحقيقة، الحقيقة التي أنبأه الكاهن أنها لم تكن يومًا في صالحه
يطمح الإنسان دومًا للحقيقة، لكته لا يدري بأن الحقيقة تلك هي تحقق فناءه وشقاؤه على أيدي القدر التي لا ترحم.
يقول أوديب في ما يقارب نهاية المسرحية :"من بين كل تلك المصائب، ألا تعد تلك التي يرتكبها المرء عن إرادة هي الأفظع"؟

Thebai halkı hastalık, kıtlık, ölü doğan çocuklar gibi büyük felaketlerle boğuşmaktadır. Thebai'nin Kral'ı Oidipus güçlü, dürüst ve adil bir adamdır. Sarayının önüne gelip ondan çare bulmasını bekleyen halka elinden geleni yapacağını söyler, öyle de yapar. Öğreneceklerinin başına ne belalar açacağını nereden bilsin? Tam bir facia!

Kitabı hala okumamış olanlar önsözü kitabı bitirdikten sonra okursa çok daha iyi olur, yoksa kitabın sonunu okumuş olmak keyfinizi epey kaçırabilir. Epeydir okumayı düşündüğüm Henry Bauchau'nun Oedipus ve Antigone serisini okumadan önce bu seriyi tekrar tazelemek istedim.