Three Theban plays
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The so-called three Theban plays, written by Greek dramatist Sophocles in the 5th century BCE, follow the tragic downfall of the mythical king Oedipus of Thebes and his descendants. See the individual articles for more information on the specific plays:
- Oedipus the King (also known as Oedipus Rex or Oedipus Tyrannos)
- Oedipus at Colonus
- Antigone
Often mistakenly believed to be a trilogy, the plays were written across forty years of Sophocles' career and were not composed in chronological order with Antigone written first (in fact the only surviving Greek trilogy is the Oresteia of Aeschylus). As a result, either of Sophocles forgetting what he had written or through ignoring previous plots, there are some inconsistencies. Notably, Creon is the undisputed king at the end of Oedipus the King, but in the other plays there is some struggle with Oedipus' sons Eteocles and Polynices. Creon is also instructed to look after Oedipus' daughters Antigone and Ismene at the end of Oedipus the King but elsewhere they are on their own, or have fled with Oedipus, or are actively opposing Creon.
However, because the plays were not produced at the same time, these inconsistencies were not important. Sophocles' overall themes were fate, guilt, and divine and human justice, not necessarily logical continuity between works written decades apart.
