L’Edipo Re è un esempio magistrale della tragedia classica, in quanto incarna tutte le sue prerogative e mette in scena in modo impeccabile il lento scivolare di Edipo verso la catastrofe. Sofocle, con la sua ironia drammatica e la scrittura vigorosa e intensa, mette in risalto la piccolezza dell’uomo e l’impossibilità del libero arbitrio di reagire e prevalere contro la Fortuna (Τύχη), il Destino (forza indecifrabile di concezione puramente greca) che colpisce inesorabilmente chi è predestinato a una fine tragica. Allo stesso modo, un tema fondamentale è quello della colpevolezza: la colpa (ὕβρις) di cui si sono macchiati i Labdacidi si riversa sui discendenti, travolgendoli in un susseguirsi di eventi disastrosi. Edipo è l’eroe tragico per eccellenza: guidato dalla Fortuna a commettere irrimediabilmente gli errori a cui è destinato, continuando ad essere ignaro delle proprie azioni (mentre il pubblico conosce la verità e viene travolto anch’esso dai sentimenti devastanti che derivano da tale consapevolezza). Edipo è dunque destinato alla cecità, poiché in vita è stato cieco, incapace di vedere e comprendere le colpe di cui si stava macchiando.

La letteratura greca riesce ad esprimere concetti profondamente attuali, su cui ancora oggi l’uomo si interroga (colpa e innocenza, consapevolezza e ignoranza, destino e libero arbitrio), e proprio per questo l’Edipo Re continua a risuonare nel mondo moderno, grazie al modo in cui affronta profondamente la precarietà della condizione umana.

nIl est un être à deux pieds, trois pieds, quatre pieds sur la terre, mais une seule voix: il est seul à changer de nature parmi les êtres qui vont sur la terre, dans l'air, dans les vagues: lorsque prenant appui sur le plus de pieds il chemine, c'est alors que la rapidité de son corps est la moindre.
(Anthologie Palatine, XIV, 64)

Juste une petite relecture rapide d'Œdipe (prononcé édipe) Roi de Sophocle avant d'en traduire plusieurs passage, histoire de bien avoir l'histoire en tête.

Œdipe (littéralement en grec, pied enflé) est sollicité par la population de Thèbes, car la population est frappée par un mal mystérieux: les dieux annoncent qu'une souillure infecte la cité.

Le pauvre Œdipe ignore qu'il est lui-même la victime des imprécations qu'il lance contre le responsable, et le dénouement est bien évidemment, tragique!

Cette édition a la charité de bien vouloir faire goûter au lecteur les merveilles du rythme du grec, en indiquant sur les voyelles à quantité variable si elle est longue ou brève: une excellente initiative!

I can't decide if it was more tragic or more bizzare. A man killing his father to marry his mother. Interesting play to have read, not as entertaining to read as other plays I've read but an interesting story nevertheless

Una de las asignaturas que tengo más pendiente es leer las obras clásicas griegas más importantes, entre ellas «Edipo Rey», de Sófocles que fue escrita y representada en el siglo IV a. C.. Esta obra de teatro representa un arquetipo de la tragedia griega, nos muestra el devenir del ser humano, que por más que lo intente y sortee obstáculos tomando distintos caminos, nunca podrá huir de su destino impuesto. Una corta pero intensa degustación de la más antigua y simbólica literatura.

En ella, veremos representada la historia de Edipo, que se convierte en el rey de Tebas y desencadena la terrible profecía que vaticinaba que él mataría a su progenitor y se casaría con su madre. Tras la llegada de la peste, el pueblo desesperado acude al rey y este, en busca de respuestas, descubrirá una verdad que trastornará su presente y futuro, desencadenando el horror y el desconsuelo de su protagonista y los de su alrededor.

Excepcionalmente, «Edipo Rey», está formada en un solo acto dividida en ocho capítulos, manteniendo una misma línea temporal que sorprende estructuralmente. La red que reconstruye Sófocles está plagada de secretos, mentiras y una red turbia con muchos más participantes de lo que aparenta en un principio. La reflexión acerca del poder de los dioses que al fin y al cabo eran los únicos que podían dominar el tiempo y el destino, es sumamente interesante e imperecedera. ¿Somos realmente dueños de nuestro devenir o estamos predestinados desde que nacemos?

Sin duda, Sófocles nos brinda una joya, una obra magna de la historia de la literatura de la que se han nutrido durante siglos escritores y filósofos. Sorprendente, triste y en parte, inquietante. Un ineludible si disfrutas de la mitología y los textos antiguos.

This is my first reading of the ancient Greek play. Like so many stories that are part of our cultural consciousness, I thought I was very familiar with the plot but was so wrong. I asked my husband what he knew of Oedipus Rex and he said the same thing I was thinking: man murders his father and marries his mother=oedipus complex ala Dr Sigmund Freud.

That, of course, is what happens but the true tragedy is that it was not intended. In the opening scenes of the play, Thebes has been plagued by failing crops, barren women, etc. and the people want to know what has angered their gods. Creon, Queen Jocasta's brother, has sought the advice of an oracle who says King Laius was murdered and they must bring his killer to account, either by exile or death, to make things right again. Tiresias, the blind soothsayer, is brought to court and asked to identify the killer and he names King Oedipus. At first, Oedipus thinks his brother-in-law is involved in a plot to gain the crown for himself. But then the truth begins to slowly come to light as various twists of fate are revealed. The moral of the tragedy seems to be that the fate the gods have planned for a person cannot be avoided.

Excellent tale! No wonder it is still so popular after over two thousand years! I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy now.

"Assim, aos olhos dos mortais que esperam ver o dia derradeiro, ninguém pareça ser feliz, até ultrapassar o termo da vida, isento de dor." (p. 151)

DUDE GOES BLIND BANGS MOM LOL

Sure, poke your eyes out. Like that's going to help with anything.

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

Wow. This was...intense. And I don’t mean the sort of intensity I feel whenever I read a Shakespeare play, but this is a sort of intensity I can’t even describe.

To be honest I kind of expected for this to be quite dry. I mean, I was required to read this for my English literature class and you know how it usually is. Plus, this old is pretty old, and not Shakespeare old. Usually books like this can be quite tedious and tiresome and I am in one hell of a reading slump so I wasn’t really looking for anything heavy or difficult to help me out of it. To be honest, I was kind of relying of Twilight to rescue me. But that was a hit and a miss. But surprisingly enough, this was not at all what I expected. It wasn’t dry, it wasn’t tedious, it wasn’t very complicated and it most certainly wasn’t boring. It was incredible.

The thing is, I would understand if someone who isn’t the biggest fan of literature wouldn’t like this, like I mentioned before it’s not for everyone. But it is for me. Shakespeare is one of my favorite play-write of all time (hence the username), so being able to read this play and recognize all of the similarities between this and one of Shakespeare’s or even any other tragedy, was mind-blowing for me. And at the end of the day, this play really motivated me to pick up a book and read. I love it and it is one of my favorites.

Oh and by the way, Oedipus kind of reminded me of Thor and Kreon reminded me of Loki. I don’t know why, I guess I’m too much of a Marvel freak.

A legendary play about listening to oracles yet fate still has its way of happening.

Tragedy is the end of the big famous fight between the free human being and the Gods, where Gods (fate) always win. Odipus is a big winner who loose to the Gods.
اودیپوس شاه، مشهورترین تراژدی سوفوکلس، در باره ی ستیز اودیپوس با تقدیر خویش است. اودیپوس که برخلاف همه ی دیگران، تقدیر خویش را می داند، هر چه از آن بیشتر می گریزد، در چنبر آن گرفتارتر می شود.
سه گانه ی سوفوکلس (ادیپوس شاه، ادیپوس در کولونوس، انتیگونه) را ابتدا محمد سعیدی به فارسی برگرداند�� که در اواسط دهه ی سی شمسی توسط بنگاه ترجمه و نشر کتاب منتشر شده. همین سه گانه به زبانی بسیار والا توسط شاهرخ مسکوب در ابتدای دهه ی چهل شمسی ترجمه و منتشر شد. این ترجمه ها در 1346 توسط نشر اندیشه و در 1352 توسط انتشارات خوارزمی به چاپ های بعدی رسیده است. به گمانم نجف دریابندری هم این سه گانه را ترجمه کرده ولی تا آنجا که به یاد دارم تنها "آنتیگونه" به ترجمه ی دریابندری منتشر شده است.

2500 yıl önce yazılmış bir eser olmasına rağmen sadeliği ve akıcılığı hoşuma gitti. Thebai üçlemesinin ilk kitabı. Diğer kitaplar Antigone ve Oidipus Kolonosta. Eser aynı zamanda Sigmund Freud'un "Oedipus Kompleksi" kuramının esin kaynağıymış. Orhan Pamuk'un Kırmızı Saçlı Kadın kitabında da değindiği söyleniyor. Kaderinden kaçmaya çalışan kişinin beyhude çabası çok güzel işlenmiş. Bir çırpıda okunabilen kısa ve sarsıcı bir tragedya.