Sophocles

Sophocles II

Sophocles is one of three ancient & medieval Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first drama & plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or relatively close to those of Euripides. Sophocles wrote 120 classical & medieval plays during the course of his lifetime, but only seven have survived in a complete form. Four of those seven surviving drama & plays are included in this anthology edition; Ajax, The Women of Trachis, Electra, and Philoctetes. Ajax is a Greek tragedy written in the 5th century BC by Sophocles. The Greek tragedy chronicles the fate of the warrior Ajax after the events of the Iliad, but before the end of the Trojan War. Philoctetes is an ancient & medieval drama & play. The tragedy was written during the Peloponnesian War. In Philoctetes, Heracles was near his death, he wished to be burned on a funeral pyre while still alive. No one but Philoctetes would light the fire, and in return for this favor Heracles gave Philoctetes his bow. Philoctetes left with the others to participate in the Trojan War, but was bitten on the foot by a snake while walking on Chryse, a sacred ground. The bite caused Philoctetes constant agony, and emitted a horrible smell. For this reason he was left by Odysseus on the desert island Lemnos. In medieval Greek mythology, Electra was the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus princess of Argos. Electra and her brother Orestes plotted revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for the murder of their father, Agamemnon. The Women of Trachis is generally considered to be less developed than Sophocles' other ancient & classical works, and its dating has been a subject of disagreement among scholars and critics. Sophocles' work is considered literature & fiction classics in the Greek dramas & plays genre and is often required textbook reading in the following disciplines; English, literature & fiction, Ancient & Medieval Literature, ancient & classical, dramas & plays, Greek tragedy, and world literature. This anthology edition, Sophocles II, conveniently packages four of Sophocles' seven surviving plays.