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Oedipus the King

By: Sophocles
Narrated by: Michael Sheen, full cast
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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.

©1999 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd. (P)1999 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.
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What listeners say about Oedipus the King

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    85
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Performance
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Story
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

True classic

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

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling performance

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

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Oedipus The King

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

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

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.)

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Nice performance,longer be better

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

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Easier to hear than to read

I was required to read Oedipus Rex for my humanities class but found it difficult to understand as I was reading it. I found this particular audiobook (with Michael Sheen) very helpful. Although the words spoken were not verbatim to the book I have, the music was helpful for me to follow along in the book. The actors articulated very well using modern-day English. Overall, I give it 5 stars!

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