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Sophocles was an ancient Greek poet and one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived today. He wrote 123 plays during his lifetime, out of which only seven have survived in a complete form. Among his plays, the two most famous tragedies, Oedipus and Antigone are generally known as the Theban plays. It was believed that he remained the most celebrated playwright in the dramatic competitions of Athens held during the religious festivals. Sophocles participated in 30 competitions, of which he won 24 and never went below second place.
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Sophocles of Kolōnos (c. 496 - c. 406 BCE) wrote The Oedipus Trilogy: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Kolonos, and Antigone. These plays work together when read in this order as a chronological account of events in Oedipus’ family life (however, Sophocles wrote these plays in a different order - Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Kolonos). An ancient audience would know of Oedipus’ background fully and familiarly from other plays and mythical sources, but a modern one might not. The backstory allows today's readers and audiences to grasp the web of double meanings that pervade the dialogue of Oedipus the King, and it provides context for the two other plays in the cycle.