Theme Of Tragedy In Sophocles's 'Theban Plays'

The theme of Tragedy in The Theban Plays by Sophocles

In his tragic trilogy, The Theban Plays, Sophocles portrays the essence of Ancient Greek life; their culture, politics, religion and the maxims that are intended to guide their daily life through the actions of the main characters, Oedipus, Creon, and Antigone. Sophocles employs the use of thematic structures that coherently affects each character uniquely, and one of the most common themes depicted in these plays is that of fate vs freewill. In the Theban trilogy, Sophocles uses a well-structured theme of fate vs freewill to establish the relationship between the Greeks and the gods, as well as to illustrate the limits of mortality.

In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles Substantiates the power of fate

In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon and Antigone, through their free-willed actions establish their own unavoidable fate. By striving to rule in fairness of judgment, Creon defies the laws guiding the burial of the dead when he declares death to anyone who dared to bury Polynices (Lines 25-43). On the other hand, Antigone, with respect to the laws of the gods, and family honor, defies Creon’s orders and buries her brother Polynices (lines 451-492). In this context, we see that both characters are aware of the consequences of their actions: Creon, with knowledge of how the gods doomed Oedipus’ due to defiance, and Antigone Knowing the price that came with laying her brother to rest. Regardless of knowing these consequences, both characters exercised their desires of free-will, and for that, they paid the price of a tragic hero with Antigone’s death, and the death of Creon’s son. Again, just as in Oedipus Rex, we witness fate being the results of free will, but this time around we also see fate as an outcome generally accepted by the characters when they choose free will in opposition to abiding to the

In Herodotus’ story, the bones of tragic hero Orestes served as protection for the Tegeans. Fagle’s allusion is crucial to Sophocles’ depiction of redemption as a result tragedy, in Oedipus at Colonus. In Oedipus at Colonus, we finally witness the triumph of free will over fate. Due to free will, Oedipus is doomed to suffer, and because of his damnation, he learns to accept they ways of the gods and is thus blessed in death (Lines 424-433). We can therefore conclude that Oedipus’ desired free will to escape his fate, led him to redemption. Despite his redemption, fate continues to influence the lives of his children: Antigone and Ismene doomed to carry their father’s shame, and Polynices and Etiocles, doomed to kill each other. Overall, we notice that in Greek Culture, fate holds more power over free will, but it is only through free will that the Greeks through learning by suffering, and are thus blessed by their gods. In conclusion it is safe to say that though fate holds more influence over free will, both fate and free will are of equal value to the Ancient