Oedipus at Colonus

Oedipus at Colonus is Sophocles' tragedy following the aged, blind Oedipus and his daughter Antigone to a sacred place near Athens. He seeks protection from Theseus while representatives of Thebes attempt to secure his presence for their own political advantage. Oedipus's refusal to return and his encounter with his son Polyneices reveal wounds that exile has not healed. The play moves toward a mysterious death whose significance belongs to religious promise rather than public spectacle. Hospitality and the respectful treatment of a vulnerable stranger become central measures of the community that receives him.