Conclusion: The Compassion of Tragedy

Sophocles’ final play stands as a luminous testament to the compassion at the heart of Greek tragedy. In its calm acceptance of mortality, its reverence for the sacredness of place, and its belief in moral renewal, Oedipus at Colonus bridges the human and the divine. Through Professor Markantonatos’ edition, the play speaks anew to a world still searching for meaning amid suffering. It reminds us that art endures because it consoles, instructs, and transforms. In the words of the Chorus: “Time, who brings all things to birth and decay, alone reveals what is just.” To read or see Oedipus at Colonus is to share in that revelation—the quiet assurance that even in our frailty, there abides a sacred strength.