Nine great plays, from Aeschylus to Eliot -- revised edition

Aeschylus was an ancient Greek playwright. He is often recognized as the father of tragedy and is the earliest of the three Greek tragedians whose plays survive, the others being Sophocles and Euripides.

Sophocles (circa. 496 BCE - 406 BCE) was the second of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived to the present day. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than those of Euripides. According to the Suda, a 10th century encyclopedia, Sophocles wrote 120 or more plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form, namely Ajax, Antigone, Trachinian Women, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus....

Ben Johnson is the author of Nine great plays, from Aeschylus to Eliot -- revised edition. In this book, he explores a selection of essential dramatic works, guiding readers through centuries of theater. It's a great resource for anyone interested in the history and impact of plays.

Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin) was born in Paris on January 15, 1622. His father was one of eight valets de chambre tapissiers who tended the king's furniture and upholstery, so the young Poquelin received every advantage a boy could wish for. He was educated at the finest schools (the College de Clermont in Paris.) He had access to the king's court. But even as a child, Molière found it infinitely more pleasant to poke fun at the aristocracy than to associate with them. As a young boy, he lea...

British playwright, poet and author