Painterly open worn suitcase containing a swirling dark storm cloud.

Original artwork, not a still

Oedipus Rex

Sophocles

The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker suggests that our deepest sorrows do not arrive from outside but are produced by our own choices, habits, and errors. Blame for the worst pain, they imply, lies close to home. It is a sober observation that invites honest self-examination rather than complaint about fate.

Context reviewed

Share this quote