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Sophocles: The Genius Behind Antigone And His World

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Sophocles: The Genius Behind Antigone and His World

My impression of Sophocles is that he was extraordinarily intellectual. He went on to become an established playwright in Athens, authoring more than 120 plays. Sophocles won first prize many times at the festival of Dionysus. Playwrights at these festivals had to write three tragedies and one satyr-play, these were known as a tetralogy together. Sophocles won first prize twenty-four times, which means he wrote ninety-six first prize-winning plays. In addition, he won seven second prizes. Only seven plays of his exist in entirety out of more than 120 plays. The seven that exist in their entirety are: Ajax, Antigone, Electra, Oedipus Rex, The Trachiniae, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. …show more content…

He was the son of an armor manufacturer who became schooled in poetry, music, and dancing. He was prized for his exceptional physique and abilities in the arts. Sophocles brought the idea of painted scenery, different types of music sung by the chorus, and an expansion in the size of the cast. Even though most of his life was centred on theatre, Sophocles was involved in his municipality. He served as a general, he played a role as a priest, and acted as a statesman later in life. Acknowledging that he was gifted, he was honored greatly in society. Sophocles was admired in his society, and Athens mourned when he

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