Ajax : The Tragedy Of Athena And Odysseus By Sophocles

I believe that Homer uses the effectiveness of Ajax’s speech, specifically Ajax’s similarities to Achilles and the speech’s focus on the Greek value of timē (one’s honor or how one is perceived by others), to reveal the motivations and nature of Achilles. In book IX of the Iliad, Ajax, known primarily for his brute strength and martial prowess, delivers the speech Achilles finds most compelling. Conversely, Odysseus, although the most adept orator sent, is the least effective in convincing Achilles to rejoin the war. In my opinion, this is because while Odysseus uses a well-reasoned and debatably superior argument, Ajax, as a character, is similar to Achilles and is able to more effectively direct his argument towards Achilles’ defining characteristics. In this paper, I will argue that Homer characterizes Achilles as an individual who is guided primarily by his emotions and his goal of gaining timē and kleos (immortal glory). I will do this by analyzing the more successful speech of Ajax and comparing it to the ineffective speech given by Odysseus. First I will compare the personalities of both Ajax and Odysseus to Achilles, and how the effectiveness of Ajax’s speech further reveals Achilles’ personality and motivations. Secondly, I will discuss how Ajax’s speech effectively plays towards Achilles’ sense of timē, showing the value Achilles places on it. Finally I will discuss how the differences in the structure of the arguments used by Ajax and Odysseus illuminate Achilles’

Written about two thousand and seven hundred years earlier, the Odyssey is still influencing modern storytelling today. Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca and protagonist of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey was recognized as a great hero of his time. He was known for his defining qualities of superior strength and athleticism, sharp intellect, sensual ness, and a thirst for glory. These character traits are still being used to attribute modern day fictional heroes such as Neo, Captain Jack Sparrow, James Bond, and Spiderman. Accordingly, the heroic qualities of Odysseus can be still be seen in today's modern day fictional heroes.

What would happen if one flaw in your character traits led to your ultimate downfall? The play Antigone, written by Sophocles, covers the story of a young girl named Antigone. She wishes to bury her brother Polyneices, who died in battle. However, King Creon refuses to allow Polyneices proper burial because of the treason he feels Polyneices had committed, even though appropriate burial rites were a sacred law among the ancient Greeks. Creon then locks up Antigone for her attempt to bury her brother. King Creon is therefore a tragic hero. “A tragic hero is a central character who is usually of high or noble birth and demonstrates a ‘fatal flaw.’ The tragic hero’s fatal flaw is hamartia, an ingrained character trait that causes the hero to make decisions leading to his or her death or downfall” (Springboard 253). King Creon is a tragic hero in Antigone due to his allowance of his own personal opinions, beliefs, and character traits to override those that he knows are approved of by the Gods; leading to his downfall.

In Phaedo and the The Odyssey, the main characters, Socrates and Odysseus, provide examples of different lifestyles. When conversing with his followers for the last time, Socrates’s thoughts demonstrate his views on the life of a philosopher. Comparatively, Odysseus lives the life of an epic hero aiming to return home. In their respective stories, both characters confront death, either their own or another character’s. Due to the developments in Phaedo and The Odyssey, I will argue that people's views of the afterlife stand as the main determination for how they believe they should live their lives.

It can start a war or end one. Give you the strength of heroes or leave you powerless. It can be snared with a glance but no force can compel it to stay. Love. It was the downfall of Troy and the triumph of Odysseus. The dual nature of love in Greek myth as both destruction and salvation may have led to Plato’s unique conceptualization of love. In The Symposium he speaks of two Aphrodites: Common and Heavenly. The first has domain over physical attachments and is considered vulgar. The second, being divine is concerned with the soul, not the body. It is a heavenly love, a love of the mind, the spirit. It is also exclusively for same-sex partners. Although Plato’s conception of love may not have been the prevailing notion of the time, it is

Everyone has many different personalities, but the two that Odysseus holds makes up who he is. In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer Odysseus a very fearful man goes on a very long journey through ups and downs. Throughout his voyage he has brilliant ideas and plans along with some mad chaos.

Ajax is a Greek tragedy, written by Sophocles, that follows a greek hero named Ajax, and its follows his fate until his suicide. Ajax has a different take on warfare, because it talked about the madness that took over Ajax and the following breakdown after that which is reminiscent to PTSD. The passage 311-330 in Ajax is an example of Ajax’s PTSD, in summary the passage is after Ajax’s slaughter of the cattle, Ajax has a breakdown after Tecmessa told him what he has done. Tecmessa is worried about Ajax and is pleading to the chorus to go talk to them.

Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, follows the tragic story of a king named Oedipus who goes from an all-powerful ruler to a hopeless blind peasant. Oedipus the King was written as a play and performed in front of an audience. Sophocles shows in Oedipus the King that one cannot escape the fate of the gods. Throughout the play Oedipus struggles to find a solution and change all the troubles in his life. The play observes the story of Oedipus who defies the gods and through the journey experiences hardships in tragic flaw, tragic fall and tragic realization.

Circe had just warned Odysseus about Scylla and Charybdis. The witch knew much, but she did not know about the wicked devil below seawaters. A seer who was banished from the underworld rests in the water, waiting for the day another sailor dares to pass her. Theama was well known to be able to tell your future when you remove the stitches along her mouth. Although, she was well known to play tricks, and only one sailor has ever lived to tell the story. Once Hades banished her, he took away her vision in her main eyes, leaving her seeing through her palms. He also took away her ability to speak. Odysseus knew of the myth, but did not have the slightest idea she was awaiting him. The waters were starting to turn into large waves

Oedipus the King was written by Sophocles and was is titled Oedipus Rex in Latin. It is one of the most well-known Greek tragedies. As is the case with Greek tragedies—or roughly most tragedies that make their way to stage—fate plays a key role in the events in Oedipus Rex. Oedipus discovers there is a plague on his city. The only way to lift the plague is by slaying the former king’s killer. As the play’s acts unfold one discovers about the prophecy concerning Oedipus. The prophecy states that Oedipus is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. But was this just by chance or his predetermined fate.

Odysseus is one of the greatest epic heros in the history of literature. The Odyssey, by Homer, is an epic poem, which depicts the journey home of Odysseus. Angering many gods, this voyage takes him through multiple obstacles, and ends up taking almost twenty years longer than it should've. Throughout his journey, “The Son of Laertes” must get his crew out of trouble multiple times. He uses his intellect and other strengths to do so, and never gives up, no matter the circumstance. Even after losing everything he needs in a storm worthy of the gods, Odysseus still never gives up, and gets himself out of trouble yet again. Throughout his entire journey, coming home from the Trojan War, Odysseus repeatedly uses many heroic traits to get himself and his crew out of many unfortunate situations. These heroic traits, how Odysseus uses them, and the steps of his journey all come together to illustrate that he is an epic hero. Odysseus characterizes himself as an epic hero based on how he almost perfectly follows the characteristics of an epic hero, gets his crew out of trouble multiple times, and follows the Hero's Journey.

The build up of Ajax’s story, and its resolute end, remain consistent in both Ovid’s and Sophocles’ versions, but the circumstances around the reasons of Ajax’s emanant suicide, change, resulting in the Sophocles version no longer being Ajax’s own decision. True, both versions have Ajax’s life coming to an end by his own hand, but when another person influences one’s thoughts and actions, are the resulting decisions truly one’s own?

Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, has risen many questions concerning the main character and whether or not he acts on free will or if his future is predestined by the gods. I am going to test the theory that although Oedipus believes he is acting on his own free will, he is in fact a victim of the gods. I will analyze several different sources that discuss fate and human agency in Oedipus the King and then proceed to build my original argument on the archaic debate.

In “Antigone” by Sophocles, a famous ancient Greek tragedian, the main character, Antigone, demonstrates a prohibited action in a strict, male-dominated society. Greek civilization upheld strong values and rules that were designed to enforce orderly behavior among its people. There were state laws created by the King, Creon, and divine laws created by the Gods. Divine law was superior to the king laws, and if that rule was disrupted, eternal consequences could ruin an individual. In this society, men were mighty, powerful, and in control of the kingdom. Women were traditionally treated as an underclass with no voice or power. Women were restricted from performing any masculine jobs, holding high civilization positions, and disobeying men. Although Greek civilization had strict standards for women, Antigone challenges the law through her actions in order to satisfy the Gods because it is what she thought was the right decision.

The Greeks considered tragedy the greatest form for literature.  However, the tragic ends for the characters were not ordained or set by fate, but rather caused by certain characteristics belonging to that person.  Such is the case with the characters of Sophocles' plays Oedipus the King and Antigone.  Oedipus from King Oedipus, and Antigone and Creon from Antigone posses characteristics, especially pride, that caused their tragic ends.  As the play progress, other characteristics appear and further add to the problem to such a point that it is inevitable that it will end in tragedy.  Therefore the tragedies were not a result of a plot by the fates, but rather a result of the