Sophocles

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Ancient Greek writer of serious plays like Oedipus Rex and Antigone

proper noun

: Sófocles

What will Oedipus, or the reader of Sophocles, think when told that he needs to adequately understand himself?
Sophocles' Oedipus
Sophocles' Oedipus the King
Sophocles' Antigone

So that's a quote from Sophocles, Antigone.

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Examples

So it was that when we were reading Aeschylus or Sophocles, he would exclaim to our astonishment, "What! Kill a king!"

Fiction book (1999)
Besides, didn't he quote Sophocles when somebody asked him if he was still able to appreciate a woman?

A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
And do you know what Sophocles told that man?

Fiction book (2001)
Imagine that Sophocles will be expelled from the just city that Socrates wants to create.
Sophocles said: "To never have been born may be the greatest boon of all."

Match Point (2005)
Thucydides and Sophocles use similar terms when describing attempts to deal with the epidemic.

Academic text (2012)
The final two speakers in Sophocles' drama, Theseus and the chorus, convey an impression of peace.

Academic text (1994)
Another of the great tragedies of Attic drama is Sophocles's Antigone.
Sophocles, Aristotle, Xenophon, Cicero, and, in the Christian case, Augustine all lauded it.

Academic text (2015)
The playwright Sophocles is known for his tragic plays, such as 'Oedipus Rex'.

Surface Forms

Sophocles main

Etymology

Sophocles comes from the Greek parts sophos 'wise' and kleos 'glory' or 'fame'. So the name means 'wise fame', which fits a famous writer remembered for wise, powerful plays, and you can also see soph- in philosophy ('love of wisdom').