Sophocles

= __**S**____**ophocles**__ =

**Sophocles was a famous tragedy writer during his life which was 495 to 405 B.C. He was the most awarded writer in the dramatic competition of Athens.("Intresting Facts") He studied all the arts as well as acting in some of his own plays.("Sophocles") He later stopped acting in them because of his weak voice.("Intresting Facts") He created one of the best playwrights of the Golden Age.("Sophocles") Not only was Sophocles a writer, he served under Pericles in the Peloponnesian War. ("Knight21")**

**Sophocles was born in Autumn of 495 B.C. He was born into Colonus which is about a mile northwest from Athens. By the age of sixteen, he was already known for his beauty and grace. He used to perform in his plays but his weak voice ultimatly refrained him from performing anymore.("Sophocles") He had two sons by two marriages. Both sons became tragedians. Information about Sophocles' personal life is little, but enough to conclude that he had a rather restless life.("Sophocles Life")**

**Sophocles was one of the three great tragedy writers of his time. His plays dealt with the struggle of a strong individual against fate.In most of the plays this person chooses a course of action that the chorus and the lesser characters do not support. This course causes the individual suffering or death, but it makes the person more noble and somehow benefits humanity. Sophocles did not create ordinary characters who could not be used to critisize conventional morality. ("Sophocles" 595) Sophocles introduced a number of important techniques such as scenery. Before his time, the stage and Greek plays had been bare. He also introduced a third actor onto the stage. Up to then, there had only been two actors along with the chorus of twelve people who provided a sort of voice over narration. Of the 123 plays he has said to have written ninety surviving fragments and seven in their entirety.(Knight 20/21)**

**Here is a summary of Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex": At his birth, it was prophesied that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. Because of the prophecy, his parents gave him up to die. He survived however, and became a great hero, only to return to his hometown. In his hometowen he met and killed an older man and fell in love with a married beautiful older women. (Knight 20)**

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**Besides writing, he served as a general and as a member of delegations to other states in Greece.("Sophocles" 595) As a Athenian aristocrat, Sophocles was also active in politcal affairs. He served a treasurer of the Athenian Empire in 442 B.C., he later served as a General under Pericles during the Peloponnesian War. In 413 B.C., after the defeat at Syracuse he was appointed to a coucil of statesman who provided advice on making an economic recovery from defeat.(Knight 21) He was also chosen to lead a choir of boys at a celebration of the victory at Salamis.("Sophocles")**

**In 405 B.C., Sophocles died at the age of 90.("Sophocles") It is said that he died while reading aloud Antigone.("Interesting Facts") Sophocles was known as one of the best tragedy playwriters of his time. His profession was not only a writer, but he also served as a general and polotician. Sophocles will forever be known as a writing legend.**

[[image:page9-220px-Sophocles_-_Seven_Plays,_1900.djvu.jpg align="left" caption="This is a book that contains the seven full remaining plays by Sophocles"]]
** Author Unknown. "Sophocles" Imagi-nation.com ** ** www. imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/c/sc1 **

** Author Unknown. "Sophocles" ** ** World Book 2008 ed. 2008 **

** Author Unknown. "Interesting Facts" sophocles.net ** ** www.sophocles.net/listing view.php?listingID=3a&name=Sophocles%27=life 2012 **

** Knight, Judson "Ancient Civilization Biographies" ** ** Detroit UXL 2000 **