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Oedipus at Colonus is a weird tragedy in that the climax of the play is not really tragic. I even hesitate to call this play a tragedy: yes, some machinations of fate are at play, and yes, Polynices' obstinacy to go to his death are sad, but the story here is of Oedipus and his fate to die in glory with the gods.

Oedipus is practically assumed as Christians would later call it—it‘s such a supernatural ending to such an earthy tradition, no?

With this, I've reached the end of Sophocles. This tragedy has largely gone under the radar, especially mine, so I found it genuinely surprising that it was so moving & tender & elegiac. Written by Sophocles close to his death, as the Athenian empire waned, & produced by his grandson after his death, this shows us Odysseus in old age coming to terms with his impending death. Old age & the inevitable sadness of change hangs over this tragedy. 5 ⭐