Author
Sophocles
-496--406
Sophocles (-496--406) is a public-domain author available on Rivro. Read free books, explore subjects, and discover related classics.
Subjects
Books by Sophocles
Oedipus King of Thebes Translated into English Rhyming Verse with Explanatory Notes
"Oedipus King of Thebes" by Sophocles is an Athenian tragedy written around 429 BC. When a plague ravages Thebes, King Oedipus vows to find and punish the murderer of the previous king, Laius. As he investigates, the blind prophet Tiresias warns him to abandon his search. But Oedipus persists, unaware that his quest for truth will uncover devastating secrets about his own identity and past—secrets connected to an ancient prophecy about patricide and incest.
Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone
"Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone" by Sophocles is a collection of classic Greek tragedies likely written in the 5th century BC. The central themes explore fate, free will, and the tragic consequences of human actions, revolving mainly around the lives of Oedipus and his family, highlighting his fall from grace and the ensuing curses that plague his lineage. The opening of "Oedipus the King" sets the stage in Thebes, where King Oedipus learns about a devastating plague afflicting his city. As he vows to find the cause, he is determined to uncover the truth, leading him down a path of self-discovery and horrifying realizations about his identity and past. The characters introduced, including the priest, Creon, and the blind seer Teiresias, foreshadow the tragic unraveling of Oedipus's life, particularly as themes of hubris and fate begin to prevail, laying the groundwork for the unfolding tragedy. The pleads of the Theban citizens highlight the desperation of those under Oedipus’s reign, marking him as both a capable but ultimately doomed leader.
The Seven Plays in English Verse
"The Seven Plays in English Verse" by Sophocles, translated by Lewis Campbell, is a collection of ancient Greek tragedies written in the 5th century BC. This compilation presents the renowned works of Sophocles, which include complex themes of fate, morality, and human nature, articulated through a variety of tragic characters. The opening chapters introduce the powerful themes of divine law versus human law and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters, particularly through the actions of figures like Antigone. The beginning of "The Seven Plays in English Verse" sets the stage for the iconic play "Antigone." In this opening segment, we meet Antigone and Ismene, the two daughters of Oedipus, who are grieving the loss of their brothers, Eteocles and Polynices. Creon, the new king of Thebes, has ordered that Eteocles be honored with a burial while forbidding Polynices' burial, declaring him a traitor. Antigone, driven by familial loyalty and divine justice, resolves to defy Creon's edict and gives Polynices a proper burial, thereby invoking the conflict between state law and moral duty. As the narrative unfolds, it hints at themes of pride, obedience, and the tragic outcomes that arise from stubbornness and defiance against fate.
Edipo rey; Edipo en Colona; Antígona
"Edipo rey; Edipo en Colona; Antígona" by Sophocles is a collection of three Theban tragedies written in ancient Greece. These interconnected plays follow the cursed house of Oedipus through generations of suffering and moral conflict. A king discovers a horrifying truth about his past. An exiled father seeks sanctuary and final rest. A daughter defies the state to honor her brother. Together, these works explore fate, justice, family loyalty, and the consequences of divine prophecy in some of Greek theater's most powerful and enduring dramas.
The Philoctetes of Sophocles
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Antigone
"Antigone" by Sophocles is an Athenian tragedy written in either 442 or 440 BC. When Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, forbids the burial of Polynices—a brother who died fighting for the opposing side in a civil war—his niece Antigone faces an impossible choice. She must decide between obeying her uncle's decree or honoring divine law and family duty by burying her brother. Her defiance sets off a clash between human authority and sacred obligation that threatens to destroy them all.
Philoktetes
"Philoktetes" by Sophocles is a tragedy first performed in 409 BC. The play unfolds during the final year of the Trojan War, when the Greeks learn they need the master archer Philoctetes and his legendary bow to win. Abandoned on a desolate island years earlier after a snake bite, Philoctetes bitterly hates those who left him. Now Odysseus and young Neoptolemus must retrieve him through deception, forcing questions about honor, duty, and the conflict between individual suffering and collective need.
Οιδίπους Τύραννος
"Οιδίπους Τύραννος" by Sophocles is a tragedy believed to have been first performed around 428 BCE. When plague devastates Thebes, King Oedipus vows to find and punish the murderer of the previous king, Laius, whose crime has brought divine wrath upon the city. His determined investigation leads him toward a terrible discovery about his own identity and past. The play explores the inescapable nature of fate and how attempts to avoid prophecy can fulfill it. Many critics, including Aristotle, consider it the greatest tragedy ever written.
Αντιγόνη
"Αντιγόνη" by Sophocles is an Athenian tragedy written in either 442 or 440 BC. After a civil war leaves two brothers dead, the new ruler Creon decrees that one will be honored while the other's body must remain unburied—the harshest punishment imaginable. Their sister Antigone defies this edict, placing divine law and family loyalty above the king's command. Her act of defiance sets off a devastating chain of conflicts between personal conscience and state power, love and duty, mortal law and divine will.
A trachisi nők
"A trachisi nők" by Sophocles is an Athenian tragedy written around 450–425 BC. The play follows Deianeira, wife of the hero Heracles, who struggles with her husband's long absences and neglect. When she learns he has captured a young woman named Iole, Deianeira attempts to win back his love using what she believes is a magic charm—but the gift carries devastating consequences. This ancient drama explores themes of jealousy, deception, and the tragic fulfillment of prophecy.
Ajas: Szomorujáték
"Ajas: Szomorujáték" by Sophocles is a Greek tragedy written in the 5th century BCE. After the legendary warrior Ajax is denied the armor of fallen Achilles, rage consumes him. The goddess Athena intervenes, casting delusions that lead to devastating consequences. When clarity returns, Ajax faces an unbearable shame that threatens his honor and legacy. His family pleads for his life while powerful enemies debate his fate, forcing a reckoning between ancient heroic values and questions of justice and respect.
Elektra
"Elektra" by Sophocles is a Greek tragedy written between 420 BC and 414 BC. Set in Mycenae after the Trojan War, the play follows Electra and her brother Orestes as they seek revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for murdering their father, King Agamemnon. When Orestes returns disguised with a false report of his own death, Electra continues her bitter mourning, unaware her brother stands beside her. The siblings must execute their deadly plan to restore honor to their father's name.
Koning Oedipus, van Sophocles: tragedie
"Koning Oedipus, van Sophocles: tragedie" by Sophocles is an Athenian tragedy possibly first performed around 429 BC. When a devastating plague strikes Thebes, King Oedipus vows to find and punish the murderer of the former king, Laius. His relentless investigation leads him toward a horrifying truth he cannot foresee. This masterwork of Greek drama explores fate, prophecy, and the dangerous pursuit of knowledge, as Oedipus unknowingly searches for a killer who is closer than he could ever imagine.
Οιδίπους επί Κολωνώ
"Οιδίπους επί Κολωνώ" by Sophocles is a tragedy written shortly before 406 BC. The play depicts the final chapter of Oedipus's life as he arrives at Colonus with his daughters Antigone and Ismene. Blind and exiled, he seeks refuge on sacred ground, discovering his resting place will hold prophetic power over Thebes. As his sons wage war for the throne and Creon schemes to control his burial site, Oedipus must choose where his loyalty—and his grave—will lie.
Oedipus király
"Oedipus király" by Sophocles is an Athenian tragedy possibly first performed around 429 BC. When a deadly plague ravages Thebes, King Oedipus vows to find and punish the murderer of the former king, Laius. As he pursues the truth with determination, consulting prophets and witnesses, Oedipus unknowingly draws closer to a horrifying revelation about his own past. This masterwork of Greek drama explores fate, truth, and the devastating consequences of self-discovery in one of literature's most powerful tragic narratives.