Sophocles

Literature & Philosophy496 BC – 406 BC

Oedipus Rex, Antigone

Master of tragic irony and the lonely hero. His Oedipus is the archetype of the man destroyed by self-knowledge; Antigone the archetype of conscience against the state.

Key works

  • Oedipus Rex~429 BCThe perfect tragedy, per Aristotle
  • Antigone~441 BCDivine law versus civil law
  • Electra~410 BCVengeance and recognition

Connections

External