Sophocles (496-406 bce) saw in his lifetime most of the glory days of Athenian society and its wane. His plays resemble those of Aeschylus in their ethical and religious attitudes, but they disturbingly start to examine and even question these values, without actually undermining them. He generally offers tightly plotted dramas with characters in bitter conflict. He also shows the dignity of human beings in the face of superior divine forces during crises.
We have 7 of his 123 plays.