Classics, Ancient & Classical 

One of the greatest of all the Greek tragedies, OEDIPUS THE KING reveals the awesome impact on the ruler of Thebes of the discovery that he has been the victim of a terrible prophecy. Translated into an acting version by Professor Bernard M. W. Knox, this classic play by Sophocles is given added dimension through the clarity of its modernized dramactic prose. Every thoughtful reader who would understand a basic segment of current psychological theory should become familiar with the soul-shattering story of a fate that would not be denied.
OEDIPUS THE KING is considered the masterpiece of the hundred or so plays written by Sophocles. It has been universally praised for its ingeniously constructed plot and extraordinary insight into human motive and circumstance. In THE INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS, Sigmund Freud summarized the psychological implications: "As the poet brings the guilt of Oedipus to light by his investigation, he forces us to become aware of our own inner selves, in which the same impulses are still extant, even though they are suppressed..." After more than 2,000 years, the basic questions about human behavior raised in this dramatic gem are still being vigorously debated. - from Amzon