Oedipus Rex

One of those Greek plays that really didn't age well. If the Greek gods say so, you're screwed. A theme for the ages. Literally only lasted as long as it did because of the shock value.

My first Greek tragedy. Another thing I was forced to read in HN Lit this semester and ended up loving. If I had read it by myself I wouldn't have understood it, but my teacher translated it piece by piece and put it in a context we'd understand. I love my Lit class ^_^ Anywhoozle, it's really ironic and kinda funny how things pan out, but I hate spoilers so I'm not gunna say anything.

Ugh. Hgrghm. Rghh. I feel nauseous. I mean, like, duh, I know what this is about. And I did have a fried egg and cheese and fried sausage sandwich this morning that has been sitting RIGHTHERE all day, but - ugghhhhh. The bit where he gouges out his eyes. Ghgrhrg.

So I listened to a modern English translation of this, performed by Michael Sheen and “a full cast” (poor nameless cast!). Michael Sheen I like a lot, and feel like he's been lately typecast in “geeky British second banana” roles in second-rate scifi movies, whereas I think his Welsh talents are best used in big-bearded, armor-and-sword roles like Lancelot or a Roman commander on the Welsh border in the first century CE. Actually, this all started - I started listening to this today - after finishing the wonderful SPQR by Mary Beard. One of the final chapters is about Boudica, this badass rebel Celtic queen from Britain, who tried and failed to fight off the Romans in the first century CE, and obviously a big-bearded Michael Sheen would play the weary Roman commander who's never actually been to Rome and has to reluctantly destroy her forces, even while he admires them. GOOD MOVIE, RIGHT?!

HEEENYYYWAYYY. So should there be spoilers to Oedipus? What is the state of America's schools? It doesn't really matter; ancient Greek narrative arcs are apparently differently shaped because Oedipus is TOLD he's the murderer of his father and the husband-son of his mom-wife in basically the second scene. We then spend about ~50% of the story waiting for Oedipus to stop having anxious tantrums, while more people confirm the story (“no, dude, it was you, sorry, terrible news I know”), and then - UGHHH - the CLIMACTIC, CATHARTIC, THIS-IS-WHAT-I-PAID-FOR ANCIENT GREEK SCENE OF GORE AND TRAGEDY.

I liked this translation, since it retained the unfamiliar “the past is a foreign country” quality of ancient Greek stuff (the Chorus? the places? the cultural norms?) while using familiar language. I liked the performances, if only because they were affecting. Which is the point, I guess? I liked the Fisher King quality of the City of Thebes being covered in plague sores because someone (a special someone) is an incestuous murderer, and - of course, duh - I loved the ancient Greek irony of Oedipus flailing and cursing the murderer in scene 1. Ugh, and his PRIDE! And such a humbling. Very cathartic. I also enjoyed the off-stage Apollo, via the Oracle at Delphi (?), being regularly visited for consultation. Oh yes, and I liked the brother-in-law Crayon (I looked it up, it's CREON). But all I heard was, “Oh the gads, my eyes! CRAYON, what of a wretch like me?!” It cut the tragedy nicely.

Now I see that Kenneth Branagh performed a BBC Anthony and Cleopatra drama, so I guess it's gonna be ancient Greek and Rome time in Angelasville for a little longer!

OH GODS TAKE PITY ON A HUBRIS-FILLED WRETCH LIKE MEEEEEEE
AAAAAHHGHGHGHGHGHHGHHG
extreme gore
CRAYONNNNNN
the end.