Craig White's Literature Courses authors

Roman mosaic depicting Sophocles

Sophocles (497-407 BC)

Sophocles, the "Shakespeare of Classical Athens," was the second of the three great playwrights in the Fifth Century BCE.

Aeschylus 525-456 BCE

Sophocles 496-406 BCE

Euripides 480-406 BCE

According to Aristotle's Poetics 4: "Aeschylus first introduced a second actor; he diminished the importance of the Chorus, and assigned the leading part to the dialogue. Sophocles raised the number of actors to three, and added scene-painting."