Theaban Plays
In The Theban Plays by Sophocles, the theme of honor comes up repeatedly. The characters’ honor codes is what drives them to act as they do. Because individual’s honor codes vary, conflict tends to arise. From reading The Theban Plays, one can determine that Sophocles’ honor code consists of the value of the Gods, family, and friendship. It is shown through the characters’ conflicts that all of the elements of honor cannot be valued equally. Sophocles illustrates his own honor code through the results of characters’ conflicts. The strongest element of the honor code is the honor of the Gods. The Gods overrule all other elements. The start of all conflicts in The Theban Plays were routed from the God’s curse on Oedipus. This makes it clear that the Gods control everything and are all powerful. An example where the honor of God overrules the honor of family is when Jocasta and Lais abandon their son when they hear of their curse. But because the Gods are all powerful, there is no escaping their fate. The value of God was also expressed by Oedipus’s son, Polynices. “If oracles are true, the victory will lie with those that win your patronage. Hear me, my father; if you love our land that gave us birth, hear my petition, father.”(pg112). When Polynices was at war with his brother he was told by the Oracle that the son who gained his father’s blessing would win the war. He never helped his father out, but because he honored the Gods, he sacrificed his pride and asked for Oedipus’s blessing. Friendship is also a valued element in Sophocles’ honor code. Oedipus’s and Creon’s lack of friendship value is what led to their conflicts. When Teiresias informed Oedipus of his past, he accused Creon of betraying him by telling Teiresias to say such unimaginable things. Creon was very hurt, that one of his good friends thought that he would try to take the throne away from him. When Oedipus learned that the past Teiresias had associated with him was true he asked to be banished.