The Seven Plays in English Verse

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sophocles, 496? BCE-407 BCE

Contributor:

Campbell, Lewis, 1830-1908

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Seven Plays in English Verse" by Sophocles, translated by Lewis Campbell, is a collection of ancient Greek tragedies written in the 5th century BC. This compilation presents the renowned works of Sophocles, which include complex themes of fate, morality, and human nature, articulated through a variety of tragic characters. The opening chapters introduce the powerful themes of divine law versus human law and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters, particularly through the actions of figures like Antigone. The beginning of "The Seven Plays in English Verse" sets the stage for the iconic play "Antigone." In this opening segment, we meet Antigone and Ismene, the two daughters of Oedipus, who are grieving the loss of their brothers, Eteocles and Polynices. Creon, the new king of Thebes, has ordered that Eteocles be honored with a burial while forbidding Polynices' burial, declaring him a traitor. Antigone, driven by familial loyalty and divine justice, resolves to defy Creon's edict and gives Polynices a proper burial, thereby invoking the conflict between state law and moral duty. As the narrative unfolds, it hints at themes of pride, obedience, and the tragic outcomes that arise from stubbornness and defiance against fate. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Antigone

Aias

King Oedipus

Electra

The Trachinian maidens

Philoctetes

Oedipus at Colonos.

Credits:

Produced by Ted Garvin, Fred Robinson and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Notes:

Reading ease score: 90.4 (5th grade). Very easy to read.

Release date is 2004-12-27