On the Playwrights of Antiquity: Sophocles Part 1

       The performance arts have been a constant part of human society and culture for century upon century, and throughout it, skilled masters of entertainment have risen to bring their brilliant works to a place of respect and reverence.  Of these pioneers in play-writing,  Sophocles was one of the most bold, forging a vision of tragedy that attained a level of refinement previously unheard of. Though he wrote numerous plays, his most beloved and famous are the 'Three Theban Plays,' a trilogy that details the horrifying fall of Oedipus, the king of Thebes, and his ill-fated family.

       The first play of the trilogy, "Oedipus Rex," plays out as a sort of mystery as Oedipus frantically searches for the assassin of the previous king of Thebes, a quest that takes him back to his mysterious past, ultimately revealing his guilt as the murderer of the old king, who, in a twist was in fact Oedipus's father. Unfortunately, the tragedy is only beginning at this point as Oedipus discovers the incestuous reality of his marriage to the queen, leaving him in a position of such incredible guilt as to merit one course of action, that being self-banishment from his beloved Thebes.

      This highlights one of the more fascinating parts of Sophocles' masterpiece, the complete innocence of its protagonist.  Though Oedipus did kill the old king, it was an act of defense, while his marriage to the queen seemed obligatory upon his becoming ruler of Thebes. This makes an interesting contrast with the vast majority of tragedies as their  heroes knowingly make decisions that lead them to their downfall. For instance, in Shakespeare's most beloved tragedy,  Hamlet's violence and cruelty towards Polonius and Ophelia earn him the hatred of Laertes, the man who ultimately kills Hamlet.  On the other hand, Othello's rage, King Lear's foolishness, and Macbeth's killings all lead directly to their tragic and often bloody fates.  Though Oedipus is indeed flawed and  engages in the acts that directly bring about his doom,  his character goes about these actions without any knowledge of their deadly nature. In fact, Oedipus has a certain analogous relationship with the Biblical King David as he, like David, when confronted with the knowledge of an individual guilty of a horrific lustful sin, becomes determined to discover the vile criminal, only to find that he himself is guilty and must face the penalty.

     Another trait that brings definition to "Oedipus Rex" is its continuity.  Though the play stands on its own, its two sequels bring the story full circle and display Sophocles' epic vision of familial ruin. This imparts a special feel to the end of the play as Oedipus blindly leaves Thebes, forming a sense of eagerness in the audience to see how his story will ultimately conclude in the next two plays.

    Sophocles' playwright genius won him numerous accolades during his life and continues to awe audiences thousands of years later, earning him a well-deserved position as one of the first masters of artistic expression in the performing arts.  His Three Theban Plays possess some of the most unique and fascinating attributes of classical plays and remain as some of the best  surviving examples of Grecian writing.