Books with title Oedipus the King

Oedipus The King is one of the three Theban Plays of the Greek Athenian tragedian Sophocles. The ancient & classical Greek tragedy Oedipus The King was first performed in 429 BC. Of Sophocles three Theban Plays that deal with Oedipus, Oedipus The King was the second to be written. However, in terms of the chronology of events that the plays describe, Oedipus The King comes first, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone. In the drama & play Oedipus The King tells the story of Oedipus, a man who becomes the king of Thebes, while unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father, Laius, and marry his mother, Jocasta. Sophocles' Oedipus The King is considered a literature & fiction classic in the Greek dramas & plays genre and is often required textbook reading in the following disciplines; English, literature & fiction, Ancient & Medieval Literature, ancient & classical, dramas & plays, Greek tragedy, and world literature.

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Laius (the father), King of Thebes, is slain by the son he believes to be dead. Oedipus (the son who slays him) believes himself to be the son of the King of Corinth. Jocasta is Oedipus’ mother and more. Having been bound and left to die as an infant in order to prevent the foul deeds foretold by an oracle, Oedipus is as innocent as he is guilty when those deeds come to pass. No play was ever more true to Aristotle’s definition of Tragedy. In fact, OEDIPUS THE KING is said to be the play he most admired. Plot, Character, Thought, Diction, Melody, and Spectacle—these are the essential elements of Tragedy, according to Aristotle. And Catharsis is its ultimate goal. No wonder he so admired Sophocles most memorable work!

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

A priest and the chorus of Thebans arrive at the palace to call upon their King, Oedipus, to aid them with the plague. Oedipus had sent his brother-in-law Creon to ask help of the oracle at Delphi, and he returns at that moment. Creon says the plague is the result of religious pollution, caused because the murderer of their former King, Laius, had never been caught. Oedipus vows to find the murderer and curses him for the plague that he has caused.