Sophocles, one of the most famous ancient Greek playwrights, composed two Greek tragedies that have survived to this day. Oedipus the King and Antigone are Sophocles' best-known dramas. Both plays focus on catastrophic events that occur following a series of incidents and decisions. Throughout both plays, the audience continually discovers details that will ultimately lead to the main characters' downfall. By comparing the two plays, one can identify similar aspects of the plays that would ultimately lead to the characters' downfall. The ancient Greek tragedies, Oedipus the King and Antigone, reveal subtle similarities in which one can compare the two on a deeper level. In early Greek dramas, the audience is exposed to the main characters and their goals throughout the play. Although one might believe that a Greek tragedy only has negative aspects, Oedipus and Antigone begin their story with good intentions. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is informed of two prophecies. The first prophecy is that he will kill his own father and the second is that he will marry his mother. Hearing these prophecies, he leaves Corinth to prevent them from happening. Believing that Polybos and Merope are truly his parents, Oedipus believes that by leaving them the prophecy will be prevented. Oedipus's original intention was to avoid harming his parents through murder and incest, when in fact the prophecy ultimately came true with regard to his biological parents. Another good intention that appears at the beginning of Oedipus the King is Oedipus' revenge. Oedipus proclaims that he will solve the mystery of the murder of Laios, the former king of Thebes and Oedipus' biological father. In doing so, Oedipus... middle of paper ... in doing so, she challenged the authority of the Gods. Even though Antigone did not defy the laws of the gods, she did defy the laws of King Creon. By attempting to bury her brother's corpse, Antigone misunderstood Creon's authority. Meanwhile, Ismene ignored his moral authority and lived by the king's rules. In both plays, authority was constantly challenged by several characters. When challenging authority, many characters in each play continually ignore the advice of other characters. For example, Oedipus ignores warnings about his fate and Creon ignores Tiresias and his son. Finally, Oedipus the King and Antigone are extremely comparable in that they both end in endless punishment that elicits pity from the audience. Oedipus the King and Antigone are two famous Greek tragedies that contain similar aspects and order in the way they were written..