When we describe a work as ‘tragic’, one of the things we may imply is that in it human conduct is presented in counterpoint with forces beyond mankind’s control. In Greek tragedy this metaphysical dimension is supplied not by fate (a concept pretty well irrelevant to Greek tragedy) but by the purposes and actions of the gods. To a greater or lesser extent all Sophocles’ plays incorporate these purposes and actions as part of the drama. However, although there is general agreement that divine-human relations constitute an area crucial for our understanding of Sophocles, critics differ widely over how to interpret those relations.