Skip to content

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus Paperback - 1984

by Sophocle; Robert Fagles (Translator); Introduction by Bernard Knox


Summary

Oedipus in exile, searching for his identity and achieving immortality; his daughter, Antigone, defending her integrity and ideals to the death—these heroic figures have moved playgoers and readers since the fifth century BC.
 
Towering over the rest of Greek tragedy, the three plays that tell the story of the fated Theban royal family—Antigone, Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus-- are among the most enduring and timeless dramas ever written. Robert Fagles' translation conveys all of Sophocles' lucidity and power: the cut and thrust of his dialogue, his ironic edge, the surge and majesty of his choruses and, above all, the agonies and triumphs of his characters.

From the rear cover

Three Theban Plays entitled Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonus.

Details

  • Title The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus
  • Author Sophocle; Robert Fagles (Translator); Introduction by Bernard Knox
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition [ Edition: repri
  • Pages 432
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Group, E Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.A.
  • Date 1984-02-07
  • Features Bibliography, Glossary, Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9780140444254 / 0140444254
  • Weight 0.69 lbs (0.31 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.76 x 5.11 x 0.77 in (19.71 x 12.98 x 1.96 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: Ancient (To 499 A.D.)
    • Cultural Region: Greece
  • Library of Congress subjects Sophocles, Tragedies
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 83013053
  • Dewey Decimal Code 882.01

About the author

Sophocles was born at Colonus, just outside Athens, in 496 BC, and lived ninety years. His long life spanned the rise and decline of the Athenian Empire; he was a friend of Pericles, and though not an active politician he held several public offices, both military and civil. The leader of a literary circle and friend of Herodotus, he was interested in poetic theory as well as practice, and he wrote a prose treatise On the Chorus. He seems to have been content to spend all his life at Athens, and is said to have refused several invitations to royal courts.Sophocles first won a prize for tragic drama in 468, defeating the veteran Aeschylus. He wrote over a hundred plays for the Athenian theater, and is said to have come first in twenty-four contests. Only seven of his tragedies are now extant, these being Ajax, Antigone, Oedipus the King, Women of Trachis, Electra, Philoctetes, and the posthumous Oedipus at Colonus. A substantial part of The Searches, a satyr play, was recovered from papyri in Egypt in modern times. Fragments of other plays remain, showing that he drew on a wide range of themes; he also introduced the innovation of a third actor in his tragedies. He died in 406 BC.

Robert Fagles (1933-2008) was Arthur W. Marks '19 Professor of Comparative Literature, Emeritus, at Princeton University. He was the recipient of the 1997 PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His translations include Sophocles's Three Theban Plays, Aeschylus's Oresteia (nominated for a National Book Award), Homer's Iliad (winner of the 1991 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award by The Academy of American Poets), Homer's Odyssey, and Virgil's Aeneid.

Bernard Knox (1914-2010) was Director Emeritus of Harvard's Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D.C. He taught at Yale University for many years. Among his numerous honors are awards from the National Institute of Arts and Letters and the National Endowment for the Humanities. His works include The Heroic Temper: Studies in Sophoclean Tragedy, Oedipus at Thebes: Sophocles' Tragic Hero and His Time and Essays Ancient and Modern (awarded the 1989 PEN/Spielvogel-Diamonstein Award).

Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

by Sophocles

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Markdown
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140444254 / 0140444254
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Holland, Michigan, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 3 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 1.37
SGD 6.79 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Classics, January 2000. Trade Paperback . Markdown. SAVE ON SHIPPING: Additional books ship for $1.00 each Between the Covers!
Item Price
SGD 1.37
SGD 6.79 shipping to USA
The Three Theban Plays (Penguin Classics)
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Three Theban Plays (Penguin Classics)

by Sophocles

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140444254 / 0140444254
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 1.37
SGD 4.11 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Pearson. Used - Good. . . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Item Price
SGD 1.37
SGD 4.11 shipping to USA
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

by Sophocles

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • first
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Edition
1st
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140444254 / 0140444254
Quantity Available
17
Seller
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 5.46
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Classics. 1st. Acceptable. Acceptable. Ship within 24hrs. Satisfaction 100% guaranteed. APO/FPO addresses supported
Item Price
SGD 5.46
FREE shipping to USA
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

by Sophocles

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • first
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Edition
1st
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140444254 / 0140444254
Quantity Available
11
Seller
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 5.46
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Classics. 1st. Acceptable. Acceptable. Heavy wear. Ship within 24hrs. Satisfaction 100% guaranteed. APO/FPO addresses supported
Item Price
SGD 5.46
FREE shipping to USA
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

by Sophocles; Robert Fagles [Translator]; Bernard Knox [Introduction];

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140444254 / 0140444254
Quantity Available
14
Seller
Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 7.01
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Classics, 2000-01-03. paperback. Acceptable. 7x5x0.
Item Price
SGD 7.01
FREE shipping to USA
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

by Sophocles; Robert Fagles [Translator]; Bernard Knox [Introduction];

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140444254 / 0140444254
Quantity Available
5
Seller
Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 7.01
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Classics, 2000-01-03. paperback. Good. 7x5x0.
Item Price
SGD 7.01
FREE shipping to USA
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

by Sophocles; Robert Fagles [Translator]; Bernard Knox [Introduction];

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140444254 / 0140444254
Quantity Available
15
Seller
Kingwood, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 7.06
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Classics, 2000-01-03. paperback. Acceptable. 7x5x0.
Item Price
SGD 7.06
FREE shipping to USA
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

by Sophocles

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140444254 / 0140444254
Quantity Available
3
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 8.21
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Classics, 2000. Paperback. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
SGD 8.21
FREE shipping to USA
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

by Sophocles

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140444254 / 0140444254
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 8.21
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Classics, 2000. Paperback. Acceptable. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
SGD 8.21
FREE shipping to USA
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus

by Sophocles

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140444254 / 0140444254
Quantity Available
4
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 8.21
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Classics, 2000. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
SGD 8.21
FREE shipping to USA