Sophocles:
(/ˈsɒfəkliːz/;[1] Greek: Σοφοκλῆς, Sophoklēs, Ancient
Greek: [so.pʰo.klɛ̂ːs]; c. 497/6 – winter
406/5 BC)[2] is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays
have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides. Sophocles wrote 120 plays during the course of his
life, but only seven have survived in a complete form: Ajax, Antigone, The Women of
Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus.[3] For almost 50 years, Sophocles was
the most celebrated playwright in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens that took
place during the religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia. He competed in 30 competitions, won 18, and was
never judged lower than second place. Aeschylus won 14 competitions, and was
sometimes defeated by Sophocles, while Euripides won 5 competitions.
The most famous tragedies of Sophocles feature Oedipus and also Antigone: they are generally known as the Theban plays, although each play was actually a part of a
different tetralogy, the other members of which are now lost.
Sophocles influenced the development of the drama, most importantly by adding a
third actor, thereby reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of the plot. He also developed
his characters to a greater extent than earlier playwrights such as
Aeschylus.
Works and legacy
Among Sophocles' earliest innovations was the
addition of a third actor, which further reduced the role of the chorus and created greater opportunity for character development and
conflict between characters.[5] Aeschylus, who dominated Athenian playwriting
during Sophocles' early career, followed suit and adopted the third character
into his own work towards the end of his life.[5] Aristotle credits Sophocles with the
introduction of skenographia, or scenery-painting. It was not until after the
death of the old master Aeschylus in 456 BC that Sophocles became the
pre-eminent playwright in Athens.
hereafter, Sophocles emerged victorious in
dramatic competitions at 18 Dionysia and 6 Lenaia festivals.[2] In addition to innovations in dramatic structure, Sophocles' work is also known for its deeper
development of characters than earlier playwrights.[5] His reputation was such that foreign rulers
invited him to attend their courts, although unlike Aeschylus who died in Sicily, or Euripides who spent time in Macedon, Sophocles never accepted any of these invitations.[2] Aristotle used
Sophocles' Oedipus the King in his Poetics (c. 335 BC) as
an example of the highest achievement in tragedy, which suggests the high esteem in which his work was held
by later Greeks.
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Oedipus Rex, also known by its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus:(Ancient Greek: Οἰδίπους Τύραννος IPA: [oidípuːs týranːos]), or Oedipus the King, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC.[1]Originally, to the ancient Greeks, the title was
simply Oedipus (Οἰδίπους), as it is referred to by Aristotle in the Poetics. It is thought to have been renamed Oedipus Tyrannus to distinguish it from Oedipus at Colonus. In antiquity, the term “tyrant” referred to a ruler, but it
did not necessarily have a negative connotation.
Of his three Theban plays that have survived,
and that deal with the story of Oedipus, Oedipus
Rex was the second to be written.
However, in terms of the chronology of events that the plays describe, it comes
first, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone.
Prior to the start of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus has become the king of Thebes while
unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father, Laius (the previous king), and marry his mother, Jocasta (whom Oedipus took as his queen after solving the riddle of the Sphinx). The action of Sophocles' play concerns Oedipus'
search for the murderer of Laius in order to end a plague ravaging Thebes,
unaware that the killer he is looking for is none other than himself. At the
end of the play, after the truth finally comes to light, Jocasta hangs herself while Oedipus,
horrified at his patricide and incest, proceeds to gouge out his own eyes in despair.
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