Men of ill judgment ignore the good that lies within their hands, till they have lost it

Men of ill judgment ignore the good that lies within their hands, till they have lost it

In the world of Sophocles, the Greek tragedian known for his powerful and timeless plays, the theme of men of ill judgment ignoring the good that lies within their hands until it is too late is a recurring motif. This idea is often explored through the tragic flaws of the main characters in his plays, leading to their downfall and ultimate destruction.

One of the most famous examples of this theme can be seen in Sophocles' play "Oedipus Rex". In this play, Oedipus, the king of Thebes, is a man of great intelligence and determination. However, he is also plagued by a tragic flaw – his hubris, or excessive pride. Oedipus ignores the warnings of the blind prophet Tiresias and refuses to see the truth that lies before him, until it is too late. He discovers that he has unknowingly fulfilled a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother, leading to his own downfall and exile from Thebes.

Similarly, in Sophocles' play "Antigone", the main character Antigone is a woman of strong convictions and unwavering loyalty to her family. She defies the orders of King Creon and buries her brother Polynices, who has been declared a traitor. Antigone believes that she is doing the right thing by honoring her brother and following her moral code, but her actions ultimately lead to her own tragic demise.