aniazawislanx's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
myaoo's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zb1113's review against another edition
4.0
9
Lots of beautiful language in Fagles translation. Great introduction to each play that lays out context and themes.
Grief, guilt vs responsibility, Desert, free will vs fate vs divine foreknowledge, duty to ones loved ones vs ones country, filial/social guilt and responsibility.
Antigone as "embodiment of only consolation that tragedy can offer - the in certain heroic natures unmerited suffering and death can be met with a greatness of soul, which, because it is purely human, brings honor to us all."
Oedipus as a play "not a picture of mans utter feebleness caught in the toils of fate, but on the contrary, a heroic example of mans dedication to the search for the truth, the truth about himself. This is perhaps the only human freedom, the play seems to say, but there could be none more noble."
Colonus - Oedipus rises from his blinded and feeble state to lead and prophesy of future
Lots of beautiful language in Fagles translation. Great introduction to each play that lays out context and themes.
Grief, guilt vs responsibility, Desert, free will vs fate vs divine foreknowledge, duty to ones loved ones vs ones country, filial/social guilt and responsibility.
Antigone as "embodiment of only consolation that tragedy can offer - the in certain heroic natures unmerited suffering and death can be met with a greatness of soul, which, because it is purely human, brings honor to us all."
Oedipus as a play "not a picture of mans utter feebleness caught in the toils of fate, but on the contrary, a heroic example of mans dedication to the search for the truth, the truth about himself. This is perhaps the only human freedom, the play seems to say, but there could be none more noble."
Colonus - Oedipus rises from his blinded and feeble state to lead and prophesy of future
misheel_bayasgalan's review
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
spamel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
whimsicallymeghan's review
4.0
This is yet again another out of my comfort zone reading, but I’m liking it. So far, I’ve read the first play - Antigone and thought it was really good. I like how persistent and unwavering Antigone was in her beliefs that her brother should be buried and wept over, despite what her uncle and society told her was right. Then that plot twist at the end! I didn’t see that coming. She was so strong in her convictions that she went as far as death, I don’t know if I’d call that brave, but it was some serious dedication that if she’d only known what the reader knew, could have been avoided. But then that wouldn’t have made for much of a dramatic play nor would there have been any stakes, and you can tell that this has changed Creon and I wonder if that will come through in the other 2 plays. I guess I’ll find out soon!
I’ve just finished reading the second play, Oedipus the King, and wow. So I didn’t know anything going into these plays and what a turn this play takes halfway through. I wasn’t prepared for where this story was going to go. It was gruesome at points, but the way Oedipus decides to handle things made sense to me. I now understand the whole “Oedipus complex” better because what a complex it is. I also learned that this one takes place before the first play, so that slightly changes how I see the characters in Antigone. I didn’t hate this, but I don’t think I’d see myself reading this play again.
I’m now done with reading the last play, Oedipus at Colonus and what great tragedy and dramatics it was, but that’s what kept it entertaining. I was never quite sure where this story was going to go and I couldn’t have predicted its end. We learn so much more about these characters that we didn’t before; this play felt a lot more exposition heavy in the fact that we’re told everything now. The order of these plays are all over the place because this one takes place after Oedipus the King but not too long before Antigone and it really gave us context to those two plays so in a way, the order of them was kinda genius in fully understanding them all. There are some notes at the end I want to read before I make my final thoughts, but so far I’ve been impressed.
I’ve now finished all three plays and their notes and I have to say the notes did provide some additional context, some more interesting and valuable than others, but I still enjoyed reading it. It helped relate other Greek stories, like the Iliad, to these plays and I liked seeing the connection and references. It didn’t change how I feel about the plays, in which I thoroughly enjoyed them and would recommend them, but just helped to understand them a bit better.
notthrni's review
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
lukaseichmann's review
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0