Literature Library author

Sophocles

A concise guide to Sophocles's body of work, major titles, and recurring themes.

AP-referenced authorIB PRL recommended author
Languages
Classical Greek
Regions / countries
Greece
Forms
Drama
Indexed works
3

Author overview

Sophocles (495 BCE–405 BCE) was a playwright and philosopher whose body of work spans drama. This writing is in Classical Greek and associated with Greece. Major works and useful reading starting points include Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Electra, and Philoctetes. Key themes include Divine duty versus human law, Pride, listening, and leadership, Family loyalty and the damage of civil conflict, and Knowledge and its limits.

Reading pathway

Begin with Antigone, then move to Oedipus Rex, then move to Electra.

Representative starting points

Antigone

A Greek tragedy in which a young woman’s duty to her dead brother collides with a ruler’s demand for obedience.

Oedipus Rex

A king determined to save his city investigates an old murder until witness after witness reveals that the criminal, judge, son, husband, and father are the same man.

Electra

Electra's years of public mourning collide with Orestes' secret return, forcing a royal family to call revenge justice while the play exposes its emotional cost.

These are Literature Library reading suggestions by an IB PRL author, not titles prescribed by the IB.

All published guides by this author

Biography, authority, and bibliography sources

This independent author guide supports reading and discussion. Curriculum badges show useful AP or IB connections without making this an official AP or IB publication.