Aaliyah and I are reading Ajax for this months MOR. I am very excited to read through this short play about Greek Mythology that is placed after Illiad with Ajax and Odysseus as main characters.
“Ajax” has started off very interestingly and eventful. Athena is a saint for literally saving Oysseus and EVERYONE in the town by giving Ajax the potion where he thinks the animals are everyone else. Ajax does seem crazy after this, but was he not already crazy for trying to kill them all just because Odysseus got Achilles armor and not him? It seems unnecessarily extreme to kill him and his men because of this. Also, why did Tecmessa not tell Ajax of what he was doing? Was she not scared of the horrible acts he was doing to simple cattle and the names he was calling them? Ajax has a right to be mad at her for not telling him. At least the Chorus of Sailors is out there for Ajax and has a care for him. I know that Athena did put the spell over him making him crazy, but he kind of deserved if for the devious plan he had. Odysseus seems like a nice guy, and it sounds like he deserved the honor instead of Ajax. We now see firsthand what kind of lunatic Ajax is. Odysseus was very kind to Athena, and was rightfully scared to death of Ajax, especially after hearing of the horrific actions and tortures that he was doing to the poor cattle; and when Athena called in Ajax, Odysseus had a lot of faith in Athena to stay in the tent with Ajax. “ODYSSEUS- How so, if still with the same eyes he sees? ATHENA- His orbs will I make dark, though vision is theirs. ODYSSEUS- Well, all is possible, when 'tis a god contrives. ATHENA- Stand then silent, abiding as thou art. ODYSSEUS- Stay I must; yet I fain would be far hence. “
I would not trust Athena in this case. I don’t know what would happen, and if Ajax happened to have seen him, it would not have been good. That is what I think of “Ajax” currently.
Question, why do you think Athena protected Odysseus and his men from Ajax? Did she have a good reason? Does she not like Ajax/does she really like Odysseus?
“Ajax” has started off very interestingly and eventful. Athena is a saint for literally saving Oysseus and EVERYONE in the town by giving Ajax the potion where he thinks the animals are everyone else. Ajax does seem crazy after this, but was he not already crazy for trying to kill them all just because Odysseus got Achilles armor and not him? It seems unnecessarily extreme to kill him and his men because of this. Also, why did Tecmessa not tell Ajax of what he was doing? Was she not scared of the horrible acts he was doing to simple cattle and the names he was calling them? Ajax has a right to be mad at her for not telling him. At least the Chorus of Sailors is out there for Ajax and has a care for him. I know that Athena did put the spell over him making him crazy, but he kind of deserved if for the devious plan he had. Odysseus seems like a nice guy, and it sounds like he deserved the honor instead of Ajax. We now see firsthand what kind of lunatic Ajax is. Odysseus was very kind to Athena, and was rightfully scared to death of Ajax, especially after hearing of the horrific actions and tortures that he was doing to the poor cattle; and when Athena called in Ajax, Odysseus had a lot of faith in Athena to stay in the tent with Ajax.
ReplyDelete“ODYSSEUS- How so, if still with the same eyes he sees?
ATHENA- His orbs will I make dark, though vision is theirs.
ODYSSEUS- Well, all is possible, when 'tis a god contrives.
ATHENA- Stand then silent, abiding as thou art.
ODYSSEUS- Stay I must; yet I fain would be far hence. “
I would not trust Athena in this case. I don’t know what would happen, and if Ajax happened to have seen him, it would not have been good. That is what I think of “Ajax” currently.
Question, why do you think Athena protected Odysseus and his men from Ajax? Did she have a good reason? Does she not like Ajax/does she really like Odysseus?