'Only the gods have ageless and deathless life'

"The legends surrounding Oedipus of Thebes and his ill-starred offspring provided a rich vein for the Greek tragic dramatists. Sophocles (496-406 B.C) returned to this source several times, and it inspired his three greatest plays, which are contained in this volume. Antigone (442-441) is the tragedy of a woman ruled by conscience, who obeys unwritten law when it clashes with human law. King Oedipus (c. 425) is the story of a ruler brought down by his own oath, unknowingly in conflict with himself. Oedipus at Colonus, written late in Sophocles' life, is a fitting and profound conclusion, telling of the passing of the aged and self-blinded king. All Sophocles' heroes and heroines are larger than life, so that they portray the human condition in panoramic and vivid fashion. These three plays are proof of the timeless greatness of Greek tragedy."

(Taken from back of 'Penguin Classics' edition)

My Thoughts

After reading Aeschylus' Oresteian Trilogy, my appetite for Greek Tragedy was well and truly whetted, and so I moved on to Sophocles' master works, known collectively as the Theban Plays. In the edition I read, the plays were ordered in a (mytho)logical sequence, rather than in chronological order according to when each was written. This was a great help to a relative newcomer to the legends, as my reading experience was not complicated by the fact that Antigone, although written first, is the final tale in the sequence. The sequence would not have been a problem to the Greek audiences of antiquity, since they knew the legends better than we, today, would know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.

In this context, the art of the Greek dramatists was to present the tales in a different light to previous poets/authors, perhaps playing on a previously unexplored character or trait, or examining a side of the story previously unconsidered. Indeed, the medium of the theatre was often a clever dramatist's means of commenting on the politics and philosophy of the time. Using my previous analogy, we do not go to see pantomimes about Jack and his Beanstalk because we want to know what lies at the top of the Beanstalk, but because it can be entertaining, and we may be interested to see what the particular production will do with an old story.

Personally, the trilogy as a whole struck me as a study of Man's conceit - in King Oedipus, we are shown how one man's obstinacy can result in alienation of his friends, the loss of his peers' respect, and eventually his own downfall. Oedipus at Colonus presents a picture of an old, beaten and now pious man who has seen the error of his ways, but far too late. Oedipus is also presented sympathetically by Sophocles, since few of the ills that befell him were his fault. In this play, the conceit I mention is displayed in Oedipus' old friend Creon, who now rules Thebes, as well as in Oedipus' own sons/brothers. The gods have announced that only one who has the blessing of Oedipus will successfully rule Thebes, and so the three try various artifices to gain his favour - after their treatment of him, Oedipus is not amused, and tragedy ultimately ensues.

Finally, in Antigone, the incarnation of conceit is once again played by Creon - his kingly orders go against all Antigone holds sacred, and she follows her ethical beliefs. As it turns out, Antigone has acted as the gods would wish, and Creon is forced, too late, to repent... In this third play we are also given an insight into ancient Greek attitudes towards women. Antigone herself frequently comments that she is 'less than a man'. What author would dare to infer such a thing today?!

Once again, I found that these plays, although written over 2,000 years ago, are relevant in their thinking and philosophy to today's society. In reading the ancient classics, I am struck time and time again by how little people have changed - even the Olympian gods had the occasional quarrel or two!

Marvellous reading - as I have mentioned in previous reviews, it is always worth seeking out a good translation, since the translator will generally put the literature in its historical context, as well as point out the finer points of the dramatist's art. I would certainly recommend E.F.Watling's edition.