The two famous playwrights Oedipus the King by Sophocles, written thousands of years ago for the Greek audience and Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen, written as a criticism of Norwegian society in 1890. The universal theme that both Sophocles and Ibsen explore in their plays is that people are punished through their own actions, and unfortunately those thankless events can happen to essentially good people, who suffer through no fault of their own, but as a result of the actions. by others. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus was a very powerful figure in the play; he was born the son of Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes. When they heard Apollo's prophecy that was foretold that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother, they decided to destroy Oedipus, which made Oedipus an unwanted and doomed son because of Apollo's prophecy. Attempts to defy the gods by evading Apollo's prophecy lead to Oedipus' suffering. In Ghosts, Regina was the compensation for an affair Captain Alving had with the maid Johanna. Regina is considered a child born out of wedlock, which defines that she is not meant to be here, and therefore is not wanted by Captain Alving because she is the result of his mistake, and therefore if anyone were to identify and discover her true origins, it could ruin the respect Captain Alving has in society. Furthermore, Regina is also unwanted by Mrs. Alving as Regina is the one and only proof of Captain Alving's intemperance. The attempt of parents to hide the true origins of their children is shown in both playwrights. Oedipus' suffering may also be that his true origins and identity are hidden, not only by Jocas...... middle of paper ...... and Oswald are victims of their parents' actions, which lead to their unacceptable and sinful behaviors. The extent of the impact of the parents' sins on Oedipus, Oswald, and Regina in Oedipus the King and Ghosts demonstrates how the parents' action creates a negative effect on their lives and the lives of subsequent generations. Both Sophocles and Ibsen explore the significant effect of Karma, which is the cycle of cause and effect, presented in depth by both playwrights. Both writers conveyed the idea of ​​how unfortunate events can happen to essentially good and innocent people, making up for the actions committed by others. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. Four great plays by Henrik Ibsen. New York: Bantam Books, 1959. Sophocles, Antigone, Oedipus the King, Sophocles' Electra. New York: Oxford University Press 1962.