Oedipus (Dryden play) a Tragedy" was regarded as the climax of Dryden's dramatic work. Charles Gildon, however, who revised many of Gerard Langbaine's articles in the manual on English Drama "An Account of the English Dramatick Poets", harshly criticised "Oedipus, a Tragedy", saying: The most understanding Judges wish they [i.e. Dryden/Lee] had followed Sophocles yet closer, it had then been the best of our Modern Plays, as ‘tis of the Ancients: but as it is, they have destroyed the Character of Oedipus… It remains uncertain which parts of this play were written by Dryden and by Lee. According to "The London Stage", Dryden
Oedipus at Colonus a city in which proper boundaries and identities are not maintained, allowing the playwright to explore themes like incest, murder, and hubris in a safe setting. While the two other plays about Oedipus often bring up the theme of a person's moral responsibility for their destiny, and whether it is possible to rebel against destiny, "Oedipus at Colonus" shows Oedipus's resolution of the problem. In "Oedipus Rex," he was told by Tiresias, "You bear your fate and I will bear mine," a message repeated by the Chorus, but scorned by Oedipus, who like his father has believed he can escape