In one of the chapters of his book, The Norton Anthology of the World Literature, Puchner talks about the life of Sophocles and the eternal relevance of his seven surviving plays, as well as their influence on the readers and audience. The author believes that precisely Sophocles’ plays are ancient Athens’s best achievement. They raise crucial topics, including the difficulty of choosing between “family and a wider social group” or taking a stand as an outsider (Puchner, 2018, p. 395). The author also notes that Sophocles’ interest in creating realistic characters is one reason why his plays are still popular among modern people (Puchner, 2018).
According to the writer, Sophocles is also famous for his contribution to the Athenian theatre, namely, bringing in a “tritagonist,” technically changing dramatic productions, and increasing chorus members’ number to fifteen (Puchner, 2018, p. 396). While getting acquainted with his tragedies, one usually starts thinking about proper compromise and the difference between being compliant or corrupt. Puchner (2018) notes that more than a hundred and twenty plays belong to Sophocles, and the seven surviving are Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone, Ajax, the Trachiniae, Electra, and Philoctetes.
Many people read books in order to get surprised by their plot twists. However, Puchner (2018) states that Oedipus the King “is a drama not of surprise but of suspense” as the play’s mystery is not the deed of Oedipus but the particular way he learns about his sin (p. 397). According to the author, one of the play’s ambivalent, ambiguous, and riddling language is Oracles, while its additional essential technique is the interplay between metaphorical and literal blindness (Puchner, 2018).
The researcher also believes that, depending on the interpretation of the name Oedipus, this character is either a representative of all humanity or a rejected outsider (Puchner, 2018). Moreover, there are two possible ways of perceiving the play, including seeing Oedipus’ deed as a tragic flaw or divine will. Finally, as stated by Puncher (2018), another confirmation of the genius of Sophocles and Oedipus the King is that Aristotle considered it the best Greek tragedy and expressed this opinion in his Poetics.
Reference
Puchner, M. (Ed). (2018). Sophocles. In The Norton Anthology of the World Literature (4th ed, pp. 395-399). W. W. Norton & Company.