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Sophocles’ Ajax

Sophocles’ Ajax. Sophocles. Circa 495-405 b.c. Floruit 468-405 b.c. 18 victories in Dionysia over 100 plays? Ajax - oldest surviving - c.455/443? Philoctetes - next to last - 409 b.c. - age 87 - 1st prize Trachiniae - date unknown. Sophocles at War. Persian Wars 499-449bc

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Sophocles’ Ajax

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  1. Sophocles’ Ajax

  2. Sophocles • Circa 495-405 b.c. • Floruit 468-405 b.c. • 18 victories in Dionysia • over 100 plays? • Ajax - oldest surviving - c.455/443? • Philoctetes - next to last - 409 b.c. - age 87 - 1st prize • Trachiniae - date unknown

  3. Sophocles at War • Persian Wars 499-449bc • Battle of Salamis 480bc • Sophocles as leader of celebratory paean • Twice Elected Strategos • Peloponnesian War 431-404 bc • Athenian Empire vs. Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta

  4. Stuff of Tragedy • Hero Cults • Hero Tales as Tragic Subject Matter • Sometimes Historical Subjects (Aeschylus’ Persae) • Vehicle for Ethical & Religious Problems

  5. Surviving Plays • Ajax • Trachiniae • Philoctetes • Electra • The Theban Plays • Oedipus Rex • Oedipus in Colonus • Antigone

  6. Dramatis Personae • Ajax • Teucer • Tecmessa • Eurysaces • Atreidae • Odysseus • Athena • Messenger • Chorus of Salaminian Sailors

  7. Telamon, Periboea & Hesione • Telamon: Argonaut, Companion of Herakles, Father of Ajax & Teucer • Periboea, mother of Ajax • Hesione, sister of Priam, mother of Teucer

  8. Second Best of the Achaeans • Achilles • Ajax • Odysseus?

  9. Hubris of Ajax My father, with gods' help a man of naught Might victory win; but I, I trust, shall grasp Without their aid that glory for myself. • Athena’s Picture Removed • Athena’s Help Rejected

  10. Battlefield Prowess

  11. Armor Dispute

  12. Made by Hephaestus • Patroclus • Thetis

  13. Choosing the Next Bravest • Aeschylus’ Thracian Captives: Trojan Captives choose winner • Sophocles’ Ajax: Atreidae’s decision

  14. Pindar’s Ajax • Lyric Poet • Contemporary of Aeschylus, fl. C5th • No murder plot, no madness, no sheep • Snubbed Ajax commits suicide • Ajax etymology • aietos - eagle (Pindar) • aiai - woe/agony (Soph.)

  15. Divine Intervention • Athena checks murderous Achilles • Athena deceives murderous Ajax • Slaughter & Torture of Sheep

  16. Athena • Sophocles: distance & separation between mortals and immortals • immortal on stage only here in surviving plays • Athena’s highest delight: triumph over a fallen enemy • Odysseus Reluctant • Cp. Odyssey

  17. Compassion of Odysseus? • Fragility of Life & Happiness • contrast between Odysseus’ prudence and Ajax's reckless passion

  18. Shield of Ajax • Shield for Son • Eurysaces • “Broad Shield” • Little Concern for Tecmessa or even for Teucer

  19. Teucer • Will be exiled for Failure to Save or Avenge Ajax • Hamo Thornycroft

  20. Hector’s Sword • Hector as guest-friend

  21. Painful Prophecies • Calchas • “Bronze Man” • 10 year war @ Troy • Iphigeneia to Artemis • Chryseis & Apollo’s plague • Bow of Herakles from Philoctetes • Wrath of Athena

  22. Dead killing the Living…Again • Juxtaposition of hope & death • Sophoclean Reversal • Pessismism: hope vs. result

  23. Honoring the Dead • Piety vs Revenge • Ajax’s prayer • Aristocratic honor ethic vs. more humane ethic of obligations to individuals

  24. Sophoclean Elements • broader debate rather than motivation of individual characters • protagonists sacrifice everything for honor & values • resolute, ready to die, stubborn in the face of persuasion • isolated from, misunderstood by family & friends • accused of recklessness + lack of realism • death in solitude -- greatness • not right or wrong, just expressions of greatness

  25. Agamemnon & Odysseus • discipline vs. respect for former honor of dead man • Change of scene – from Ajax's tent to seashore - unusual • Death/act of violence on stage - very unusual - breach of convention

  26. Odysseus as peace-maker • Return to piety - respect for gods' laws - bury dead • Return to honor for Ajax - bravest after Achilles • Greatness of Ajax weighs more than hatred • Odysseus still sees fate of Ajax as mortal lot - O. too will need burial some day • Chorus acknowledges value of O.'s wisdom • Teucer reconciles with O. • No reconciliation with Ajax - offer to aid in burial rejected --- Odyssey

  27. Resolution • Funeral honors + pyre at Troy • Other tradition- bones + armor returned to Salamis • Tomb in Salamis - hero-cult - honor for heroes - annual sacrifices by Athenians • Subject-matter of tragedy --- importance of hero-cult in C6th • Ajax - establishment of cult - honor of + for Ajax (no tomb=no cult)

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