The Legends Surrounding the Royal House of Thebes Inspired Sophocles to Create a Powerful Trilogy of Mankind's Struggle Against Fate. "King Oedipus" Tells of a Man Who Brings Pestilence to Thebes for Crimes He Doesn't Realise He Has Committed, and Then Inflicts a Brutal Punishment on Himself. It is a Devastating Portrayal of a Ruler Brought Down by His Own Oath. "Oedipus at Colonus" Provides a Fitting Conclusion to the Life of the Aged and Blinded King, While "Antigone" Depicts the Fall of the Next Generation Through the Conflict Between a Young Woman Ruled by Her Conscience and a King Too Confident in His Own Authority.