# Theseus — Oedipus at Colonus character guide

> Theseus in Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Stranger Theseus, Stranger

**First appearance:** 0002-oedipus-at-colonus

## Snapshot

Athens's king, whose famed hospitality meets its hardest test when a cursed exile asks for protection and a grave.

## Who they are

Theseus rules a city that prides itself on welcoming strangers, and Oedipus arrives to put that reputation on the line. He listens, weighs the oracle's promise of blessing against the horror of Oedipus's name, and chooses to honor his word. His decisiveness — he acts at once against Creon's abduction — makes him the moral counterweight to Thebes, and his willingness to keep Oedipus's final secret marks him as the one man trusted with what the gods took.

## Relationships

### [Oedipus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oedipus_at_colonus_se/characters/oedipus)

_friendship_

Theseus becomes Oedipus's trusted ally and protector, offering him sanctuary and respect in Athens.

### [Antigone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oedipus_at_colonus_se/characters/antigone)

_friendship_

Antigone and Theseus share mutual respect and cooperation, with Theseus aiding her in protecting Oedipus.

### [Creon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oedipus_at_colonus_se/characters/creon)

_rivalry_

Creon and Theseus clash as Creon tries to abduct Oedipus's daughters, leading to Theseus's intervention.

### [Antigone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oedipus_at_colonus_se/characters/antigone)

_friendship_

Antigone and Theseus share mutual respect and cooperation, with Theseus aiding her in protecting Oedipus.

## In the story

### [Dramatis Personae](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oedipus_at_colonus_se/chapters/dramatis-personae)

King of Athens, protector of Oedipus.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oedipus_at_colonus_se/characters/theseus
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oedipus_at_colonus_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oedipus_at_colonus_se/characters