The villages tell Oedipus he must perform rites for having disturbed sacred ground. Ismene offers to perform them, but is captured by the King of Thebes Creon. When a thunderstorm hits Oedipus is convinced that it is a sign from Zeus of Oedipus' upcoming death. With renewed strength Oedipus walks and asks his children and Theseus to follow him. The a messenger says that Oedipus is dead having poured the libations while his daughters grieved and then died with only Theseus there so Theseus would be the only one who knew the place of death.

1. Set in Colonus
2. One of the Three Theban Plays
3. A tragic play
4. Major themes is power of the unwritten law
5. Major symbol is blindness
6. Genre difficult to classify
7. First performed at the Festival of Dionysis in 401 B.C.

Important Quotations:

1. Stop, my children, weep no more. Here where the dark forces store up kindness both for living and the dead, there is no room for grieving here—it might bring down the anger of the gods.
2. I was banished from my own country by my sons, return forever denied to me, because I killed my father.
3. What you have done is a disgrace to me, and your own blood, and to your country. You came within this city that makes a practice of justice and determines nothing without a law. You then throw aside her lawful institutions by your invasion. You take what you want, making them yours by force.