Sophocles
Ancient Theban dramatist
Sophocles was an ancient Greek dramatist of the fifth century BCE, one of the three great tragedians alongside Aeschylus and Euripides.
Of over a hundred plays, seven survive complete, including *Oedipus Rex*, *Antigone*, and *Electra*.
His name evokes classical tragedy and dramatic irony: a Sophoclean hero confronting fate.
Disastrous or sorrowful event
- OedipusTragic Greek king
- AntigoneTheban princess who honored forbidden burial
- ElectraMythic Greek princess
- playwrightAuthor of stage dramas
Athenian · chorus · protagonist · hubris · catharsis · dramatic irony · trilogy · theatron
Ancient drama of prophecy fulfilled
- AjaxWarrior from ancient epics
- canonAccepted authoritative works
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
- classicOf lasting excellence
verse · poetry · strophes · odes · dramatic structure · characterization · motivation · psychological depth
Legendary period of perfection
- AthensGreece's capital city
- PericlesFifth-century Athenian statesman
- AeschylusFather of tragedy
- EuripidesGreek tragic dramatist
treasurer · priest · Salamis · democratic · citizenship · civic duty · general · public office
Predetermined course of events
- destinyPredetermined course of events
- free willAutonomous choice capacity
- divine lawRules from deity
- human lawRules enacted by society
moral order · suffering · wisdom · blindness · sight · knowledge · ignorance · pride
Greek founder of formal logic
- FreudFounder of psychoanalysis
- Oedipus complexPsychosexual attachment to mother
- RenaissanceEuropean cultural reawakening
- neoclassicismMovement emulating antiquity's forms
tragic hero · adaptation · interpretation · performance · revival · translation · scholarship · legacy
tragedy
Disastrous or sorrowful event
- OedipusTragic Greek king
- AntigoneTheban princess who honored forbidden burial
- ElectraMythic Greek princess
playwright · Athenian · chorus · protagonist · hubris · catharsis · dramatic irony · trilogy · theatron · mask
Oedipus Rex
Ancient drama of prophecy fulfilled
- AjaxWarrior from ancient epics
- canonAccepted authoritative works
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
classic · verse · poetry · strophes · odes · dramatic structure · characterization · motivation · psychological depth · nobility
Golden Age
Legendary period of perfection
Euripides · treasurer · priest · Salamis · democratic · citizenship · civic duty · general · public office · longevity
fate
Predetermined course of events
- destinyPredetermined course of events
- free willAutonomous choice capacity
- divine lawRules from deity
human law · moral order · suffering · wisdom · blindness · sight · knowledge · ignorance · pride · downfall
Aristotle
Greek founder of formal logic
- FreudFounder of psychoanalysis
- Oedipus complexPsychosexual attachment to mother
- RenaissanceEuropean cultural reawakening
neoclassicism · tragic hero · adaptation · interpretation · performance · revival · translation · scholarship · legacy · archetype
- Greek LiteratureHomer, myths, Greek poetry, fables, Iliad
- Ancient PlaywrightsAeschylus, Euripides, Aristophanes, Terence, Seneca
- AuthorsShakespeare, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald
- GreeceAcropolis, Parthenon, Athens, Greek, Hellenic
- Classic AuthorsShakespeare, Dante, Homer, Chaucer, Milton
- classicsHomer, Iliad, the Iliad, Odyssey, the Odyssey
SophoclesAristophanes
Ancient Greek comic dramatist
Terence · satirist · comedian · Old Comedy · Molière
SophoclesEuripides
Greek tragic dramatist
Aristophanes · Lucian · skeptic · iconoclast · nihilist
SophoclesSamuel Beckett
absurdist · Henrik Ibsen · Anton Chekhov · Bertolt Brecht · naturalist
sophisticated, philosophy, sophistry, sophistication, sophisticate, sophism, sophist, sophistical, sophistic