Vox Latina Winter 2020 2115281 (1) | Page 16

The Drama of the Classical World By Erin Devine We all know the famous line, “Et tu, Brute?” by William Shakespeare. Used as an example by our teachers in class to demonstrate the heartbreaking betrayal of dear Brutus to Julius Caesar himself. This line comes from a play based on Caesar himself; however, the Greeks and Romans left so much more than stories to inspire today’s directors and script writers; they themselves were some of the greatest playwrights! One of the names that may spark some recognition in your brain was the great tragedian Sophocles. He is one the few three tragedians whose work survived all the way until modern day. He brought to life the plays Oedipus Rex, Antigone, Ajax, and more! Actors still perform his tales of woe in theatres across the world, and some even have film adaptations.