“But whoever gives birth to useless children, what would you say of him except that he has bred sorrows for himself, and furnishes laughter for his enemies.”

Sophocles was an ancient Greek tragedian of the fifth century BCE. He wrote over a hundred plays, though only seven survive, including *Oedipus Rex*, which explores themes of fate, human suffering, and moral complexity. His works established him as a master of dramatic structure and psychological depth.