Three Theban plays
The so-called
three Theban plays, written by
Greek dramatist Sophocles in the
5th century BC, 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:
Unlike the only other surviving trilogy of ancient Greek tragedy,
the Oresteia of
Aeschylus, the plays were written across forty years of Sophocles' career and were not composed in chronological order (
Antigone was written first). As a result, either of Sophocles forgetting what he had written or through ignoring previous plots, there are some inconsistencies. Notable, 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.
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