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Maggie Zhu
Dr. Kohlhepp
Advanced English IV
December 6, 2014
Oedipus the King Translation Comparison
The tragedy of Oedipus the King ends with Oedipus blind and in exile; however,
before he took his leave from Thebes to the mountains of Cithaeron, he asked Creon for
his daughters, Antigone and Ismene once again. According to the Aristotelian elements of
Greek tragedies, the translation by R. Fagles should be adopted for use by the Fourth
Form English teachers, rather than the one by F. Watling, due to its rich depiction of
characters, dramatic transition of plot, and dexterous use of diction. In Fagles’s
translation, the themes of the play were strongly highlighted by the characteristics of the
protagonist, King Oedipus.
The character descriptions in Fagles’s translation emphasized Oedipus’ pride and
hubris, while Watling did not fully illustrate the themes. “And you, I command you-- ”
Oedipus addresses his last wish of properly burying Jocasta to Creon, still upholding his
pride as the king (Fagles 1584). Oedipus stays consistent in his conceited personality to
the end, as in “commanding” Creon. While Watling translated the line as “Then I have
only this to ask, of your goodness” (Watling 1451). “Ask” and “goodness” lacked the
powerfulness of Oedipus, and made the character seem ordinary and week instead of
highlighting his disposition. Proceeding from Jocasta, the plot twists with another wish of
Oedipus’.
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In the plot where Oedipus gathers with his daughters at last, Fagles’s translation
clearly depicted the king’s mood change from sorrow to excitement to anger, while
emotions were depicted mildly and inconspicuously in Watling’s. “O god, do I really
hear you sobbing?” Oedipus exclaims when he heard his daughters, “Sent me my darling
girls, my own flesh and blood!” (Fagles 247) Oedipus transitioned dramatically from his
previous dark mood to an enthusiastic outburst; with certainty, Oedipus embraces his
children, or, sisters, and gratefully thanks Creon. Watling’s translation did not emphasize
a significant transition in mood, “Do I hear my darlings sobbing,” Oedipus shows little
excitement, but significant doubts, “Has Creon had pity, and sent them to me?” (Watling
66) Little evidence of Oedipus’ mood transition was depicted; instead, he stays
consistently in a state of self-doubt and politeness. Much of the different perception of
plot was due to various usages of diction.
Fagles’s adept use of diction surpasses Watling’s in its aptness in the context and
reflection of the theme. Oedipus curses the daughters he had with the queen of loneliness
and childlessness; the line was translated with great fury, passion, and theatrical, dramatic
brilliance in Fagle’s translation, while Watling’s was bland and lackluster with plain
word choices. “Such disgrace, and you must bear it all!” Oedipus the king sets a curse on
Antigone and Ismene with fiery emotions, “Your doom is clear: you’ll wither away to
nothing, single, without a child.” (Fagles 248) “Must bear it all” and “doom” stressed
Oedipus’ determination and rage, which was consistent with the theme of the play. On
the other hand, Watling’s translation addressed, “ Thus they will brand you…there will
be none, my children, for you; your days can only end in fruitless maidenhood.” (Watling
67) Oedipus is insufficient in the keenness and drama in his way of diction; “fruitless
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maidenhood”, although using simile, still lacked the impressionist impact of “single,
without a child.” Fagles well concluded the scene with artful application of diction.
R. Fagles translated Oedipus the King more dexterously than F. Watling, in his
apt depiction of characters, dramatic setting of plot, and keen use of diction. Fagles
emphasized Oedipus’ pride and therefore kept the themes distinct throughout the play,
while Watling failed to incorporate themes into the characters. The plot turns to be more
dramatic when Fagles highlighted the alternation of Oedipus’ temper, while the effect
was not apparent in Watling’s version. Lastly, the use of diction was more fitting and
clever by Fagles, where Oedipus’ emotions were stressed to dramatize his character;
Watling simply stated the facts, without considering the dramatic effects. Concluding all
of the above, the IV Form English teachers should adopt Robert Fagles’s translation of
Oedipus the King.
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Works Cited
Fagles, R. Trans. The Three Theban Plays. New York: Viking Penguin Inc.,
1982.
Watling, E. F. Trans. The Theban Plays. London: Penguin Books, 1974.