Oedipus Rex
Also known as: Oedipus the King · Soph. OT · Oedipus Tyrannus · Oidipous Tyrannus
- 1The play was written by the Athenian dramatist Sophocles.
- 2It is also known by the titles Oedipus Tyrannus and Oedipus the King.
- 3The first performance is estimated to have taken place around 429 BC.
- 4It was highly praised by Aristotle as a pinnacle of tragedy.
- 5The work is considered one of the greatest plays in Western literature.
Oedipus Rex, also known by its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus, or Oedipus the King, is an Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles.
Connections1
literary manifestation of hubris
The play serves as a primary example of how hubris, manifested as the belief that one can outsmart fate, leads to the protagonist's inevitable ruin.
Oedipus Rex, also titled Oedipus Tyrannus or Oedipus the King, is a seminal Athenian tragedy authored by the playwright Sophocles. While the exact date of its first performance remains uncertain, it is generally estimated to have occurred around 429 BC.
Oedipus after he solves the riddle of the Sphinx (1864), [ 13 ] Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Walters Art MuseumWikimedia Commons: File:Jean-Auguste-Dominique_Ingres_-_Oedipus_and_the_Sphinx_-_Walters_379.jpgJoseph Blanc, The murder of Laïus by Oedipus, 1867, Paris, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-ArtsWikimedia Commons: File:Joseph_Blanc_Le_meurtre_de_Laïus.JPGBénigne Gagneraux, The Blind Oedipus Commending his Children to the GodsWikimedia Commons: File:Bénigne_Gagneraux,_The_Blind_Oedipus_Commending_his_Children_to_the_Gods.jpgP. Oxy. 1369, a fragmentary papyrus copy of Oedipus Rex, 4th century BCWikimedia CommonsA Greek amphora depicting Oedipus and the Sphinx, c. 450 BCWikimedia CommonsOedipus and Antigone, by Charles JalabertWikimedia CommonsVittorio Gassman as OedipusWikimedia CommonsPlay by the Celje Slovene People's Theatre in 1968Wikimedia Commons Although the play did not secure the top prize during its initial debut, it later gained immense prestige. The philosopher Aristotle identified it as one of the greatest examples of Greek tragedy, and today it is widely regarded as a cornerstone of Western literature and the most famous work of its genre.