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Polynices, Oedipus’s oldest son, may only appear on stage during Oedipus at Colonus, but his actions play a significant role in shaping the trajectory of the trilogy. He and Eteocles are the ones whose rivalry threatens the collapse of Thebes, drives Oedipus to curse them, and creates the central conflict of Antigone. In many ways, Polynices carries on the tragic, confidence-driven legacy that his father created through his own downfall in Oedipus Rex. He is willing to pursue what he believes is justice, taking the Theban throne back from his younger brother, despite knowing that he could face serious consequences. In the end, Polynices and Eteocles ensure the continuation of the family’s suffering when they kill each other. These similarities to Oedipus, however, do not fully explain Polynices’s behavior. His appearance in Oedipus at Colonus highlights a distinctly manipulative and disingenuous aspect of his character. Knowing that whomever wins Oedipus’s blessing will win the fight for the throne, he seeks out his father to explain that he regrets exiling him. The inauthentic nature of this statement suggests that Polynices cares more about his own reputation and success than the life of his father. This selfishness complicates his position within the play, rendering him an unsympathetic character despite his otherwise noble attempts to dethrone the brutal Creon.
After his prophesized death, Polynices essentially turns into a plot device in Antigone. As a result of his choice to raise a foreign army to fight against Thebes, Creon refuses to give him a proper burial, but Antigone decides to risk her life to bury him anyways. This scenario allows Sophocles to explore themes such as family loyalty and concepts such as the dissonance between state and moral law. Antigone’s resolve to bury her brother, despite his choice to raise an army against Thebes, suggests that familial and spiritual responsibilities take precedence over governmental decrees. As is the case with the first two plays in the trilogy, man’s power is no match for the will of the gods. Polynices’s death and its subsequent mishandling ultimately bring even more suffering upon the remainder of Oedipus’s lineage, driving Antigone to kill herself and leaving Ismene entirely alone.
