What like you don't read greek tragedies as light reading?

Antigone remains my favorite, howevef I greatly enjoyed all of Doerries translations here. Written with both lyrical quality and with enough modernization that its easy to follow along with, Doerries did a stand up job. ( )

Oedipus is my favorite. Absolutely dripping with dramatic irony in the most tragic of ways. ( )

I have no special insight. They are all three of very good quality, just like the many people say. The two that Oedipus is alive for—the fate and free-will themed ones—I cannot say that I understand, for I am not one of Calvin and the Popes (an 80s band, I assure you—jk) people who understand exactly the nature of all reality. I guess I believe we have some free will, but very little, although the little we have is very important; I guess that makes me catholic. If pressed I cannot really marshal Sophocles saints and scriptures to explain all things, however. All I would venture even guessing is that Oedipus is a problematic hero because of the violence he visits on himself. But, you know.

I would say I understand “Antigone” better, and the themes of the state and the family, duty and the individual, men and women. Antigone and Creon are both deeply cringe-worthy, perhaps Creon in a more public way, but then he was Mr Public. They both try to cling to their own shard of the truth and use it to cut the other one. Very regrettable. I would say that I know Antigone and Creon very well, since my mother thinks she is Antigone and my father thinks he is Creon—without using those words, of course. I suppose that you could say that much of my writing is about Antigone and Creon, since they both embody flawed gender identities and politics so uncompromisingly, fully, neurotically. I suppose it would be tiresome to go on further; if you’re curious you could read almost anything else I’ve written. They are, after all, my parents.

Don't recognize the edition I read back in high school from the pages and pages of entries, so I don't know which translation I read. I just remember the power of these plays, challenging my youthful illusions that reason and good intentions would be enough to get me through life. ( )

This book contains the trilogies: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. I use Antigone when I teach Western Civ I; have not taught it since 2016. (Students aren't taking ancient history courses anymore! ) I knew the premises of both the Oedipus plays, but had not read them, that I can remember; although they were very familiar as I was reading. IMHO they are the best of the ancient plays; with Antigone being my all time favorite. It doesn't get any better than sons sleeping with their mothers, gouging eyes out with pins, and being walled up in a cave to starve and suffocate!;) 162 pages ( )