An old man desires peace and quiet
King Oedipus, an outcast tormented by fate, wanders Greece, impoverished,
old, blind, accompanied only by his loyal young daughter Antigone. He seeks shelter on holy ground in Colonus, soon
learning that an oracle has informed Thebes that he must return so the city can
avert a dreadful fate. Creon, the new
King of Thebes, arrives in Colonus, to force Oedipus home. Theseus, King of
Athens, stops them, allowing Oedipus to be swallowed up by the ground and enter
Hades in peace.
This is a retelling of a myth, but also a meditation on the indignities
of old age. Supposedly Sophocles was 90
when he wrote this and the play is full of lyrical outbursts on life, old age
and family loyalty. In the end, Oedipus
finds redemption, after severe punishment.
He tried to run from his fate, but couldn’t. At the end, all he can do is accept it. I love the way these ancient plays grapple
with life and death.
The reader cannot think too much about the relative ages of Antigone
and Oedipus. How can a 99 year old man
have a 16 year old sister? By the same
mother?
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