Introduction to Sophocles

Professor Webster was a well-known, prolific writer on the Greek theatre. For this second edition of An Introduction to Sophocles, originally published in 1969, he provided additions and corrections to a work that had proved its value since its first appearance in 1936.
After a chapter on the life of Sophocles and the chronology of his plays, the book gives accounts of his thought, characters, plots, songs and style. This edition also incorporates an appendix on the early plays, with a review of the available evidence.
The scholarly text is still an invaluable aid to students of Sophocles; as a reviewer said when it first appeared, the work is 'indispensable for a detailed study of Sophocles' (Greece & Rome, vol. vi, no.16).

List of contents

Preface to the First Edition. Preface to the Second Edition. 1. Life 2. Thought 3. Characters 4. Character-Drawing 5. Plot Construction 6. Song 7. Style 8. Conclusion. Appendix on the Chronology of the Fragments. Additional Notes. Addenda and Corrigenda to First Edition. Appendix on the Early Plays. Index Locorum. General Index.

About the author

T. B. L. (Thomas Bertram Lonsdale) Webster (1905-1974) was a British archaeologist and classicist, particularly interested in Greek comedy. He started his career as Hulme Professor of Greek at Manchester University, where he remained for seventeen years. He then moved on to the chair of Greek at University College London, where he established the London Institute of Classical Studies. His final position was at Stanford University where he was Professor of Classics, Emeritus.

Product details

• Authors: T. B. L. Webster, Webster T. B. L.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 01.12.2025
• EAN: 9781041161493
• ISBN: 978-1-0-4116149-3
• No. of pages: 232
• Series: Routledge Revivals
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Ancient Greece, HISTORY / Ancient / Greece, LITERARY COLLECTIONS / Ancient & Classical, Classical texts, Ancient History, Classical history / classical civilisation, Ancient (Classical) Greek, Ancient, classical and medieval texts, Literary studies: plays and playwrights