The Literature Network - Oedipus Tyrannus

Oedipus Tyrannus

Content courtesy of

From: The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature
Date: 19960101
Author:M. C. HOWATSON and IAN CHILVERS

Oedipus Tyrannus ( Oidipous Tyrannos , Lat. Oedipus Rex , ‘Oedipus the king’), Greek tragedy by Sophocles , of unknown date; some tenuous indications suggest it may have been written in the years following 430 BC. The tetralogy (see TRAGEDY 2 ) of which it was part is reputed to have come only second in the dramatic competition, yet Oedipus Tyrannus itself is regarded by many as Sophocles' masterpiece, and was particularly admired by Aristotle (in the Poetics ). It deals with that portion of the story of Oedipus in which he is king of Thebes and husband of Jocasta. When the ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on Sophocles

Sophocles

Plays of Sophocles: Electra (410? B.C.)

Plays of Sophocles: Philoctetes (409 B.C.)

Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus At Colonus (401 B.C.)

Our woefully uncultured leaders no longer have any idea what schools should be doing

Plays of Sophocles: Antigone (441? B.C.)

Sophocles; selected fragmentary plays; v.1: Hermione, Polyxene, the Diners, Tereus, Troilus, Phaedra.(Brief Article)(Book Review)

Plays of Euripides: Electra [413 B.C.]

Plays of Sophocles: Trachiniae (Women Of Trachis) (413? B.C.)

Plays of Sophocles: Critical Commentary

Find More Articles

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.