Fiona Macintosh

Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus (or Oedipus Rex) has exerted more influence than any other drama, ancient or modern, on the history of theatre, and this influence has extended far beyond the boundaries of the western theatrical tradition to include African and Oriental theatre histories as well. This volume traces Sophocles' paradigmatic ancient tragedy from its first appearance on the stage in the fifth century BC to present day productions. The afterlife of Oedipus has played a key role in the history of ideas, and this volume examines its centrality to the history of stage censorship and political and cultural upheaval across the centuries. More recently, the protagonist has come under close scrutiny in his association with the Oedipus of psychoanalytical theory. Macintosh demonstrates how, by following the fortunes of Sophocles' Oedipus on the world stage, one witnesses its intersection with and impact upon the history of theatre and the history of ideas.

Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus (or Oedipus Rex) has exerted more influence than any other drama, ancient or modern, on the history of theatre, and this influence has extended far beyond the boundaries of the western theatrical tradition to include African and Oriental theatre histories as well. This volume traces Sophocles' paradigmatic ancient tragedy from its first appearance on the stage in the fifth century BC to present day productions. The afterlife of Oedipus has played a key role in the history of ideas, and this volume examines its centrality to the history of stage censorship and political and cultural upheaval across the centuries. More recently, the protagonist has come under close scrutiny in his association with the Oedipus of psychoanalytical theory. Macintosh demonstrates how, by following the fortunes of Sophocles' Oedipus on the world stage, one witnesses its intersection with and impact upon the history of theatre and the history of ideas.

This lavishly illustrated book offers the first full, interdisciplinary investigation of the historical evidence for the presence of ancient Greek tragedy in the post-Restoration British theatre, where it reached a much wider audience - including women - than had access to the original texts. Archival research has excavated substantial amounts of new material, both visual and literary, which is presented in chronological order. But the fundamental aim is to explain why Greek tragedy, which played an elite role in the curricula of largely conservative schools and universities, was magnetically attractive to political radicals, progressive theatre professionals, and to the aesthetic avant-garde. All Greek has been translated, and the book will be essential reading for anyone interested in Greek tragedy, the reception of ancient Greece and Rome, theatre history, British social history, English studies, or comparative literature.