SOPHOCLES

The second, chronologically, of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, Sophocles was the most popular of the three and the most awarded in dramatic festivals. He gave tragedy its final form, by adding a third actor (Aeschylus had added the second), and by introducing painted stage sets. He wrote over 120 tragedies, only seven of which have survived in complete form. The tragic in Sophocles stems from man’s powerlessness in the face of the inscrutable will of the gods and fate. Oedipus, Antigone, Electra are some of his archetypal tragic figures who, despite their downfall, preserve their moral stature and dignity. Very pious, dedicated to his native city and having performed more than his fair share of civic and military duties, Sophocles was also an accomplished personality and a model citizen of the classical age.