Sophocles the Playwright

By: Emily, Nicole, Erin and Nolan

Who was Sophocles and what did he write?

• Born 496 BC in Athens• One of the greatest playwrights during Greek

Golden Age• Wrote over 120 prize winning plays• Oedipus the King was his most famous work.• Antigone was part III of his most famous play. • About a passionate young woman who refuses to

submit to earthly authority when it forbids a proper burial for her brother Polyneices. Antigone is an excellent example for the modern social dramatist.

Who were the three tragedians?

• Aeschylus- Know as “Father of Tragedy” b/c he was the earliest tragedianand expanded number of characters to allow conflict within them.

• Euripides- Pacifist, free thinker, and humanitarian, presented his first tragedy in Dionysia (a tragedy festival competition) in 455 BC.

• Sophocles- Studied poetry, music and other arts. In his first tragedy competition (468 BC), he beat Aeschylus. Also expanded character number on stage.

Tragedy Progression

• When tragedies first began they were like animated poems with an expressive dances.

• A chorus danced and exchanged dialouge with a single actor.

• the playwright Aeschylus added a second actor and Sophocles added a third

• Masks were used

Tragedy Progession

• Erpidies used plot devices as long lost children and scenes of recognition

• Orchestra was set up in a circle.

• Tragedies were written in order to teach religious lessons, rights and wrongs.

Competition• Every spring in Athens, playwrights competed

for top honors at a festival for the god Dionysus. • Each playwright got one day all to himself to

present four plays to the audience (three tragedies and a "satyr play," a short, silly, and often vulgar comedy that cheered everyone up after all the tragic mayhem)

• Plays were performed outdoors, in the Theater of Dionysus at the foot of the Acropolis, in front of a vocal and critical crowd.

• The grand prize was a crown of ivy . 

Questions

• 1) What was Sophicles’ most well known play?

• 2) How many plays did he write?

• 3) Who were the other two famous Greek tragedians?

• 4) Who was the earliest Greek tragedian?

Works CitedThe Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization, vol. 1. ed. Alfred Bates.

London: Historical Publishing Company, 1906. pp. 106-112. cited in “SOPHOCLES AND HIS TRAGEDIES.” Theatrehistory. Web. Retrieved 17 March, 2011 from http://www.com/ancient/sophocles001.html

 

Fonseca, Ruben. cited in “Ancient Greek Theater.” Historyforkids. Web. Retrieved 17 March, 2011 from http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/arts/Architec/AncientArchitectural/GreekArchitecture/GreekBuilding/Theater.htm#Playwrights

Brokett, Oscar G and Franklin J. Hildy. History of the Theatre

Allyn and Bacon: Boston, 1999

 

Nardo, Don. The Ancient Greeks

Lucent Books: San Diego, 2001