Sophocles, The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone [Paperback]

Sophocles (Author), Dudley Fitts (Translator), Robert Fitzgerald (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002 | ISBN-10: 015602764X | ISBN-13: 978-0156027649 | Edition: 1

English versions of Sophocles’ three great tragedies based on the myth of Oedipus, translated for a modern audience by two gifted poets. Index.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dudley Fitts (1903-1968), a renowned poet, critic and translator, authored and translated over 20 books. One of the preeminent twentieth century scholars of Greek literature, his English translations of the ancient Greek classics are much praised for their accessibility and their appeal to contemporary readers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; 1 edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 015602764X
• ISBN-13: 978-0156027649
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Greek & Roman

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the best, but very, very good, March 9, 2007

By 

Jordan M. Poss (Georgia, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sophocles, The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone (Paperback)

This version of Sophocles's Oedipus trilogy--Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone--is a great edition for students and seasoned classicists alike. The translations by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald are modern while still being poetic, and complete while still being very, very fast-paced. For instance, I read Antigone in about forty minutes, and I'm a slow reader.

Fitts and Fitzgerald have sacrificed some accuracy and literalness to achieve their extraordinary pacing and readability, but while their translations are not always true to the original text, they more than make up for it with the sheer power which which they grab the reader. I had read Oedipus Rex before, but I had never felt it like this. The plays come alive for the reader. The tragic end of Oedipus Rex was particularly moving.

This edition includes some notes and commentary, but the works stand well on their own, without the comments of a later generation. Overall, though, the briskness and modern sound of these plays make this one of the best translations available to students today.

Highly recommended.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Oedipus anyone can read., December 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sophocles, The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone (Paperback)

This is a very readable rendition of Sophocles' famous tragedies, by two of this century's most distinguished classicists and translators. My only caution: I would not recommend this translation to anyone trying to muddle through the Greek. As Fitzgerald readily admits, he has emphasized general meaning, conciseness and readability over strict adherence to the text, paraphrasing the original where he feels it's appropriate. I'm usually wary of this approach, but in this case I feel it makes the plays more accessible to the general reader, and more performable, than they would otherwise be. The end result is a lively and true homage to a great playwright whose ideas have shaped modern literature, drama, and psycology.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Work: Translation needs work, December 31, 1998

By 

Miguel Pakalns, PhD [e-mail] (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sophocles, The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone (Paperback)

For anybody who wishes to read Sophocles' Oedipus cycle, the best translation available is definitely that of Paul Roche. However, for what they're worth, Fitts and Fitzgerald have given a fairly accurate though often too swiftly-paced version of Sophocles' great plays. At times, the translation sacrifices accuracy for tersity, and rarely does it reach the poetic excellence that Roche's clearly demonstrates. However, Fitzgerald's translations often require an acquired taste. If you enjoyed his odyssey (I do not), then you may enjoy his translations here as well.