Sophocles
Paperback | Pages: 420 pages Rating: 4.27 | 4035 Users | 127 Reviews
Point Out Of Books The Complete Plays
| Title | : | The Complete Plays |
| Author | : | Sophocles |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 420 pages |
| Published | : | March 1st 2001 by New American Library |
| Categories | : | Classics. Plays. Drama. Fiction |
Commentary Toward Books The Complete Plays
Here in one volume are the full texts of the seven extant plays of the Greek playwright Sophocles, regarded by the Greeks of his time as a kind of "tragic Homer". This collection includes the revised and updated translations by Paul Roche of the Oedipus cycle, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone, as well as all-new translations of Ajax, The Women of Trachis, Electra, and Philocetes.Present Books Conducive To The Complete Plays
| ISBN: | 0451527844 (ISBN13: 9780451527844) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Rating Out Of Books The Complete Plays
Ratings: 4.27 From 4035 Users | 127 ReviewsJudgment Out Of Books The Complete Plays
It's been good to read the stories that so many later works use as inspiration."Antigone" by Sophocles, (play read 20090807) ****. Antigone's two brothers have killed each other in a battle for kingship over Thebes. Creon, the new king, issues an edict that the body of the usurping brother, Polynices, should not be given the honors of burial but must be left out to the ravages of the elements and wild animals. Placing her duty to family and to the gods higher than her obedience to the state, Antigone refuses to heed Creon's command and buries her brother. Antigone's and
Only seven of the 100 or so plays written by Sophocles have survived intact. Less than 10% of his creative output. Its a ratio that could drive one to distractionthe odds are long that as great or greater plays as the seven survivors were lost.Better not to dwell on an unimaginable loss and focus on these seven dramas: Ajax, where the fierce warrior, second only to Achilles, is maddened by a god seeking to stop Ajax from slaying Odysseus, Agamemnon, and Menelaus in a rage over a perceived slight
Aristotle thought Sophocles the best of the Greek tragedians, and Oedipus the King the perfect tragedy. Sophocles wrote complicated, powerful plays - seven of them have survived, out of 120. He wrote about outcasts. My favorite, Antigone, is about fighting the power, and so are Elektra and Philoktetes. Robert Bagg and James Scully run down his common themes in their intro to this complete edition:- Sympathy for fate's victims- Hostility towards tyrants- Skepticism toward self-indulgent "heroes"-
Aias - 3 Stars Women of Trakhis - 5 Stars Philoktetes - 4 StarsElektra - 4 Stars Oedipus the King - 4 Stars Oedipus at Kolonos - 5 Stars Antigone - 5 StarsA beautiful, simple translation. I only wish more than 7 of Sophocles' 125 plays had survived.
I would not remember much of this book for my life,but if I could to carry with me these two quotes I would like."I rate the man as nothing worth who feels the glow of idle hopes." - Ajax"How then could royalty be sweeter for me to have than painless rule and influence? Not yet am I so misguided as to desire other honors than those which profit." - Creon
The Scully plays, though scarce, were much more powerful translations. Aias was beautiful. Women of Trakhis (see: Robert fucking Bagg) was awful, in my opinion. Bagg did redeem himself with Antigone, however. Somewhat. If you squint hard enough. In all seriousness, Antigone was nicely treated. Overall, I enjoyed these plays - albeit because Trakhis was brief.
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