Antigone is one of the most influential tragedies of ancient Greek literature, written by Sophocles in the 5th century BCE and set in the aftermath of the Theban civil war. The play explores the enduring conflict between divine law and human law, as Antigone defies King Creon’s decree to honor her brother Polynices with burial rites. Through its sharp moral tension, powerful female protagonist, and probing questions about authority, justice, and conscience, Antigone has remained central to discussions of political power, civil disobedience, and ethical responsibility. Its compact structure, elevated language, and tragic resolution made it a foundational text for later literary theory, especially in classical philosophy and modern political thought, ensuring its lasting relevance in literature, drama, and intellectual history.

Oedipus Rex, also known as Oedipus Tyrannus, is a cornerstone of ancient Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in the 5th century BCE. Centered on the relentless search for truth, the play follows King Oedipus as he uncovers the devastating reality of his own identity while attempting to save Thebes from plague. Renowned for its masterful plot construction, dramatic irony, and psychological depth, Oedipus Rex exemplifies the classical tragic themes of fate versus free will, knowledge versus ignorance, and the limits of human reason. Praised by Aristotle as the model tragedy in the Poetics, the play has profoundly shaped literary theory, philosophy, and modern interpretations of tragedy, securing its enduring importance in world literature and drama.

Oedipus at Colonus is a late masterpiece of Sophocles, written near the end of his life and first performed in 401 BCE. The play depicts the final days of the exiled Oedipus, who arrives at Colonus seeking sanctuary and spiritual resolution after years of suffering. Unlike Oedipus Rex, which centers on discovery and catastrophe, Oedipus at Colonus explores themes of redemption, justice, and the transformation of suffering into sacred authority. Through its meditative tone, elevated choral poetry, and emphasis on divine protection, the tragedy presents Oedipus not as a cursed ruler but as a figure of moral gravity whose death brings blessing to Athens. Revered in antiquity for its emotional depth and philosophical maturity, the play remains a powerful reflection on exile, dignity, and the end of human life.

Ajax is a powerful early tragedy by Sophocles that examines heroism, honor, and psychological collapse in the aftermath of the Trojan War. The play centers on the great warrior Ajax, whose sense of honor is shattered when Achilles’ armor is awarded to Odysseus, driving him into madness and ultimately suicide. Distinguished for its stark portrayal of shame, wounded pride, and the tension between individual excellence and communal values, Ajax offers one of the earliest and most penetrating studies of tragic psychology in Greek drama. Its second half, focused on the debate over Ajax’s burial, raises enduring questions about justice, loyalty, and moral obligation, securing the play’s lasting significance in discussions of ethics, warfare, and the tragic cost of heroic ideals.

Women of Trachis is a haunting tragedy by Sophocles that explores love, jealousy, and unintended destruction within the myth of Heracles. Centered on Deianira, the devoted yet anxious wife of Heracles, the play traces how her attempt to secure her husband’s fidelity through a supposed love charm instead brings about his agonizing death. Notable for its domestic focus, emotional intensity, and atmosphere of foreboding, The Women of Trachis shifts tragic attention from heroic action to private suffering and moral uncertainty. The drama powerfully examines ignorance rather than malice as the engine of catastrophe, reinforcing Sophocles’ enduring insight into human vulnerability, responsibility, and the tragic consequences of misguided devotion.

Electra is a gripping tragedy by Sophocles that intensifies the themes of justice, revenge, and psychological endurance within the myth of the House of Atreus. The play centers on Electra’s relentless grief and moral obsession as she awaits the return of her brother Orestes to avenge their father Agamemnon’s murder by Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. Distinguished by its emotional ferocity, stark characterization, and sustained focus on a single tragic consciousness, Electra probes the ethical ambiguity of vengeance and the cost of unwavering loyalty to the dead. Its dramatic tension, rhetorical power, and uncompromising portrayal of suffering have made it one of Sophocles’ most influential explorations of justice, identity, and the limits of moral certainty in Greek tragedy.

Philoctetes is a profoundly psychological tragedy by Sophocles, first performed in 409 BCE, that examines suffering, deception, and moral responsibility during the Trojan War. The play focuses on the abandoned hero Philoctetes, whose festering wound and isolation on the island of Lemnos have left him embittered and mistrustful, and on the ethical conflict faced by Neoptolemus as he is urged to deceive him in order to win the war. Renowned for its intense emotional realism and sustained dramatic tension, Philoctetes confronts the clash between expediency and honesty, questioning whether noble ends can justify morally corrupt means. Its compassionate portrayal of pain and integrity has secured the play’s lasting importance in discussions of ethics, leadership, and human dignity in classical literature.

The Poetics by Aristotle is the single most important ancient critical source for understanding the dramatic achievement of Sophocles. In the Poetics, Aristotle repeatedly treats Sophocles as the ideal tragedian, holding up Oedipus Rex as the perfect model of tragic structure, plot unity, and emotional effect. Through key concepts such as mimesis, hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and catharsis, Aristotle provides the theoretical framework that explains why Sophoclean tragedy achieves such powerful psychological and moral impact. The Poetics not only preserves ancient critical judgment about Sophocles’ superiority among tragedians but also shaped how his plays were interpreted, taught, and valued from antiquity through the Middle Ages and into modern literary theory, making it indispensable for understanding both Sophocles’ reputation and the foundations of Western dramatic criticism.