The great tragic poet Sophocles is on a par with Aescholus and Euripides. He is known for such works as "King Oedipus", "Antigone", "Electra". He held public office, but his main occupation was still the compilation of tragedies for the Athenian scene. In addition, Sophocles introduced several innovations in theatrical performance.
Brief curriculum vitae
The main source of biographical information about the second tragic poet after Aeschylus of Ancient Greece is an unnamed biography, which was usually placed in the editions of his tragedies. It is known that the world famous tragedian was born around 496 BC in Colon. Now this place, glorified by Sophocles in the tragedy "Oedipus at Colonus", is a district of Athens.
In 480 BC, at the age of sixteen, Sophocles participated in the choir, which performed in honor of the victory at the Battle of Salamis. This fact gives the right to compare the biographies of three great Greek tragic authors: Aeschylus participated in the battle of Salamis, Sophocles glorified it, and Euripides was born just at that time.
Sophocles' father was most likely a middle-class man, although different opinions are expressed on this subject. He managed to give his son a good education. In addition, Sophocles was distinguished by outstanding musical abilities: in adulthood, he independently composed music for his works.
The heyday of the creative activity of the tragedian coincides in time with that period, which in history is commonly called the "Age of Pericles." Pericles stood at the head of the Athenian state for thirty years. Athens then became a significant cultural center, sculptors, poets and scientists from all over Greece gathered in the city.
Sophocles is not only an outstanding tragic poet, but also a statesman. He served as treasurer of the state treasury, strategist, took part in the campaign against Samos, who attempted to secede from Athens, and revised the Athenian constitution after the coup. The evidence of the participation of Sophocles in public life was preserved by the poet Jonah of Chios.
The "Age of Pericles" was not only the heyday of Athens, but also the beginning of the decay of the state. The exploitation of slave labor supplanted the free labor of the population, the small and medium slave owners went bankrupt, and serious property stratification was outlined. The individual and the collective, which were in relative harmony, were now opposed to each other.
The literary heritage of the tragedian
How many works are created by Sophocles? What is the literary legacy of an ancient Greek playwright? In all, Sophocles wrote more than 120 tragedies. Only seven works of the author have survived to our time. Sophocles’s list of works includes the following tragedies: Trachinyanki, Oedipus the Tsar, Electra, Antigone, Ajax, Philoctetus, Oedipus in Colon. In addition, significant fragments of the drama The Rangers based on the Homeric hymn to Hermes have been preserved.
The dates of stage tragedies cannot be determined exactly. As for the "Antigone", it was staged in about 442 BC, the Oedipus king - in 429-425, the Oedipus in Colon - after the death of the author, about 401 BC.
The playwright repeatedly participated in tragic competitions and even defeated Aeschylus in 468. What work did Sophocles write to participate in this contest? It was a trilogy based on the tragedy of “Triptole”. Subsequently, Sophocles took the first place twenty more times and was never the third.
The ideological basis of works
In the contradictions between the old and the new way of life, Sophocles feels doom. The destruction of the old foundations of Athenian democracy makes him seek protection in religion. Sophocles (although he recognizes man’s freedom from the will of the gods) believed that human capabilities are limited, each one has a force that dooms it to this or that fate. This can be seen in the works of Sophocles "Oedipus the King", "Antigone."
The tragedian believed that a person cannot know what he is preparing for each next day, and the will of the gods is manifested in the constant variability of human life. Sophocles did not recognize the power of money, which corrode the basis of the Greek policy and wanted to strengthen the democratic foundations of the state, protesting against the stratification of citizens by wealth and property.
Sophocles' innovations in the ancient Greek theater
Sophocles, being the successor of Aeschylus, introduces several innovations in the theatrical performance. Having somewhat departed from the principle of the trilogy, the author began to write separate dramas, each of which was a complete whole. These parts had no connection with each other, but three tragedies and a satire drama were still staged on the stage.
The tragedian expanded the number of actors to three people, which allowed to make the dialogue more lively and to reveal the characters deeper. The choir has already ceased to play the role that was assigned to him by Aeschylus. But it is obvious that Sophocles skillfully used it. The choir parts echoed the action, reinforced all the sensations of the audience, which made it possible to achieve the purifying action (catharsis) that Aristotle spoke about.
"Antigone": content, images, composition
The work of Sophocles "Antigone" was not part of the trilogy, representing a complete tragedy. In Antigone, the tragedian places divine laws above all else; the contradiction between the actions of man and the will of the gods is shown.
The drama is named after the protagonist. Polyunik, the son of King Oedipus and brother of Antigone, betrayed Thebes and died in the battle with his brother Etheocles. King Creon forbade the funeral, leaving the body to be torn to pieces by birds and dogs. But Antigone performed the rite, for which Creon decided to immure her in a cave, but the girl ended her life by suicide. Antigone complied with the sacred law, did not submit to the king, followed her duty. After her bridegroom, the son of Creon, pierced himself with a dagger, and in desperation from the death of her son, the king’s wife took her own life. Seeing all these misfortunes, Creon acknowledged his worthlessness before the gods.
The heroine of Sophocles is a determined and courageous girl who deliberately takes death for the right to bury her brother according to the established rite. She honors ancient laws and does not doubt the correctness of her decision. The character of Antigone is revealed even before the start of the main action - in a dialogue with Ismen.
Creon (as a stern and adamant ruler) puts his will above all else. He justifies actions by the interests of the state, is ready to adopt cruel laws, and considers any resistance as treason. Compositionally, a very important part of the tragedy is the interrogation of Antigone Creon. Each replica of a girl enhances Creon's irritability and intensity of action.
The climax is Antigone's monologue before execution. The comparison of the girl with the lot of Niobe, the daughter of Tantal, who was turned into a cliff, enhances the drama. The catastrophe is approaching. Creon blames himself for the death of his wife and son following the suicide of Antigone. In complete despair, he exclaims: "I am nothing!"
The tragedy of Antigone Sophocles, the summary of which is given above, reveals one of the deepest conflicts of the contemporary author of society - the conflict between the laws of the tribal and state. Religion, rooted in hoary antiquity, prescribed to honor blood ties and perform all rituals for close relatives, but every citizen of the policy had to comply with state laws, which often contradicted traditional norms.
Oedipus Rex Sophocles: An Analysis of the Tragedy
The tragedy considered below raises the question of the will of the gods and the free will of man. Sophocles interprets the myth of Oedipus, belonging to the Theban cycle, as a hymn to the human mind. The author shows the extraordinary strength of character and the desire to build life at his own discretion.
Sophocles ’work“ Oedipus Rex ”tells the life story of Oedipus, the son of Theban king Lai, who was predicted to die at the hands of his own child. When Oedipus was born, the father ordered his legs to be pierced and thrown on the mountain, but the slave who was instructed to kill the heir saved the child. Oedipus (his name from ancient Greek means “with swollen legs”) was brought up by the Corinthian king Polybes.
In adulthood, Oedipus learns from the oracle that he is destined to kill his own father and marry his mother. The prince wants to avoid such a fate and leaves Corinth, considering Polybos and his wife as their real parents. On the way to Thebes, he kills an unnamed old man who turned out to be Lai. The prophecy began to be fulfilled.
Upon arriving in Thebes, Oedipus was able to solve the riddle of the Sphinx and save the city, for which he was elected king and married the widow of Lai Jocaste, that is, his own mother. Over the years, Oedipus reigned at Thebes and enjoyed the well-deserved love of his people.
When a terrible pestilence occurred in the country, the oracle announced the cause of all the misfortunes. There is a killer in town who needs to be banished. Oedipus seeks to find the culprit without assuming it is himself. When the tsar becomes aware of the truth, he deprives himself of his sight, believing that this is sufficient punishment for the crime committed.
The central character is King Oedipus, in which the people see a wise and just ruler. He is responsible for the fate of people, is ready to do everything so that only the pestilence ceases, save the city from the Sphinx. The priest calls Oedipus the "best of husbands." But Oedipus also has weaknesses. As soon as he began to suspect that the priest was covering the murderer, he thought that he himself was involved in the crime. Anger quickly encompasses Oedipus and in conversation with Creon. The king, suspecting intrigue, throws insults. The same trait - incontinence of character - became the reason for the murder of old Lai on the way to Thebes.
Not only Oedipus, in the work of Sophocles, seeks to avoid the destined destiny. Jocasta, the mother of Oedipus, is sinful in terms of morality, as it allows you to give the baby to death. From a religious point of view, this is neglect of the oracle's sayings. She later tells the adult Oedipus that she does not believe in predictions. Jocasta pays for his guilt with death.
Creon in "Antigone" and "King Oedipus" is endowed with different features. In the tragedy of Sophocles, “Oedipus the King,” he did not strive for power at all; he values honor and friendship above all, promises patronage to the daughters of the Theban king.
"Oedipus in Colon": images, features of the tragedy
This tragedy of Sophocles was set after his death. Oedipus, accompanied by Antigone, gets to the outskirts of Athens. Ismena, the second daughter of the former Theban king, brings the oracle that his father is destined to become the patron saint of the country where he will die. The sons of Oedipus want to bring him to Thebes, but he refuses and, hospitably received by King Theseus, decides to stay in Colon.
At the mouth of the choir and the characters is the anthem of Colon. The main goal of the work Sophocles set the glorification of the homeland and atonement for perfect sin by suffering. The Oedipus here is no longer the ruler that the viewer sees him at the beginning of the Oedipus the King tragedy, but also not the man broken by the misfortunes that he became towards the end of the work mentioned above. He fully realizes his innocence, says that in the crimes he committed, there was neither sin nor malicious intent.
The main feature of the tragedy is the parts of the choir, glorifying the author’s native village. Sophocles shows a person’s lack of confidence in the future, and worldly adversities inspire him with pessimistic thoughts. It is possible that the last few years of life have caused such a grim attitude to the surrounding reality.
The tragedy "Philoctetus": a brief analysis of the work
Sophocles is briefly studied at the philological faculties, but the lack of teaching hours often makes it necessary to exclude some works from the program. So, often ignore the "Philoctetus." Meanwhile, the image of the protagonist is drawn in development, which is of particular interest. At the very beginning of the action, he is a lonely person, but has not yet completely lost faith in people. After the appearance of Hercules and the hope of healing, he is transformed. In the characterization of characters you can see the techniques inherent in Euripides. The main idea of the tragedy is that a person finds happiness not in satisfying his own interests, but in serving his homeland.
Ajax, Trahinyanki, Electra
The theme of Sophocles’s Ajax tragedy is the awarding of Achilles' armor not to Ajax, but to Odysseus. Athena sent a fit of madness to Athena and he cut the herd of cattle. Ajax thought it was an Achaean army led by Odysseus. When the main character came to, then, fearing ridicule, committed suicide. So, the whole action is built on the conflict between the power of God and dependence on the divine will of the individual.
In the work of Trakhinyanka, Hercules' wife becomes a criminal out of ignorance. She impregnates her husband’s cloak with the blood of a centaur killed by him, wanting to return love. But the centaur’s gift is deadly. Hercules dies in agony, and his wife commits suicide. A woman is portrayed as a meek, faithful and loving, forgiving spouse's weaknesses. A sense of responsibility for the crime that she committed through ignorance makes her punish herself in such a cruel way.
The theme of the tragedies of Euripides and Sophocles "Electra" was the myth of the same name about the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Electra is a passionate person, with Sophocles this image is distinguished by psychological depth. The girl, along with her brother, kills her mother, fulfilling the sacred will of the god Apollo, the patron of paternal law. The idea of the tragedy is to punish the crime and protect the religion of Apollo. This is confirmed not only by the finale, but also by many parts of the choir.
General characteristics of creativity
Sophocles' works reflect questions typical of his time, for example: attitude to religion, unwritten laws and state laws, free will of an individual person and gods, a problem of nobility and honor, interests of an individual and a collective. A number of contradictions are revealed in the tragedies. For example, in "Electra" the tragedian defends the religion of Apollo, but he also recognizes the free will of man ("Oedipus the King").
Complaints about the instability of life and the fickleness of happiness are constantly heard in tragedies. In each work, the fate of an individual is considered, not of a kind. Interest in the person was reinforced by the innovation introduced by Sophocles in the theatrical performance, namely the addition of a third actor.
The heroes of Sophocles' works are strong personalities. In descriptions of their characters, the author uses the method of opposition, which allows emphasizing the main feature. This is how the brave Antigone and the weak Ismena, the strong Electra and her indecisive sister are depicted. Sophocles is attracted by noble characters that reflect the ideological foundations of Athenian democracy.
Sophocles on a par with Aeschylus and Euripides
And Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides are the greatest Greek authors of tragedies, the significance of the creative heritage of which was recognized by their contemporaries. Between these authors, belonging to different generations, a significant difference is found in the field of dramatic poetry. Aeschylus is imbued with the covenants of antiquity in all respects: religious, moral and political, his characters are often given schematically, and the heroes of Sophocles are no longer gods, but ordinary personalities, but differing in well-developed characters. Euripides lived already in the era of a new philosophical movement, began to use the stage to propagate certain ideas. Aeschylus and Sophocles are significantly different in this regard. The characters of Euripides are completely ordinary people with all weaknesses. In the works, he raises difficult questions of religion, politics or morality, but there is never a final answer.
The mention of the tragedians in the comedy of Aristophanes “Frogs”
When characterizing the ancient Greek authors, one cannot fail to mention another outstanding author, but in the field of comedy (the tragedies are Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles). Aristophanes glorified three writers in his comedy The Frogs. Aeschylus (if we talk about the time of Aristophanes) died a long time ago, and Sophocles and Euripides died almost simultaneously, half a century after Aeschylus. Disputes immediately began about which of the three was still better. In response, Aristophanes directed the comedy The Frogs.
The work is named just like that, because the choir is represented by frogs that live in the Acheron River (through it Charon transports the dead to the kingdom of Hades). The patron saint of the theater in Athens was Dionysus. It was he who was preoccupied with the fate of the theater, planned to go down to the underworld and bring Euripides back so that he continued to stage tragedies.
In the course of action, it turns out that in the afterlife there are also competitions of poets. Aeschylus and Euripides read their poems. As a result, Dionysus decides to bring Aeschylus back to life. Comedy ends with a chorus part in which Aeschylus and Athens are glorified.