In this widely praised book, an eminent classicist examines Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus in the context of fifth-century B.C. Athens. In attempting to discover what the play meant to Sophocles' contemporaries-and in particular in disentangling Sophocles' ideas from Freud's psychoanalytical interpretations-Bernard Knox casts fresh light on its timeless and universal nature. For this edition, Knox has provided a new preface and a list of suggested readings.
What a joy it is to welcome this book back in print. As perennial as Sophocles' great play itself, Knox's work has never gone out of date, and never will.-Robert Fagles
Reviews of the earlier editions:
A superb analysis, demonstrating that when classical study is aware of Freud and the techniques of modern literary criticism, it can be as exciting nowadays as it must have been during the Renaissance.-New Yorker
A superb critical and textual investigation.-New York Times
One of the major contributions to Sophoclean and to Greek studies in recent years.-Virginia Quarterly Review
A magnificent contribution ... which is really required reading.-Cedric Whitman, American Journal of Philology
A brilliant piece of work combining the best of classical scholarship with the best of modern literary criticism.-John E. Rexine, Hellenic World