'Sophocles created a masterpiece that in the eyes of posterity has overshadowed
every other achievement in the field of ancient drama ' With these words Dr Dawe
sets out the importance of Oedipus Rex. He investigates why it has for so long
fascinated the human mind, devoting his introduction to an examination of the
story and to the technique employed by Sophocles to unfold the plot. In this
revised edition he also argues for the spurious nature of the play's ending. As
with the first edition, the commentary deals authoritatively with problems of
language and expression, but is enhanced by reflections on the text developed in
the