Heracles and Oedipus in Greek Classical Drama by Professor Joseph R. Laurin offers a scholarly, clear and easy approach to the understanding of two of the greatest heroes of Ancient Greece and of the glory and tragedy of their stories in Greek Classical theater.

Readers and researchers can benefit greatly from the text and innumerable references presented in this book. Students as well as non-academic readers interested in Classical literature or the Theater can find it fascinating and beneficial.

After projecting a general view of the notion of the Ancient Greek Hero, the author develops the mythical stories of Heracles and Oedipus, and the dramas produced from these myths by the three Classical writers of Tragedy: Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles.

Four plays convey the dramatic story of Heracles: Alcestis, Heracles Mad, The Women of Trachis and The Children of Heracles. The story of Oedipus spans over several generations covered in six plays: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, The Seven Against Thebes, The Phoenician Women, The Suppliant Women and Antigone.

The author's vast knowledge of the sources of information, either in ancient texts or in modern literature, has made his book not only a brief retelling of the stories but a discussion of the major issues of interpretation and a thought-provoking commentary about human life, the universe and the gods.

Heracles and Oedipus in Greek Classical Drama is a valuable contribution to the understanding of two of the greatest heroes of Ancient Greece and of the masterful adaptation of their stories to the theater stage. This book, available either in paperback or hard cover, should inspire further research of the sources and discussion of issues confronting students as well as readers interested in Classical literature or the Theater.