THE111 Playwright project: Sophocles, Spencer Harrison

The beginning of Sophocles

496 BCE

Sophocles was born 496 BCE (before common era) in Colonus which is near Greece or Athens
It is estimated that Sophocles wrote 123 plays or dramas
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles Slides with no link are from
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles

The Family of Sophocles

495 BCE

The father of Sophocles was a man named Sophillus who was a wealthy armor manufacturer. Sadly the name of his mother is not known. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles

Wife and children

494 BCE

Sophocles had two wives, his first wife named Nicostrata who bore two sons, Iophon and Sophocles. Then his second wife Theoris ho bore a third son, Ariston. https://www.notablebiographies.com/Sc-St/Sophocles.html#ixzz7hciffTEL

Where did he live

493 BCE

With roots dating back 1700-1100 BCE, the country of Athens has a rich history. Interestingly, they were one of the first people to develop a democracy. It was also where philosophy, science, mathematics, drama, literature, and art thrived. Athens and Greece are known for being places where ancient people started discovering or creating things that have shaped our world. https://www.worldhistory.org/Athens/

Influencing the influencer

492 BCE

Being at the beginning of drama and literature there weren't as many influences as we know today, but although he was at the beginning he wasn't the first. Homer, creator of the Odyssey and Iliad was thought to have influenced the young Sophocles. As well Aeschylus was thought to have influenced Sophocles. Though they fought in the dramatic battle field Aeschylus was still a great play wright. https://homework.study.com/explanation/who-influenced-sophocles.html

Odd facts

491 BCE

Many people believe that he was just a good artist the other famous playwrights of his time, Aeschylus and Euripides grappled with other issues such as religion and intellectual issues. Some believed that Sophocles was more basic in these areas. He did not necessarily enter himself into the philosophy field Despite this, he is regarded as great given his artistic skills. One such skill was the way he portrayed characters specifically tragic women which is surprising given the time period

The world of Sophocles

490 BCE

There was much disturbance during Sophocles's time. There was a war between Athens and Persia. Earthquakes were raging in Sparta. Sparta needed help from Athens and others.
Politics change as Pericles introduces democracy to Athens.
The Sophists, professional philosophers, travel around Greece educating the sons of the rich.
The

The Parthenon is built for worship. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view
/10.1093/acref/9780191735394.timeline.0001

Ancient events

489 BCE

Here are some events which may have been influential The Samian Revolt from Athens in 440-439 B. C. was an Ancient Greek military conflict between Athens and Samos.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/986226 The second Peloponnesian War was war between Athens and Sparta that ended the defeat of Athens. Athens was burned in the Persian invasion of 480 BCE, and rebuilt by the statesman Pericles (l. 495-429 BCE)
https://www.worldhistory.org/Athens/

Education and rise of a Great

480 BCE

Because of the money in his family, Sophocles was able to receive a good education. He was skillful in the musical arts and this along with his beauty made him suitable at 16 to lead a paean. (choral chant to a god) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles

A festival of competition

468 BCE

In ancient Greece there would be dramatic festivals where different playwrights would compete with each other with the most common winners in Sophocles' time being Aeschylus Euripides and Sophocles himself. Sophocles had his first victory in 468 BCE at the Dionysian dramatic festival. From then on he would never get lower than second place with an estimated 24 victories. It is said each playwright showed off around four plays at each competition. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles

About his plays

467 BCE

Sophocles wrote many plays. It is estimated that he wrote over 100 plays but only 7 of his plays have withstood the test of time. Ajax, Antigone, Trachinian Women, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. Another play called Trackers exists but is too damaged to recover the full play.

His plays typically focused on a few characters and their character. Most of his known plays were tragedies https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles

A community man

442 BCE

Sophocles was known to be an active part of his community in fact in 442 BCE he became one of the treasurers responsible for receiving and managing tribute money from one of Athens's subject allies. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles

An army man

440 BCE

In 440 he was chosen to be a stratēgoi (high executive official who commanded the armed forces) under Pericles. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles

Elder of the city

413 BCE

In 413 at age 83, Sophocles was a proboulos, one of 10 advisory commissioners who with special powers were entrusted with fixing Athens’s financial recovery after the defeat in Sicily. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles

The end of Sophocles

406 BCE

Sophocles died in 406 BCE in Athens. His last act was leading a chorus in mourning for his deceased rival, Euripides. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles

The influence of Greek theater

400 BCE

Ancient authorities credit Sophocles with a few dramatic innovations. One is his invention of a type of “scene paintings” and other props to establish location and atmosphere. He also may have changed the size of the chorus from 12 to 15 members. Sophocles's major innovation was his introduction of a third actor as before it had been two at most.

Still produced today

399 BCE

Sophocles's plays were so influential that they are still performed today.
A Chicano playwright called Luis Alfaro
made adaptations of the plays,
Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey, and
Mojada. He mixed some of his
heritage into the plays and
brought back the amazing greek
plays made by
Sophocles.
https://www.centertheatregroup.org
/digitalstage/streaming-series/past-
presentations/luis-alfaros-trilogy

The influence on todays theater

388 BCE

As stated before he added painted sets and a third character. It is obvious to see how this has impacted today's theater influencing us to add more immersion and people into our plays, but something else to consider is that he influenced Aristotle.
We know of Aristotle's poetics and how they influenced theater, and because Aristotle was influenced by Sophocles, Sophocles has also influenced us in the works of Aristotle.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles

The Play Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)

377 BCE

Fun fact: this is his most famous play
This play follows a boy who was foretold you kill his father (the king) and marry his mother. The king ordered him killed luckily for him a servent sent him instead to another town. He grew up and then was told of the prophecy. Wanting to protect his adopted family he left. The prophecy came true and he ended up killing the king, becoming the king himself where he married his mom. He than ripped his eyes out after learning the truth.
https://www.britannica

The Play Electra(Ēlektra)

366 BCE

This tragedy tells the tale of Electra
and her brother, Orestes, as they take their
revenge on their mother, Clytemnestra,
for her murder of their father,
Agamemnon.
https://ancient-literature.com
/greece_euripides_electra
.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CElectra
%E2%80%9C%
20(Gr%3A%20%E2%80%9C,murder
%20of%20their%20father%2C%20Agamemnon.

The Play Ajax

355 BCE

The play is about Ajax hero of the Trojan War whose pride drives him to treachery. Ajax is offended at his prize(the dead Achilles’ armor) Ajax thereupon attempts to assassinate Odysseus and the contest’s judges but the goddess Athena intervenes. He cannot bear his humiliation and throws himself on his own sword. The judges order that Ajax’s corpse be left unburied as punishment. But the wise Odysseus persuades the commanders to relent and grant Ajax an honorable burial.

The Play Trachinian Women

344 BCE

The play follows the efforts of Deianeira to win back the wandering affections of her husband, Heracles, who is away on one of his heroic missions and sends back his latest mistress to live with his wife at their home in Trachis. Deianeira uses a love charm on Heracles, learning too late that it is poisonous, and she kills herself when she learns of the agony she has caused her husband.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trachinian-Women