Ajax

by Sophocles

Overview

“Ajax” is a tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. Although the exact date of its first performance is unknown, most scholars date it to relatively early in Sophocles‘ career (possibly the earliest Sophoclean play still in existence), somewhere between 450 BCE to 430 BCE, possibly around 444 BCE. 
The subject is taken from a lost epic poem, which was alluded to in Homer‘s “Odyssey”, and it chronicles the fate of the Greek warrior Ajax the Greater after the events of “The Iliad” and the Trojan War.

After the death of Achilles, his armour was decided to be handed over to Odysseus rather than Ajax the higher. The decision took by Agamemnon and Menelaus – the two Greek commanders infuriates Ajax. Therefore, he decides to kill the three and Goddess Athena intervenes. She mystifies the mind of the great warrior and he believes the camp cattle to be the Greek warriors. He slaughters the cattle and this news goes to Odysseus. He tries to inspect the issue and Athena watches Odysseus looking for the truth.

Sophocles - The Tragic Homer is one of the great playwrights the Greek civilisation has ever witnessed. He is famous for his trio of plays called as the Oedipus cycle. The play "Ajax" is considered a remarkable piece of tragedy and the view of a dramatist of the civilisation where gods intervened in the matter of men. The Greek population revered Sophocles and by reading his plays one would feel that their actions are justifiable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788834185827
Publisher:	E-BOOKARAMA
Publication date:	01/24/2024
Sold by:	StreetLib SRL
Format:	eBook
File size:	838 KB

About the Author

Sophocles (c. 497/6 BCE - winter 406/5 BCE) is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides. According to the Suda, a 10th-century encyclopedia, Sophocles wrote 123 plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form: Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. For almost 50 years, Sophocles was the most-fêted playwright in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens that took place during the religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia. He competed in around 30 competitions, won perhaps 24, and was never judged lower than second place. Aeschylus won 14 competitions, and was sometimes defeated by Sophocles, while Euripides won only 4 competitions.

The most famous tragedies of Sophocles feature Oedipus and also Antigone: they are generally known as the Theban plays, although each play was actually a part of a different tetralogy, the other members of which are now lost. Sophocles influenced the development of the drama, most importantly by adding a third actor, thereby reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of the plot. He also developed his characters to a greater extent than earlier playwrights such as Aeschylus.