Sophocles (edit name/settings)

Sophocles or Sofokles was the second of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived to the present day. His first plays were written later than those of a href="http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a8478/Aeschylus/summary" rel="nofollow">Aeschylus</a></strong>, and earlier than those of <strong><a href="http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a16653/Euripides/summary" rel="nofollow">Euripides</a></strong>. The most famous of Sophocles's tragedies are those concerning <strong><a href="http://www.shelfari.com/characters/Oedipus" rel="nofollow">Oedipus</a> </strong>and <strong><a href="http://www.shelfari.com/characters/Antigone" rel="nofollow">Antigone</a></strong>: these are often known as the <a href="http://www.shelfari.com/series/Theban-plays" rel="nofollow">Theban plays or The Oedipus Cycle, although each play was actually a part of different trilogy, the other members of which are now lost. Sophocles influenced the development of the drama, most importantly by <u>adding a third actor and thereby reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of the plot. He also developed his characters to a greater extent than earlier playwrights such as Aeschylus.