Sophocles’ Theban Plays— King Oedipus, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone—lie at the core of the Western literary canon. Chronicling the downfall of Oedipus, the legendary king of Thebes, and his descendants, the Theban Plays are as relevant to present-day thought about love, duty, patriotism, family, and war as when they were written 2,500 years ago.