The Three Tragedians

Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides defined Western drama in a single century. Aeschylus introduced the second actor, making dialogue possible. Sophocles added the third actor and perfected plot structure. Euripides made characters psychologically complex and gave women and slaves voices of extraordinary power.

Sophocles' Oedipus Rex — a king who destroys himself by pursuing truth he should have left alone — became the template for every mystery and every story about the danger of knowledge. Aristotle considered it the perfect tragedy, and twenty-five centuries of drama have not improved on its structure.