~ c. 401 BC ~
Oedipus at Colonus is the final play in the Theban Trilogy by Sophocles, set after the events of Oedipus Rex and Antigone. The story depicts a blind and exiled Oedipus, who escapes to Colonus with his daughters Antigone and Ismene. Oedipus seeks the help of the king of Athens, Theseus, to save him from his sons, who are fighting for the crown of Thebes, their birthplace. Through dialogue with the chorus and Theseus, Oedipus accepts his fate and moral responsibility for his actions, resolving the conflict of fate versus free will. The play explores themes of fate, guilt, and heroism. Sophocles’ writing reveals a contrast between Athens and Thebes and, ultimately, a reverence for the Athenian sense of justice.