Ajax (Sophocles)

E102238

Ajax (Sophocles) is an ancient Greek tragedy by Sophocles that dramatizes the downfall and suicide of the warrior Ajax after the Trojan War.

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Ajax (Sophocles) canonical 1

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Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Greek tragedy
play
tragedy
author Sophocles
basedOnMyth myth of Ajax son of Telamon
centralTheme heroic code
honor
madness
shame
suicide
centuryOfComposition 5th century BCE
containsEpisode Ajax's deception speech
Ajax's suicide scene
Odysseus argues for Ajax's burial
agon between Teucer and the Atreidae
prologue with Athena and Odysseus
featuresCharacter Agamemnon
Athena
Chorus of Salaminian sailors
Menelaus
Odysseus
Tecmessa
Teucer
focusesOn conflict between individual and community
downfall of a heroic warrior
form verse drama
genre tragedy
language Ancient Greek
literaryInfluenceOn later interpretations of Ajax in classical literature
literaryPeriod Classical Athens
mainCharacter Ajax
meter iambic trimeter (dialogue)
various lyric meters (choral odes)
mythologicalCycle Epic Cycle
surface form: Trojan War cycle
originalPerformanceContext City Dionysia
surface form: City Dionysia festival
originalPerformancePlace Athens
philosophicalTheme limits of heroic values
role of the gods in human suffering
plotEvent Ajax commits suicide with Hector's sword
Ajax is driven mad by Athena
Ajax regains his sanity and feels overwhelming shame
Ajax slaughters livestock believing they are Greek leaders
debate over Ajax's burial
setting after the Trojan War
settingLocation Greek camp at Troy
survivalStatus extant complete play by Sophocles
tradition Athenian tragedy

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Odysseus literaryWork Ajax (Sophocles)