Sophocles: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring

This Very Short Introduction introduces the life, work, and influence of one of the greatest dramatists of all time, Sophocles the Athenian.

Placing his plays within their historical context, and explaining the conventions of ancient Greek tragic theatre, Edith Hall spotlights their distinctive features-tight plots, titanic personalities, lucid style, sympathetic women, exquisite poetry, and stagecraft. This analysis is followed by an account of how and why Sophoclean dramas have survived to be read and widely performed into the twenty-first century.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Edith Hall, Professor of Classics, University of Durham

Edith Hall is Chair in Classics at Durham University since 2022. She previously held posts at the Universities of Reading, Oxford, Cambridge, Royal Holloway, and King’s College London. She has published more than thirty books, broadcasts regularly on the BBC, and acts as consultant to professional theatres including the National Theatre, the Old Vic, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She leads a campaign to increase access to classical subjects within state education. She has been awarded Honorary Doctorates by the Universities of Athens and Durham, the Erasmus Medal of the European Academy, and Honorary Citizenship of Palermo.