Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge, 2/e, is an accessible yet in-depth literary study of Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus (Oedipus Rex)--the most famous Greek tragedy and one of the greatest masterpieces of world literature. This unique volume combines a close, scene-by-scene literary analysis of the text with an account of the play's historical, intellectual, social, and mythical background and also discusses the play's place in the development of the myth and its use of the theatrical conventions of Greek drama. Based on a fresh scrutiny of the Greek text, this book offers a contemporary literary interpretation of the play, including a readable, nontechnical discussion of its underlying moral and philosophical issues; the role of the gods; the interaction of character, fate, and chance; the problem of suffering and meaning; and Sophocles' conception of tragedy and tragic heroism. This lucid guide traces interpretations of the play from antiquity to modern times--from Aristotle to Hegel, Nietzsche, Freud, Lacan, L�vi-Strauss, Girard, and Vernant--and shows its central role in shaping the European conception of tragedy and modern notions of the self. This second edition draws on new approaches to the study of Greek tragedy; discusses the most recent interpretative scholarship on the play; and contains an annotated up-to-date bibliography. Ideal for courses in classical literature in translation, Greek drama, classical civilization, theater, and literature and arts, Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge, 2/e, will also reward general readers interested in literature and especially tragedy.
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"A good and useful book that raises important questions and considers significant areas....Written with Segal's usual clarity and grace."--James Obertino, Central Missouri State University
--This text refers to the
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About the Author
Charles Segal is Walter C. Klein Professor of the Classics at Harvard University.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
wonderful for contemplating Sophocles' great creation,
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This review is from: Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge (Paperback)
I highly recommend this fascinating discussion of Oedipus Tyrannus - a book that can be read over and over with continuing interest. Every time I experience one of Segal's chapters, I come away with new thoughts. The historical/cultural setting is well described, and the intricacies of this extremely complex masterwork are discussed with enlightening insight. If you love the Oedipus Tyrannus, get this book!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
The place of Oedipus Tyrannus in literature is something like that of the Mona Lisa in art. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
scapegoat pattern, previous ode, tragic shape, triple road, third stasimon, tragic wedding, second stasimon, first ode, choral ode, tragic pattern, dramatic festivals, family curse, incestuous marriage Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Oedipus Tyrannus, Corinthian Messenger, New York, Old Herdsman, Cambridge University Press, Harvard University Press, Oedipus Coloneus, Johns Hopkins University Press, Oedipus Rex, Peloponnesian War, Oxford University Press, Phoenician Women, Bernard Knox, Light of Folklore, Cornell University Press, Jacques Lacan, Pierre Vidal-Naquet, Princeton University Press, Second Messenger, Ann Arbor, Jean-Pierre Vernant, King Lear, Richard Seaford, Seneca's Oedipus, The Infernal Machine New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The place of Oedipus Tyrannus in literature is something like that of the Mona Lisa in art. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
scapegoat pattern, previous ode, tragic shape, triple road, third stasimon, tragic wedding, second stasimon, first ode, choral ode, tragic pattern, dramatic festivals, family curse, incestuous marriage Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Oedipus Tyrannus, Corinthian Messenger, New York, Old Herdsman, Cambridge University Press, Harvard University Press, Oedipus Coloneus, Johns Hopkins University Press, Oedipus Rex, Peloponnesian War, Oxford University Press, Phoenician Women, Bernard Knox, Light of Folklore, Cornell University Press, Jacques Lacan, Pierre Vidal-Naquet, Princeton University Press, Second Messenger, Ann Arbor, Jean-Pierre Vernant, King Lear, Richard Seaford, Seneca's Oedipus, The Infernal Machine New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
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8
books
cite this book:
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- Oedipus Tyrannus by Sophocles on 34 pages
- Greek Tragedy (Drama Classics) by Sophocles Sophocles on 15 pages
- Oedipus Rex (Dover Thrift Editions) by Sophocles on 10 pages
- The Phoenician Women (Greek Tragedy in New Translations) by Euripides on 7 pages
- Oedipus: A Folklore Casebook by Lowell Edmunds on 6 pages
See all 100 books this book cites
- Conscripts of Modernity: The Tragedy of Colonial Enlightenment by David Scott in Back Matter
- Secret of the Muses Retold: Classical Influences on Italian Authors of the Twentieth Century by John T. Kirby in Back Matter
- Theban Plays by Sophocles in Back Matter
- Athens in Paris: Ancient Greece and the Political in Post-War French Thought (Classical Presences) by Miriam Leonard in Back Matter
- Oedipus at Thebes: Sophocles' Tragic Hero and His Time by Professor Bernard Knox in Back Matter
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