We all know the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise, even if it's not a story the Jedi would tell you: the Sith who learned how to keep people from dying, but could not save himself. A powerful story with hidden layers of meaning, and with much value for young Jedi with dark premonitions. How did this famous tragedy of power and loss fail to win the prize at the Great Dionysia of 441 BC?

Well, mainly, it was because of the strong competition. Sophokles may not yet have been ranked among the greatest Athenian tragedians - his tragedy Antigone was only an elaboration on the great work of his predecessor Aischylos - but his work captured the minds of his audience with its relevant themes and intensely relatable characters. Instead of defeating death, it speaks of treating the dead. It speaks of the clash between justice and obedience, and the need for unflinching discipline that ultimately makes all monarchs into tyrants.

After the final battle in the civil war between the brothers Eteokles and Polyneikes, the ruler of Thebes, Kreon, issues his own "order 66": Eteokles is to receive proper burial, but Polyneikes is to be left for the carrion birds. Antigone, the youngling sister of Eteokles and Polyneikes, thinks this is unacceptable. She knows, morally, she has the high ground. She decides to go out at night and administer the proper burial rites to Polyneikes herself.

"It's treason, then," exclaims Kreon, when a guard tells him the news. Antigone explains that from her point of view, Kreon's decision is evil; but he will not hear of it. He requires all to acknowledge his unlimited power, and has Antigone locked up.

At this point, Kreon's own son Haimon (engaged to marry Antigone) speaks up in defence of Antigone, telling his father that he was supposed to destroy the unjust, not join them. But Kreon declares that he needs no council - "I am the Senate" - and threatens to have Antigone executed before Haimon's very eyes. Haimon storms out, screaming "I hate you!" and vowing never to return.

It is only the prophecy of Tiresias, that Kreon will be punished by the gods for his injustice, that finally persuades Kreon to forgive Antigone and bury Polyneikes. However, at that point it is too late; Antigone has hanged herself, and Haimon, finding her, kills himself. When Kreon's wife Euridike finds out about the death of her son, she commits suicide as well - leaving Kreon's family decimated, including the women and the children. Kreon now regrets everything he has done; he knows his own decisions were the cause of all his misery.

This is how Sophokles' tragedy proved superior to the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise. Its values were central to those of the Greeks: the proper burial of the war dead, previously often neglected (note the opening line of the Iliad which suggests that the dead are left for the dogs and birds), had become a major bone of contention for the city-states by the Classical period. Recovering all the bodies for burial was of such moral importance that one general even formally gave up his claim to victory (at Solygiea in 425 BC) in order to recover the bodies of just two men who had been left on the battlefield. In light of this new moral paradigm, it made sense for Athenians to feel deeply touched by a tragedy exploring the need of one's surviving relatives to do right by one's remains.

The following year, Sophokles himself became the Chosen One of the Athenian people in their election of the year's ten generals, sailing with Perikles to besiege rebellious Samos.

I would pay sweet, literal money for someone to translate the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise into Ancient Greek.