Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
A brilliant portrayal of mass hysteria and the evils of enforced orthodoxy. Oedipus, a progressive intellectual ruler, marries his mother. Society wreaks its revenge on him for this nonconformist action by having Oedipus appear before an investigating committee. Through hearsay evidence, he is accused of the murder of his father, and his reputation is blackened. The end of the play is, however, encouraging; Oedipus, unable to see what all the fuss is about, decides to bring his case before the people and goes off on a non-political tour. Parallels can be drawn between the committee hearings and the McCarthy Era.
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