Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles characters

Appears from the start

The former king of Thebes, now old, blind, and exiled after the discovery of his crimes. Guided by Antigone, he reaches a sacred grove at Colonus and believes an oracle has identified it as the place where his wandering will end. Suffering has made him dependent on others but also fiercely protective of the dignity and power promised to him at death.

Appears from the start

Oedipus's devoted daughter and constant guide in exile. She helps her blind father travel, speaks with strangers on his behalf, and shares the hardship of his years away from Thebes.

Appears from the start

Oedipus's other daughter, who has remained in contact with events at Thebes while secretly bringing her father news. She comes to Colonus to warn him that an oracle has made control of his burial place politically important.

Appears from the start

The king of Athens, summoned to hear Oedipus's request for refuge. He responds to the exile's suffering with respect, accepts his appeal as a suppliant, and pledges that Athens will protect him and his daughters.

Appears from the start

The ruler acting for Thebes and Oedipus's brother-in-law. He arrives with a courteous public manner but intends to bring Oedipus under Theban control so that his promised power after death cannot benefit Athens.

Appears from the start

Oedipus's elder son, driven from Thebes by his brother and preparing an allied assault on the city. He comes to Colonus as a suppliant, hoping that his father's support will help him reclaim the throne.

Appears from the start

A resident of Colonus who first encounters Oedipus and Antigone in the grove sacred to the Eumenides. He tells them where they have stopped and alerts the local elders rather than removing them by force.

Appears from the start

The representative of the elders of Colonus. Initially alarmed that Oedipus has entered forbidden sacred ground, he helps hear the exile's case and directs him toward an appeal to Theseus.

Appears from the start

An Athenian attendant who returns from Oedipus's final journey to describe the extraordinary circumstances of his disappearance and Theseus's unique knowledge of the burial place.