A Tale of Two Sisters: Studies in Sophocles’ Tereus

This paper aims to reassess the role of sister- and siblinghood in the
fragmentary Tereus of Sophocles, a play unusual in its dramatization of a close
and collaborative relationship between two sisters. The plot hinges on their
recognition and reunion, and the all-female bond of sisterhood is shown to
outweigh both wife-husband and mother-son obligations. Finally, a close reading
of three fragments suggests that the play was characterized by the language
and imagery of siblinghood, which reflect the thematic centrality of sisterhood
to this tragedy.