Oedipus the King

By: Sophocles

Narrated by: Michael Sheen, full cast

Length: 1 hr and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

In the hands of Sophocles, the master dramatist, the anguished tale of a man fated to kill his father and marry his mother retains its power to shock and move beyond any Freudian reference. In this new translation, performed by an outstanding cast led by Michael Sheen, the searing inevitability facing Oedipus proves as shocking as it was 2,500 years ago when it was first presented in the theatre at Athens. Translated by Duncan Steen.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©1999 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd. (P)1999 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.

True classic

Well read. Inimitable tragedy. Some voices could be better amplified.

Compelling performance

I use this performance to get my students comfortable with ancient Greek tragedy. By the end, they are enthralled.

Oedipus The King

Well read, great ambient noise. Sets the mood well.

different from book version

Good, but different wording than the version I'm reading (the "enriched" edition with a red cover and a Macaulay Caulkin horror face.)

Sophicles - Why Didn't G-d Keep You Hear Forever?

A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled his prophecy received from the gods. At an early age he learned, that he would kill his father and marry his mother, and thereby bring disaster on his city and his family. He decided to alter his life to cheat his way out of his fate. Despite his efforts, in fact, as a result of his efforts, he met his Democlean destiny.

This play was written in or about 429 B.C. This story was conceived, created, played and revered by audiences in the gap between the bronze and iron ages. (Wish our society today was as sophisticated as the Greeks were or should have been given the thinking this play generates.)

Imagine this the Greeks of 429 B.C. had a settled concept of making our living selves distinct from the non-human animals. No longer were we equivalent to any common animal. We had developed an understanding of humanity - the quality of compassion or consideration for others. The play reminds us though, that our assimilation into mortality; comes with a higher degree of horrifics. With increased knowledge we have increased agony. Because we can see deeper we can bleed more vociferously. And just how calamitously will one scream when one learns he is seeding through yourr own mother?

The given horror and how it torments Oedipus is the makeup of the great play. The audio’s acoustics are bad, the acting is not always great. The story, as difficult as one might believe, is a travel one should not miss out on in his/her life – the voyage through the play not its contents.

Beautifully performed classic

Classic play, intriguing story. The performance is amazing. The only draw back is the compromised sound quality. Takes several minutes to get used to.

Nice performance,longer be better

The performance is good, a little short, it seems like I’ve just got immersed and it ends

absolutely awesome

I was caught off guard by this production, with its multiple parts and chorus, after listening to so many books in single voice. The translation is contemporary, and may come as a surprise, if you're expecting a classic production of a classic tragedy. You'll know you're listening to a tragedy. It is heart-wrenching without ever being maudlin. Highly recommended.

Agree it crackles with fire!

So riveting I had to hit pause several times to process all of the emotion of the realizations . The actors are commanding and bring the characters in full view.
The chorus is hard to follow but if you read the cliff notes first you can appreciate the Greek forum and it won’t matter. Please enjoy , highly recommended

Outstanding audiobook

This is one of my favorite audiobooks. I was enthralled for the duration. The translation was modern but appropriate and expressive, and the performances were very well done. Listening to the play as performed by these fine actors brought a life to it that simply reading it never did. I will agree with one reviewer who said "some voices could be better amplified"; the voice of Tiresias was too quiet so I had to turn it up until Oedipus was practically yelling. That's my only negative; other than that small complaint, this was perfect. Please make more!