Oedipus: The King by Sophocles
3.25 stars
This review will contain spoilers.
I’m not really sure how to go about explaining Oedipus because explaining gives away the whole story. If you don’t care about spoilers and want to hear an explanation of this play better than I could give I suggest this video. This video is where I first heard of Oedipus: The King and I was definitely intrigued. I was also excited to see that this was going to be a part of the SYNC summer audiobook program. I’m not a reader of plays. I’ve only read two, now three, in my life so far. I’ve only ever read plays during school because I had to. The story of Oedipus had me very curious and I thought maybe I would enjoy the audiobook more than actually reading the play. I did enjoy this audiobook! It has a huge cast of narrator. This gave off the feel of listening to a play. It was pretty enjoyable.
My favorite thing about Greek plays is that they enjoy making the characters life absolutely miserable. You think Shakespeare can be tragic. You haven’t read anything like Sophocles. He knows how to write a tragedy. There are all kinds of horrible things that happen to Oedipus. Don’t believe me? Well there’s incest, murder, plagues, and blindness.
Greeks also seem to love irony. There’s a part in the play when Oedipus tales a blind man:
"Eyes open now, you can't know how dark the nights in which you flounder in.”
His cruelness comes back to bite him and he himself eventually becomes blind.
Also Greeks have some weird fantasies. Oedipus’s wife says it’s okay to dream about having sex with your mother. I’m sorry, but what? Greeks are weird as hell.
Cover Thoughts: I like the symbolism I’m seeing in this cover. It’s nothing amazing and it’s kind of an ugly cover, but it isn’t bad.
3.25 stars
This review will contain spoilers.
I’m not really sure how to go about explaining Oedipus because explaining gives away the whole story. If you don’t care about spoilers and want to hear an explanation of this play better than I could give I suggest this video. This video is where I first heard of Oedipus: The King and I was definitely intrigued. I was also excited to see that this was going to be a part of the SYNC summer audiobook program. I’m not a reader of plays. I’ve only read two, now three, in my life so far. I’ve only ever read plays during school because I had to. The story of Oedipus had me very curious and I thought maybe I would enjoy the audiobook more than actually reading the play. I did enjoy this audiobook! It has a huge cast of narrator. This gave off the feel of listening to a play. It was pretty enjoyable.
My favorite thing about Greek plays is that they enjoy making the characters life absolutely miserable. You think Shakespeare can be tragic. You haven’t read anything like Sophocles. He knows how to write a tragedy. There are all kinds of horrible things that happen to Oedipus. Don’t believe me? Well there’s incest, murder, plagues, and blindness.
Greeks also seem to love irony. There’s a part in the play when Oedipus tales a blind man:
"Eyes open now, you can't know how dark the nights in which you flounder in.”
His cruelness comes back to bite him and he himself eventually becomes blind.
Also Greeks have some weird fantasies. Oedipus’s wife says it’s okay to dream about having sex with your mother. I’m sorry, but what? Greeks are weird as hell.
Cover Thoughts: I like the symbolism I’m seeing in this cover. It’s nothing amazing and it’s kind of an ugly cover, but it isn’t bad.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
3 stars
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most famous works. You probably have no clue with this story is about, but at one time or another you have seen a movie or TV show that involved a basic plotline within A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Basically this play is a play about love triangles. These triangles even turn into squares. Basically Demetrius and Lysander both want Hermia, but Hermia only wants Lysander. Hermia’s best friend, Helena, wants Demetrius, but he doesn’t want her. Then Lysander wants Helena while Hermia still wants Lysander and Demetrius still wants Hermia and loathes Helena. All the while fairies are in the forest. Puck causes mischief. Oberon tries to still a slave child from Titania, who also happens to be his wife, and ends up falling for a man with a donkey head. Ah… Shakespeare. This play is so much better than Romeo and Juliet. It’s funny lighthearted and entertaining. Once the climax hits, it does become boring though. I personally don’t feel like leaving a detailed review of this play because it’s fun and funny. Nothing really needs to be over examined and believe me, I’ve done enough of that in class. So here’s the best visualization of Bottom I've found yet.
Let's not forget that really awkward scene where they just so happened to show everyone's butts (but I'm not posting that).
Cover Thoughts: I like this cover much better than the one I had to read in class.
3 stars
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most famous works. You probably have no clue with this story is about, but at one time or another you have seen a movie or TV show that involved a basic plotline within A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Basically this play is a play about love triangles. These triangles even turn into squares. Basically Demetrius and Lysander both want Hermia, but Hermia only wants Lysander. Hermia’s best friend, Helena, wants Demetrius, but he doesn’t want her. Then Lysander wants Helena while Hermia still wants Lysander and Demetrius still wants Hermia and loathes Helena. All the while fairies are in the forest. Puck causes mischief. Oberon tries to still a slave child from Titania, who also happens to be his wife, and ends up falling for a man with a donkey head. Ah… Shakespeare. This play is so much better than Romeo and Juliet. It’s funny lighthearted and entertaining. Once the climax hits, it does become boring though. I personally don’t feel like leaving a detailed review of this play because it’s fun and funny. Nothing really needs to be over examined and believe me, I’ve done enough of that in class. So here’s the best visualization of Bottom I've found yet.
Let's not forget that really awkward scene where they just so happened to show everyone's butts (but I'm not posting that).
Cover Thoughts: I like this cover much better than the one I had to read in class.
I just read Shakespeare the first time this year and really and really enjoyed it. I want to read A Midnight Summer's Dream next!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it! It's my favorite by him so far!
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