The Three Great Epics- Essay, Research Paper
The Three Great Epics-
Three of the greatest literary works are Oedipus the King,
Antigone and the Odyssey. Oedipus the King and Antigone, part of a
three part series, was composed by Sophocles and performed on the
stage during a three day festival. While Odyssey was story written
down by Homer and was one of the first recorded epicsthat was and is
still being read today. The following shall be a comparison between
these three great epics in terms of their similarities and their
differences.
In comparing Oedipus the King, Antigone and Odyssey, there is
a similarity between all three of them in terms of the main
characters leadership in response to to situations. In Oedipus the
King, the main character that displays leadership in response to a
situation is Oedipus. In this epic, Oedipus s leadership is greatly
noted, especially in the beginning and into the middle. His
leadership is greatly recognizable when he takes charge when the
Chorus and the Priest ask for his help because of a plague in Thebes.
As a result Oedipus says, In all my search, I have found helpful
course, and that I have taken: I have sent Creon, Son of Menoikeus,
brother of the Queen, to Delphi, Apollo s place of revelation, To
learn there, if he can, What act or pledge of mine may save the
city. (Sophocles pg 153) Once Creon gets back with the word from the
Oracle, Oedipus springs into action when he says, I make this
proclamation to all Thebans: If any man knows by whose hand Laios,
son of Labdakos, met his death, I direct that man to tell me
everything, no matter what he fears for having so long withheld it.
Let it stand as promised that no further trouble will come to him, but
he may leave the land in safety. Moreover: If anyone knows the
murderer to be foreign, let him not keep silent:
He shall have his reward from me. However, if he does conceal it; if
any man fearing for his friend or for himself disobeys this edict,
hear what I propose to do. I solemnly forbid the people of this
country. Where power and throne are mine, ever to receive that man or
speak to him, no matter who he is, or let him join in sacrifice,
lustration, or in prayer. I decree that he be driven from every home,
being, as he is, corruption itself to us: the Delphic Voice of Zeus
has pronounced this revelation. (Sophocles pg 157-158)
Based on all of these statements of Oedipus, it is therefore
agreeable that Oedipus was a strong and a leader that took action.
In the play Antigone, there is a character who responds to situations
with leadership and this character is Creon who is King of Thebes.
After the battle between Polyneices of Argus and Eteocles of Thebes,
Polyneices successfully defends Thebes but he got killed in the battle
as well as his brother. Creon gives a full military honor funeral for
Eteocles for defending the city but as for Polyneices, Creon says,
Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial: no man is to touch him
or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain, unburied;
and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they
like. This is my command, and you can see the wisdom behind it. As
long as I am King, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal
man. But whoever shows by word and deed that he is on the side of the
State, he shall have my respect while he is living and my reverence
when he is dead. (Sophocles pg 534) Based on this, Creon shows
excellent leadership under this situation because a war just finished
and to make sure others will not do the same as Polyneices, that is
commit treason, he gives this command so others would heed his
warning and not to do what Polyneices has done. His actions are
justifiable since any good leader would do the same to prevent another
similar war from occurring. In the epic Odyssey, one character
responds to situations with leadership is Odyssey. When Odyssey and
his men find an unknown island, Odyssey takes charge and says to his
men, Old shipmates, friends, the rest of you stand by; I ll make the
crossing in my own ship, with my own company, for they may be wild
savages, and lawless, or hospitable and god fearing men. (Homer p150)
Another situation where Odyssey displays leadership is wh
men are trapped in the Cyclops s cave and are at the mercy of the
Cyclops. Instead of just sitting there and letting his men be eaten
alive by this cruel beast, Odyssey hatches a plan. He chopped out a
six foot section of this pole and set it down before his men, who
scraped it; and when they had it smooth, Odyssey hewed it again to
make a stake with a pointed end. (Homer p154) Then Odyssey got the
Cyclops drunk with wine so much that Cyclops collapsed from
intoxication. Then with the wooden stake he and his men bored that
great eye socket while blood ran out around the red hot bar. Eyelid
and lash were seared; the pierced ball hissing broiling, and the roots
popped. (Homer p156) This action of Odyssey shows that even under
any situation, he will always guide his men to the correct course
under his command. Based on these three great epics, they are all in
similar because they characters of each epic have a great common point
in terms of their leadership under situations.
Though these three epics may have a similarity, these epics
greatly differ in with one another in terms of the Greek Gods and
Goddesses roles. In Oedipus the King the Gods and Goddesses play only
a minor role, meaning that they themselves do not participate in the
epic directly in terms of actions but participate based only in terms
of them being only mentioned in the drama and them being mentioned of
their great power and their decrees. Such indications in this epic
are especially noted in the Chorus. In one such example, the Chorus
say, Divine Zeus and Apollo hold perfect intelligence alone of all
tales ever told, and well though diviner works, he works in his own
night. (Sophocles pg 164) Another example is when the Chorus says,
What is god singing in his profound Delphic of gold and
shadow? (Sophocles pg 156) Antigone also similar to Oedipus Rex in
terms of the limited action of the gods and goddesses. Such
indications in Antigone is when the Chorus says, What mortal
arrogance transcends the wrath of zeus? Sleep cannot lill him, nor
he is young forever , and his house is the shining day of high
Olympus. (Sophocles pg 542) Just like in Oedipus Rex, this quotation
in Antigone shows that the gods and goddesses do not directly affect
the characters of the drama but rather they are just talked about.
However in Odyssey, the gods and goddesses play a very active role.
One such example is the conversation between the one of the gods named
Hermes and Odyssey. Hermes says to Odyssey, Why take the inland path
alone, poor seafarer, by hill and dale upon this island all unknown?
Your friends are locked in Kirke s pale; all are become like swine
to see; and if you go set them free you go to stay, and never make
sail for your home upon Thaki. (Homer pg 173) Another incidence of
the gods and goddesses active role in this drama is when Odyssey
spoke to Athena, O Mentor, join me in this fight! Remember how all
my life I ve been devoted to you, friend of my youth! (Homer pg
416) Based on this, Oedipus Rex and Antigone are similar because of
the gods and goddess s limited role in terms of their action unlike
Odyssey, which has a greater role for it s gods and goddesses.
In conclusion the three great epics; Oedipus the King,
Antigone and Odyssey are similar in terms of the characters taking
leadership when the situation demanded it. Also these three epics
differed in terms of the actions of the gods and goddesses and how
they were presented in the epics. Perhaps the reason why these great
epics have endured over thousands of years is perhaps because of their
universal content. Perhaps they have endured because they were just
enjoyable stories to be told around a large gathering. Whatever the
case, these stories provided a source of entertainment for a people
that lived long before technology and for these stories to even make
it in these times is surely must mean it is a great story.
—
1. Homer. Odyssey. Translator: Robert Fitzgerald. New York:
Vintage Classics 1990
2. Sophocles. Antigone. Translators: Robert Fitzgerald & Dudley
Fitts. New York: Vintage Classics 1990
3. Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Translators: Robert Fitzgerald &
Dudley Fitts. New York: Vintage Classics 1990