Introduction
Literature has always been a fundamental section of people’s everyday life. Literature is normally denoted as a reflection of the society. Because it depicts the events of the every day in a style that takes a creative and imaginative approach, involving various literary devices for instance puns, satire, metaphors and many more. Literature is realized in novels, poems, skits, and others, furthemore, literature has the responsibility to inform as well as educate the population. This is achieved primarily by demonstrating the events of the society. Rich works of literature have to be able to endure time as well as be significant long after its initial performance or publication to the public.
Primeval Greek literary works were similar since they are incline to last; Nonetheless, in this paper I will concentrate on the character of Ajax(Aias) as well as his relation to Athena and her relation with Odysseus. In order to, clarify the relationship that exists between humans and the Greek gods, and the way in which the god’s treatment of certain mortals, whether it be towards their favorite or least favorite, has the power to highly influence the mortal’s everyday experiences and greatly impact their lives.
Ajax is classified as a Greek tragedy i.e., they refer to modes of theatrics which have their source from Asian Minor as well as Ancient Greece. These tragedies were the most influential and famous types of theatre. The commonly recognized playwrights in this genre comprise of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and more others. These tales of the Greeks tragedies are mostly founded on myths from Greece and were mainly carried out in Athens. It is supposed that these Greek tragedies were composed as early as the 5th BC and Ajax is considered as one of the initial Greek tragedies to stand the test of time.
PLOT
The drama Ajax is focused in the time of the Trojan war. After the war, the mightiest Greek warrior, Achilles, has been killed in battle and, as a result, Odysseus was selected by two rulers, Menelaus and Agamemnon to be the replacement of Achilles on the throne. The absurd decision infuriated Ajax since he wanted that kingship more than anything, and deservedly so. Consequently, Ajax decides to kill them for their unfair decision. However Athena, the goddess of wisdom, intervenes with Ajax’s plan, deludes him, so that he may instead be able to murder the shepherd dogs, cattle, and their herdsmen. Ajax had carried out this atrocious act whereby the animals that he had killed were assumed to be those who were opposing his appointment to replace the position left vacant by Achilles after his death. When Ajax came to his right sense, after Athena’s spell wore off, he realized that he had incapacitated his army’s possibility of being victorious in the war. He became so mortified with his actions that he contemplated committing suicide. Then, in his desolation, Ajax complains that this outcome would have been averted had a successor been selected by Achilles personally, and that he is certain that the selected successor would have been him. His wife Tecmessa efforts in discouraging him from committing suicide for the sake of their child. In turn, Ajax offers his shield to his son and departs mentioning that he was heading to cleanse himself. When the captors of Ajax gives a narration to his followers about Ajax’s actions, they are grieved and fail to believe how a warrior with that esteem and eminence fell out suddenly. According to them, Ajax executed suicide by pressing himself onto the vertical edge of his sword and additionally incites for retribution against the two rulers, Menelaus and Agamemnon. Further on in the play, there is a conflict that emerges regarding the disposal of the body of Ajax. These two kings had suggested the body to be left to rot without being buried although Teucer, the half-brother to Ajax desires for him to be given a proper burial. Odysseus, who has a way with words, appears and succeeds in convincing kings Menelaus and Agamemnon that they should agree with Teucers’ decision on properly burying Ajax’s corpse. The drama then concludes with Teucer organizing burial plans for Ajax.
ANALYSIS ON AJAX AS A CHARACTER AND THE ROLE PLAYED BY ATHENA TO HELP ODYSSEUS.
In order to sufficiently cover this subject, it is necessary to shed light on the overall relationships between gods and mortals. As the saying goes, one man’s fortune is another man’s misfortune. It can be said that some warriors in this play got some divine intervention through Athena’s involvement either directly or indirectly. At the same time, Ajax who is their peer does not receive any help from the neglectful goddess. This portrays that the goddess somehow favors certain characters over others. Ajax’s death is as a result of his larger than life reputation which he had built as being a great warrior. Ajax may have been a stronger warrior, but Odysseus was more intelligent, and resultively better at listening to the gods. The relationship between gods and mortals in ancient Greek tragedies seem to vary widely. The Greek gods have had different roles in the Greek tragedies, these different roles played by them will be critical in helping to explain how they favor some characters over others in the play. Especially, with the mistreatment of Ajax by Athena, and how this greatly varies from the way she coddles Odysseus.
Greek gods play the parental role in Greek tragedies. In Ajax, Greek gods have an individual power which they manipulate for their entertainment on a mortal that they perceive as arrogant. Ajax seems to be too ambitious in Athena’s eyes. He considers himself as the best warrior second after Achilles. He is outraged when the two kings openly show their disbelief in him, and make Odysseus the leader of the Greek army instead. In retaliation to this egregious act which he considers a disgrace to him, he plans to kill the two kings. Similar to what a parent would do to punish his/her misbehaving son or daughter, Athena decides to punish Ajax, to put his ego in check. Athena uses her power remarkably as she can to manipulate a desperate Ajax to commit treason. Retrospectively, as a form of punishment, this should be considered too extreme as it will end with Ajax’s demise. In that, if Ajax is caught by his fellow Greek warriors' he will face a greater punishment, because sabotaging his fellow army men in battle is understandably punishable by death. Which is the main reason why when he regains his senses/consciousness he decides to commit suicide. With this, it is appropriate to say that the punishment passed across on Ajax might have been too harsh/extreme and Athena should have done something more humane to teach Ajax a lesson. Ajax had been a gallant warrior for the Greek army and didn’t deserve to fall to that extent. Regardless, the educational part of the punishment may not have helped Ajax, but it was effective to some extent because we can see through Odysseus’ and other character’s reactions, that this was a learned experience, where Ajax was used as a sacrificial lamb that cruel Athena destroyed to get her point across. With all of this, Athena successfully toned down anyone else who may have had such high ambitions as Ajax, or shared thoughts to disobey the gods.
Following his death, when Tecmessa reveals to Ajax’s followers what happened to Ajax, they also question the dark purpose of the decision that the gods have taken on Ajax.
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Ajax may have dishonored his reputation together with his family name, but he hopes that his beloved son will grow up to avenge for his father's disgrace.
Understandably, Athena is characterized as being too stern when dealing with Ajax. When she interferes and stops Ajax from murdering Menelaus, Agamemnon, and Odysseus. She decides to cast a spell on Ajax which confuses Ajax to slaughter cattle thinking he is slaughtering the commanders, as opposed to simply advising him against it. The one she advises instead is Odysseus, with whom she tells,
“…I stopped him. Spinning illusions of his own most deadly joy, I drew him to your captured herds…” (60-63) In this part it can be said that Athena openly displays her favor for Odysseus over Ajax. Rather than, informing Odysseus in advance of Ajax’s plan or restraining Ajax differently, she resorts to extreme means causing Ajax to descend on helpless livestock. This is harsh as Athena could have resorted to other means, but decided to stamp her authority cruelly on Ajax, who unfortunately didn't stand a chance against the goddess. To add fuel to the fire/To makes matter worse
On the contrary, Athena makes Odysseus observe the madness of Ajax. As she tells him,
“…Stay! Face him! What he has become is no threat to you” (page 82-83) Athena is using this as a lesson for Odysseus not to conceive such terrible ideas in his mind as such thoughts are punishable by such methods. The goddess then goes even further to threaten Odysseus warning him that success is passing quickly and just as he has it, it can be taken away from him within the same day, as he has witnessed in Ajax’s case. This exercise can be seen as one of learning humility, appreciativeness appreciating and the consequences that one can get if he/she goes against what the gods expect one to do in life. Athena views Odysseus as a child who needs education to know what is right and wrong in society. She uses a robust method to pass this education to Odysseus as seen above she uses threats and intimidation to warn him.
It is also visible how Athena greatly favors Odysseus over Ajax. This behavior of having favorites can be equated to mirror the same in the school or family set up where some parents have favorite children who are treated specially and when they make mistakes they are warned differently. It can be seen in some families where when a child makes a mistake his/her punishment is less harsh compared to the rest, or they are bought more toys compared to the other children of the family during Christmas time.
After the slaughter of the herds in the Greek camp, Odysseus has his suspicion set on Ajax, but he is not sure yet, Athena shows up and summarizes the events of Ajax to him. Athena appears above the tent and tells Odysseus that Ajax is covered with blood in his tent. This, in turn, can confirm the suspicion that Odysseus had about the sabotage. She then goes ahead to narrate to Odysseus how she cast a spell on Ajax as a way to reciprocate on Ajax thoughts on murdering the two kings and commanders. Athena, later on, shows Odysseus madness and warns him that that is the consequences of having such evil thoughts. This warning/education was not given to Ajax in advance. Instead, he was put under a vigorous spell which went ahead to tarnish his name and reputation as a whole without prior information. It appears that Odysseus is Athena’s’ favorite child. This, on the other hand, raises a question, had Achilles named a successor who would he have named, the strong Ajax or the smart Odysseus?
Ajax was an exceptional warrior. It has to be acknowledged. His achievement as an exceptional warrior was all on his strength and not intervention from the gods. In the play Ajax we do not see anywhere were the gods decide to do him a favor or warn him of any impending danger forthcoming. If Athena would have warned him of the consequences of his actions same way she was able to warn Odysseus of the impending danger of having power, Ajax may have never committed suicide .
Sophocles borrows the elements of his plot from the cyclic tradition but transforms them into a frame of thought and action that suits his purpose. The decision about the armor of Achilles is clearly the outcome of a trial decided by the leaders of the Greeks thus, the injustice lies with the hero’s comrades in arms. What then of Athena? In my opinion, the favoritism of the goddess and her “pettiness” towards Ajax are fully explored in the magnificent prologue of the play, where Athena shows herself vindictive, malicious, and bitterly ironic towards Ajax (Ajax 51–133). She gloats over the fallen hero and invites Odysseus to mock him when he is still deranged and humiliated: “is not laughing at one’s enemies the most delightful kind of laughter?” (Ajαx 79). With what Sophoclean concept of the divine this picture of Athena fits, it is hard to say. Up until the middle of the drama the spectator has the intense feeling of a goddess who must be respected out of fear. Even Odysseus is appalled and terrified by the malevolence of his beloved goddess when she invites him to witness the degradation of Ajax,
“ I pity him in his misery though he is my enemy, because he is bound fast by a cruel affliction, not thinking of his fate but my own; because I see that all of us who live are nothing but ghosts, or a fleeting shadow” (Ajax 121–126).
Most critics agree that the goddess Athena here is malevolent and cruel; “there can be no doubt that Athena is an utterly malign deity,[…]. The venom and vindictiveness with which she is portrayed in the opening scene are utterly unlike anything in the rest of Sophocles’ work[…]. Athena toys with her victim before destroying him – or rather driving him to commit so humiliatingly senseless an act of wanton savagery against the cattle that his acute feeling of abased honor requires him to destroy himself,” Podlecki 1980:53, 55.