The Greek play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, is a play about the tragic downfall of the King of Thebes, and is based on the ancient myth. I am a huge fan of this play, it kept me on the edge of my seat for every page. I had already heard about the myth of Oedipus, and knew of the Psychology term “Oedipus complex”, so I thought I knew what I was getting into. Or so I had thought. In reality, I was pleasantly surprised as I read the suspenseful play and had to keep myself from gasping out loud in public. Because apparently the people in Starbucks don’t enjoy  when you yell “why you acting like a snake for Jocasta?!” at the highest frequency you could possibly muster.

Oedipus endorses every element of a tragic hero throughout the play. He is ignorant in his wrongs, he was born in royalty, and he has a tragic flaw: hot-tempered. Throughout the play we discover more and more news that defiles Oedipus’ reputation, and everything that happens leads right up to his downfall. The dialogue of the play was excellent because the characters show how they really feel through their words. Jocasta is afraid and worried, Tiresias is upset and rightfully offended, Creon is thoroughly confused, and the herdsman is desperate. We understand the feelings of each character from the way they voice their thoughts.

I recommend anyone who likes a piece a work that elicits physical reactions and uncontrollable facial expressions, to then read the play Oedipus the King. The ending is tied up nicely and you will not be left hanging, resulting in the possible clutching of the book tightly and then chucking it across the room. You will not be disappointed if you read this play because each major event will surely make you want to scream at the top of your lungs with no coherent wording. Because that’s a sure sign of a good read, right?