A review by theoblongbox
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles

3.0

I enjoyed reading all three plays. I read them in chronological order of the events of the story (Oedipus Rex first, then Oedipus at Colonus, then Antigone), although in the book, they are not arranged that way. Antigone is first, followed by Oedipus Rex, followed by Oedipus at Colonus. I found the lesser known play, Oedipus at Colonus, to be one of the most enjoyable ones to read. In particular, I liked the character development of Oedipus. We finally get to hear what he really thinks about his fate and about his sons. One of the best parts of the play is when Oedipus explains how the things that happened weren't really his fault because he did them unknowingly. It was great to get some insight into his thought process. Oedipus Rex was a lot shorter than I remember it being when I read it in high school. Antigone was an interesting play. One of the criticisms that I have of Antigone in particular is the long and confusing monologues given by the chorus. I could really do without those. Overall, this book is definitely worth reading.